I wonder what you think of when you think of bones. One of my grandsons was about three when I went with him to a toddler music class. It involved a lot of action songs so there was a lot of sitting down and standing up in quick succession. He was becoming impatient because I…

When our sports team wins a cup or our country wins a battle, we arrange a victory parade. The open topped bus is driven slowly through the town, with the smiling heroes on top waving to their adoring fans. It’s a tradition that seems to have started in Roman times, when, on the day of…

These days we block out natural light with curtains and blinds whereas in the ancient world, people organised their activities around the pattern of daylight. According to Genesis, light was the first thing created ; in Revelation the Holy city  ‘has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of…

What does it mean to be a mother? This is a popular theme in TV and drama. Think of storylines in the soaps (e.g. Eastenders at the time of writing this), popular dramas such as Happy Valley or Maternal and comedies like Motherhood. Our relationship with our Mum is our first relationship. Of course, Dads…

Today wells are seen as touristy places to snap selfies, maybe make a wish or toss a coin in for good luck but in the dry heat of the Middle East two essentials are the need for shade and clean fresh water, both could be found at the well. ‘Living’ water was running water that…

From the dusty depths we looked at last week, today we are raising our gaze to the mountains.  In the Old Testament, Mountains symbolise fidelity for example in Psalm 125 we read of towering mountains that cannot be shaken. Other cultures and ancient mythologies have traditions that holy mounts were sites of divine creativity and…

Jesus lived in the dust of the desert for forty days. Dust means dryness, aridity. Often, in the Bible, dust has negative associations with desolation, diminishment and decline into death. “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” However, it is also seen as the crucial raw material of life. It has echoes…

We’re approaching Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. We eat pancakes the day before on Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) as we eat up the rich fatty foods before commencing the Lenten fast. Traditionally this is the day we are ‘shriven’ or absolved of our sins after self examination. On Ash Wednesday, the…

It’s the greatest feeling in the world to know you are loved. Sometimes we say those three little words very glibly. We add it to the end of a phone call or text. Someone says it to us and we feel that we should say it back without really thinking about what we’re saying. Someone…

I’ve just re-read the story of Jesus’ first miracle, turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. I love this story. It’s not a life and death situation. It’s to do with someone not doing their job properly, not ordering enough wine and Jesus stepping in to save their embarrassment.  It’s a story of…