Many years ago, I was told ‘every problem is an opportunity’. It’s a bit of a cliché. I’ve been musing…
Many will recognise today as ‘World Refugee Day’. This year’s theme is ‘Until everyone is safe’. The United Nations website states: ‘By mid-2025, 117.3 million people worldwide remained forcibly displaced by persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order.’
I don’t think that the 117.3 million homeless, hungry people would be positive, seeing their problems as opportunities.
Last night we went to see a new play ‘It Comes in Waves’, by local writer James McDermott. After losing his father in the pandemic James uses his own experience of bereavement…
Set in a grief café in Lowestoft, 60+ Crystal has lost her husband; 19-year-old Jordan has lost her dad; group leader Howard also needs to confront his past. Grief is a problem for each character. Although opportunity may be present, there are more pressing priorities.
Today the ‘First Light Festival’ starts on the Lowestoft beach. Some of our Christian friends are actively involved… Festival Pastors will work alongside event organisers and welfare teams… the Soul Space tent, run by our town Chaplaincy Team, will offer peace treatments and hand massages… Esther and Leon will be running their ‘Kadosh’ Soul Space Beach Café and labyrinth…
In past years providing a safe space for relaxing and recharging has given many opportunities for problems to be shared and understood, opportunities for help and support…
Yesterday I was chatting to Thom, who’s directing a local production of The Sound of Music… The nun’s sing, ‘How do you solve a problem like Maria’. Maria doesn’t fit in at the abbey… as the Nazi’s overrunning Austria.
And yet… Maria discovers that problems are overcome as opportunities are taken.
The Christian story is of life’s problems and opportunities together… finding a home for the homeless, strength and empathy for the grieving, space and safety for the ordinary, and love, purpose, identity and freedom for all problems like Maria.
malcolmsmusings.org 
In a world dominated by terror, greed, selfishness and hopelessness, only the cross of Jesus offers hope strong enough to change our hearts. And yes! The Sound of Music is my favorite musical of all time!
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Thanks, Pete. I think there’s a fair bit of Christian gospel in The Sound of Music, from God-fearing nuns, to character formation as we discover love, discovering our calling, and salvation from forces bigger than ourselves….
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