Why the country is still in flux

Historically and world-wide, I'm not convinced that a new monarch has always been recognised on the death of the last monarch.

I think this is a man-made idea. Not just because of Cromwell et al, but because other countries have historically tended only to recognise their new king or queen on coronation. I cannot say whether this rule of a monarch being a monarch at the instant of the death of their predecessor has always been true in Britain (as I am not a historian). However, I'm guessing, given the tumultuous exchange of kings and queens here, that they have been recognised only on coronation, in the past. Also, that other countries only recognise a new monarch on coronation. Making the rule arbitrary.

Why does this matter? Because if the divine right of kings theory is true (and this is what our royalty and Government rely on the majority of people believing), then royalists must accept that a king is only a king if God recognises them as such. And, historically, God, and often the people, have tended to recognise kings and queens (of any kind) to gain power at the same time as their coronations.

Leaving the country with 126 days, 5 hours and 51 minutes from me writing this until the day God actually recognises we have a king (or at least that people like me accept a new king). Meaning the country is effectively without any legitimate leadership and all this 'back to business as usual' is, in reality, a façade. If the power of the royalty comes only from the people, and Bolingbroke (according to Shakespeare) was right, then, fair enough, we have a new king, because then, the legitimacy of the power comes only from the people. But if Richard II was right, then a monarch can only rule with legitimacy once recognised as one by God. Under this theory, and especially if the divine right of kings is accepted, the country is effectively in flux and transition right now (and not only because of the worldwide cost of living crisis).

Basically meaning that the country has no legitimate leadership at all.

In practice that is not going to stop those in power using force and taxing us to high Heaven, but it does mean that they are doing so without any legitimate authority beyond that of violent force (which tends to be agreed to be wrong). Or, in answer to your possible next question - Charles will have his coronation on 6th May 2023 and God may, or may not recognise it.

In the meantime -according to orthodox Christianity - the Government is now ruling without any legitimate authority and we have no king yet.

(Apart, debatably, from 'you know who...')

Useful to know, don't you think?

A snapshot of the UK today?

The Parable of the Cold Island 2022

 

 

 The Parable of the Cold Island

Update: 2022

It has been four years since this parable was first published back in 2018. Ask yourself this question - why is it that for God and man it is almost always a case of 'Maybe next year?'. One day I will not keep having to publish this.

This is probably the most important parable that I will ever write. It is also the one I have worked on for the longest period of time. The central metaphor will perhaps give the appearance of being trite, schmaltzy or twee. That was not my intention. I chose this metaphor as I still feel it is the most appropriate for the subject. It is not intended to be unnecessarily didactic in tone, but the nature of parables is to send a spiritual message.

Anyone who tells parables has to decide whether they will explain them or not. In this case I'm trusting in your intelligence and imagination.

'Let those who have ears to hear, let them hear...'





There was once a good king, a king like the sun, who ruled over a cold island with three peculiar children. It was winter and they say that winter is the end of the story of the seasons. But it depends on when you start the story.

Some people hated the royal family, but that was because they tended to get a bad press. Most of the people thought the king was harsh. He always seemed to be on some long journey and his absence caused many of the people to doubt that he even existed. After all, he was never on TV or the internet.

From a distance, he often seemed negligent or downright cruel, if it is possible to be both at once. He did not do terrible things, but he allowed them and would not explain why.

Two of the royal children were as disobedient as vultures. But the third child was as faithful as a robin, refusing to fly away when the winter sun grew austere. Her kindness was all the more remarkable because she was unable to walk. She was as loyal as frost clinging to a car window (for which the people also cursed the king in the mornings).

There hadn’t been a real Christmas on that island for over a hundred years. Although there had been some imitations of it. No-one even knew what Christmas was like anymore. Those who had heard of it either thought it brutal and regressive (following a highly popular Netflix series about what Christmas may be like and a series of stereotypes which were expressed in the arts and media about the character of those who might like Christmas) ... Or else they thought it was yet another money-making scheme, heavy on the merchandise and manipulation.

But the faithful robin-child, after reading of true Christmas, asked her father if they could celebrate too… as the people in far-off places were said to do. She had only read stories of Christmas and it was because she had lost a friend in one of the past winter months that she found her courage.

She entered the throne room in her wheelchair and the king looked sadly at his cold iron sceptre, like a man haunted by ghosts which only he knew about.

"We need Christmas father. Things are getting worse on the island," said the robin-child.

"The island is sick," replied the king.

"Then there is hope of healing. You have healing in your power."

"What do you think Christmas should be like anyway?" the king asked, "Like water? Like the sea's tide turning? Like rain after a drought? Like a river flowing?"

"I don't know."

"Or like the earth? Like an earthquake and a shaking, or a kind of sifting of the good and bad?"

"No not that, Christmas should be for everyone and that sounds destructive."

