There’s Many Sides…

Yesterday morning Minister-Lou told us that she’d met the Bishop of Chelmsford. I looked her up… Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani… Her brother was murdered during 1979’s Iranian revolution… she fled Iran in 1980 to the UK aged 14…now Bishop of Chelmsford…

The BBC asked her about the Iran war: ‘…like most Iranians, and most sensible people, there are mixed emotions… the leadership of a very brutal regime which has been repressing the Iranian people for well over 30 years has been removed, is a source of joy to many people… Total horror and destruction have been rained down on the region… what we don’t know is Iran’s capability to continue this.’

Many sides to war… joy, horror, uncertainty…

We watched the final episode of the 15th series of ‘Call the Midwife’. We’ve followed the nuns and midwives in Poplar, East London, through the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s.

Last night: …A baby was born; the storyline included thalidomide children and single parent families. …A nurse got married; the storyline included prejudice against mixed-race marriages and divorce in religious communities.  

…Sister Monica Joan died. A constant throughout each series, played by the excellent 90-year-old Judy Parfitt, she was loved by nuns, nurses and the whole East End community. We saw grief and sadness at her death, yet a celebration of her life of wisdom, love and service.

Many sides to life… birth, marriage, death…

I read an article in ‘Premier Christian News about 27-year-old Arsenal and England midfielder, Eberechi Eze. I read of his perseverance through multiple rejections, his work ethic, his marriage, and the importance of prayer in his life. He described faith as central to his identity and his approach to life… that his ultimate goal in football is to glorify God,

I also read that Eze is part of Arsenal’s ‘Bible Brothers,’ a group of players including Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, and Noni Madueke, who pray together and hold Bible studies to strengthen team unity and support one another’s faith.

Many sides to Eze… footballer, husband, Christian…