Today as I have been posting daft photos and being busy preparing for Christmas events, news has unfolded of tragedy across the Atlantic.  Sometimes I think we forget that whilst the events recorded in the gospels were unfolding, the rest of the world carried on as normal, life and death, tragedy and triumph...

A couple of things have come to mind, firstly the Jeremiah quoted by Matthew after the slaughter of the innocents

This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more."

And this song, of which this is the least annoying recording I can find...

Comfort your people, Lord

Parents whose children have been slaughtered

Children orphaned by human inhumanity

Comfort your people, Lord

And forgive us our complicity in injustice

And our impotence in the face of evil

Comfort us

And give us new hope

Amen

Things that make you go 'hmmm....'

Four of our flock gather round the infant Jesus from our nativity set...

Today's PAYG used Isaiah 41: 13 - 20 as its basis for reflection.  It's an odd passage with weird imagery, but what struck me was the line that ran, “Do not be afraid, Jacob, poor worm, Israel, puny mite. I will help you – it is the Lord who speaks – the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer.”

A poor worm, a puny mite... the lowest and mostly lowly creatures, barely observed, rarely valued, overlooked and ignored.  Worms and mites get a pretty bad press I think, which is not entirely deserved, as a TV programme I watched yesterday evening powerfully demonstrated.

Sometimes I expect we do feel a bit like the puny, poor, unnoticed, wrongly perceived mini-beasts alluded to in the reading.  Sometimes our best endeavours seem pretty pathetic.  Sometimes we ridicule the best endeavours of others.  But the promise remains... God promises to help the least of all.

Help us to hear your promise, God

That you are not only aware of us

And all our struggles

Self-doubting

Self-depracation,

But that you will help us

Will redeem us

Will reconcile us

Will renew and refresh us

Poor worm,

Puny mite...

God's good creation,

Loved by God

Amen

This chuckle inducing picture is doing the rounds just now...