"Or like the air? Like a wind blowing across the land? Like a change in the atmosphere?"

"I don't know."

"Or like fire? Like tongues of flame? Like a wildfire?"

"I simply think it should be like a new, better season. Like Christmas in the old stories."


But the king went on to tell his daughter yet again that if his children and people continued to misbehave, they would never see Christmas. It was within his power to make the winter months warmer and lighter since kings and queens still hold great power. But it was catch 22 – without the comfort of Christmas, people found it hard to behave, but if they did not behave, the king would not give them Christmas. The king's conditions felt very patronising and simplistic.

It had become increasingly dark and cold in those winter months in so many ways. And the dark and cold had soaked into the hearts of the people, so that even the streets saw puddles of blood. The blood had a voice, but by this time only the king could seem to hear it. Nobody cared about all kinds of roses crushed underfoot. Gentleness had emigrated. It was as if the island was under a curse.

At the start of December, the king sat on his throne and wondered whether he should allow his island child her peculiar request. He was undecided, since two of his children were so naughty (they were always fighting and rarely did what he asked). When he told them to love, they hated. When he told them to forgive, they held grudges. When he told them to not be too proud and condescending towards the people, they simply looked down their noses at the less privileged. It had got so bad that the people were cursing the royal family because of the actions of the princes. “The royal family are judgmental bigots!” the people would sing. Or else, “The king is in the altogether, he’s altogether not there!” And blood on the streets didn’t help. The people would take strange, dangerous potions and dance wildly into the night or else treat each other as badly as the princes treated them.

The king wondered whether he should simply give a present to his daughter and ignore the others. But then he considered that Christmas should be for everyone and an exclusive Christmas had never happened before. But why Christmas on his island alone? There was the Commonwealth, and the people there could be said to be worthier? One last worldwide Christmas for everyone (even though that had never happened before). What had happened before can happen again, for good or for evil. He had told all his children to behave and they had largely ignored him. What should a good father do? He, did, after all, have his enemies and ghosts. And the land had enough problems already, ready to break and divide for the sake of a freedom which was only hoped in.

One of the naughty children didn’t believe Christmas was healthy, he thought it probably meant, a pair of socks as a present, a lot of disappointment and probably a lot of grief. He didn't like anything about Christmas. The other thought it was unlikely to happen again before the end of the world. He simply thought there would never be a genuine Christmas again. But the faithful robin child would read old stories and she believed that even if they were only to have one last Christmas it would be a good thing for everyone on the cold island. It would help them to prepare for the coldest and darkest of days. She too loved the people of the island.

But the winter winds pummelled them all and the thunder made it seem as if the sky may fall at any moment. And the naughty children started to doubt that their father really was good – not because they wanted Christmas, but because he seemed to allow so many bad things and then said it was some kind of test. And never explained why. The tests were always the same anyway, they were either endurance tests or self-control tests, but the king, because of his ghosts, considered that an unfair criticism. Kings can do that and you can't tell them that they are wrong.

The king had set out conditions for there to be a Christmas. He had said that if his children talked to him, keeping their conversations secret, and if they were well-behaved and if they trusted in him, he would give them Christmas once again and the Christmas would be both a relief and a healing for them all. Hearts would turn warm and there would be more light, like the light of a baby in a manger. But the trouble was that he had three children and only one of them was behaving. The majority were not. In a sense, it was because of the naughty children that the whole island did not get Christmas, especially the fault of the naughtiest leading prince who had been given more than the others and who was relatively healthy.

So, the king faced a quandary – he had promised that he would order Christmas throughout the land if all his children behaved. But how could they behave when all was cold and austere and there was no Christmas? The robin princess had talked to him on countless occasions about this, about how Christmas would be good for both him and the people, about how it would make things better, about how a good father should not deny the request of an obedient daughter simply because others were not so obedient. About how Christmas itself would swing the hearts and souls of people onto his side. About how, while he delayed, the people and the children suffered together. About how he had also promised to grant any request made persistently. About what kind of good father would deny Christmas to his children anyway? About how he wanted free will love from the people and he would get that if he gifted Christmas.

But the king simply looked at his cold iron sceptre, shrugged and said that unless his people and his children talked to him, behaved, and trusted in him, he couldn’t send Christmas.

“But you also once said nothing is impossible for you,” said the robin princess.

“These are the conditions,” said the father with a stern face that did not suit him.

“But you once said that even a bad judge would rule in favour of a petitioner if they persisted, and I have pestered you about this for years.”

“These are the conditions,” said the king, his face like flint (which did not suit one whose glory was supposed to be greater than the sun).

“But how can the conditions ever be met on this island where the streets drink blood without conditions changing so that the conditions are more likely to be met?”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Why must you win every argument?" replied the Princess, "It isn’t endearing. People are suffering. What kind of good father would deny Christmas to their children? You told us that you love us.”


So here is the quandary, the mystery and here is the parable – that the good and kind king had seen how cold and dark his land had grown and truly understood the suffering of his people (having lived as one of them, in another land, a long time ago). Yet he denied them Christmas, saying it was the fault of his enemies, or of his children, or of his ghosts. Saying that conditions needed to be met, saying that his timing was perfect. And often saying nothing at all.

And still, the faithful robin princess and the people waited to see if a good King and Father would really delay Christmas on that cold, dark island for reasons known only to himself and his ghosts. And the robin princess, her heart broken because of the blood on the streets, knew that the only thing left to do was to keep on asking.

Free Halloween Short Story 2022: A Sermon of Life

 

A Sermon of Life

All they had were questions. And stories.

So Danny began his story while the sun was setting.

“I once heard a sermon when you dragged me to your church that time,” said Danny, the younger brother.

“I remember that,” replied Joe. “It was the only time I’ve persuaded you to go.”

“But I listened – can you remember the sermon?”

“Wasn’t it about saving grace?”

“Not from what I remember,” replied Danny. “The guy on the pulpit went off on one about how people will be made to watch their lives all over again in front of God and give an account for all their actions. He said there would be a life review. It was a bad sermon and that is why I haven’t been back to your church. It put me off.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember. It isn’t usually that bad. Our preacher tends to think that everything in life is inspiration for a sermon. He actually struggles to enjoy life because he is always looking for a sermon topic in whatever he does.”

Danny shrugged, not caring. “The preacher, what is the guy’s name anyway? Well, the preacher said that when people face the final judgement, which I’m not saying I believe will ever happen... he said that they would be forced to watch their lives all over again. How can he know that?”

“Are you going to tell a story?”

“Sure, but it’s all a bit scary... 

A man died and found himself in the throne room of your God. It was a huge palace and there was your great white throne, although goodness knows why it has to be a white throne and not a black ebony one... or a gold one. What is it made out of anyway? Ivory? Bone? Is that the so-called glory of God? The throne and your God shone like a... like a glow-in-the-dark sticker.

Anyway, this man died and found himself in your God’s throne room and he was suddenly told that he would have to relive his life in a kind of movie form, with him watching all the things that were done, in front of a whole crowd of saints and angels and... whathaveyou. I can tell you now that the man blushed knowing the kind of things they would be watching. He had read a little about life reviews, people talked about their lives flashing in front of their eyes in near-death experiences and here he was, at the judgement, being forced to watch the whole story of his life on some massive spiritual cinema screen in front of a lot of strangers. Perhaps the cost of the huge screen was raised through the tithes of the saints?”

“At least his family and friends weren’t there?”

“They had tickets for another performance. A small mercy? God told the man that he would need to simply watch the events of his life and that he would be asked questions afterwards. So, the life review began at his birth. Everyone was shown the man in graphic detail being born into the world. His baby cries filled the throne room. So far so good. This man was picked up by a doctor and the umbilical cord was cut and he was washed and placed at his mother’s breast. Tears filled the man’s eyes to see his mother looking so young. She had died when he was an adult and he had struggled so deeply with that. 

There was no sign of his mother now in that throne room. So, he continued to watch and it became obvious that this life review wasn’t going to be edited at all. In fact, it seemed as if he would have to live a life in the throne room watching the events of his life in a kind of parallel time! I mean, think about it... even if he didn't need to eat, drink or crap anymore, he was in for a long, long judgement.

The man appealed to God to fast forward and God sighed deeply and complied with the man’s request. The great white throne also happened to have a great white remote controller in an arm, through which God pressed a button and fast forwarded to the man as a toddler. It was just as well because otherwise the man and the rest of the audience were going to be very, very bored at a very banal life.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“No more ridiculous than some of your beliefs are, besides, I’m using your worldview, aren’t I? So, what are you complaining about? This man watched himself as a toddler, with both his parents. He watched himself holding the hands of his parents and being lifted by them and swung along as he walked. These were happy times for him and he couldn’t help smiling, although he did fear what would be edited out and what would be kept in. 

And that was the trouble. It seemed that God had an agenda and all of the good deeds which the man did, all of the small kindnesses were fast forwarded. No sooner was the man about to say a kind word or share a toy with a friend before God was on the fast forward button, only pressing pause to show him in some naughty childhood mood, being disobedient to his parents or being selfish. It was like a very bad version of the latest reality TV show in which all of the good parts of the man’s life were edited out. Soon he was at school and God seemed to take some freaky pleasure in showing the man as a boy being mean to some schoolmates. There was one time in particular where he bullied a smaller boy... and to drive his point home God even pressed pause when the guilty party threw his first punch. Another time he was torturing tadpoles with a magnifying glass. You like saying that children are sinful don't you, when your church isn't abusing them that is?'

'No Danny, I don't. They're just children.'

'Whatever. The man was made to watch it all and he would look at God’s face – a face which was furrowed with concern and disapproval and lots of head shaking. All the time... the shaking head of God. Things didn’t look good. But you keep saying that your God is merciful and mercifully he fast forwarded through the man’s bad habits and most of the embarrassing things he did. He was at least glad of that. He wasn’t so glad when God showed him breaking into a house. It was something he had done as a teenager and something he had never told anyone about. The man broke in and stole some jewellery and sold it. And God shook his head sadly. And the man started to worry about other secret things which he had done in his life. There had been no murders, no genocides, but what was shown time and again was a kind of bad motivation behind so many of his deeds. He was shown in his first relationships, behaving selfishly. And he was shown being over-competitive in his career. And every time they were about to reach some point at which the man knew that he had done something kind or some good thing then God would press a button and the cinema screen would show some other scene. It was emotionally exhausting watching all this and the man began to feel the Saints and the angels looking at him with disapproval.

Also, watching his life all over again was taking such a long time and the man couldn't seem to get comfortable with the crowds all around him, gasping in horror at his many sins. 

There seemed to be one scene that God wanted to get to. It was just the one scene and God kept fast forwarding. He fast forwarded over the grief that the man expressed with the death of his parents. He fast forwarded over the many petitions which the man signed and the many small acts of kindness he made. He fast forwarded even over the major things that the man felt sure he would linger on. He seemed to be wanting to get to one particular place.

And then the man cringed as he realized what was about to happen. God found the place in the film of his life where he had been invited to a church service in one of the more charismatic evangelical churches. And the man was once again made to sit through a sermon which was all about whether they were willing to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and that this would mean that they would live forever. And in the film in the throne room of God they all watched as the preacher asked the congregation on the TV screen if they would bow their heads and pray.

The preacher said: ‘All you have to do is to say sorry to God, which is to repent, to thank him for what he has done and to ask him to come into your life. God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.’

And the spiritual big brother camera zoomed in on the man who was playing the latest open world role playing game on his mobile. And then the preacher asked if anyone would like to raise their hand to show that they wanted to become a Christian. And the man swore silently because he lost a boss fight and was barely listening to the preacher. And all of the throne room, including the 12 disciples, gasped at him for that. And God shook his head and pressed stop on the movie of his life so that he wasn’t even able to watch the significant events which had occurred after that one so called defining moment. And then your God looked straight at the man with a sad, slightly annoyed look.

‘Why did you do that in your defining moment?’ asked God. ‘Why did you reject me? I am a great King.’

And the man was forced to tell the truth, ‘Because I had a good percentage score in the game and I wanted to share it with my friends on Facebook...’

And all the throne room gasped yet again. And God shook his head and said:

‘You betrayed my son because you loved a game more than you loved me and that was symbolic of everything in your life - ever.’

'It wasn't!' shouted the man, 'What about all the good I did?! There was this time when I once helped a..."

'Enough!'

And then your God pressed a button on the other arm of his great white throne and an angel appeared and dragged the man to a huge pit which had appeared and the man fell, and fell, and fell... to your ridiculous hell. 

Then the next man walked in. The end."

“Who’s the moralist now?” asked Joe.

“Not at all, I’m merely highlighting how biased and unfair the whole system you ascribe to actually is.”

“No, that would never happen.”

“The preacher at your church said that was going to happen.”

Joe sniffed and closed his eyes. “Yes, Danny he did say that. But you're mocking a made-up God. He's not like that.”

“A victimless crime. Anyway, the preacher doesn’t know for sure. No-one really knows what will happen. And I never rubbished your God, I rubbished that crap sermon.”

Joe gave his brother the last word as night deepened, too tired to argue. 

Suddenly, thirteen bats began to flutter around them both, quickly dancing their circular song in what remained of the dusk light... returning again and again to the same places. Joe was spellbound. One of the bats was shining. Just like a glow-in-the-dark sticker.

Danny smiled, picked up his mobile and started to play the latest open world role playing game.

There was a storm coming but it was not judgement day yet.

Why betrayal is universal....

Patient readers, I may regret this one again...

I may have responded to a Facebook group post in the following way...

The casual meme I was responding to was about how 'All Christians betray God in little ways'. Which I am no doubt doing as I write...

Here's what I wrote back... it still being a free-ish country...

"I do think I betray him in small ways. But there are often mitigating circumstances.

(I continued to write...) 

But it's like Jesus is saying to me, 'Oh, you didn't mention to this or that person that you are a Christian.' Or, 'You went to work today and you didn't share the gospel with anyone. Not even your colleagues. That's a little betrayal to me, you know?'

And I'm like, 'Hold on God. If I were to try to share the gospel at work, not only is it unprofessional, but I would likely lose my job, which happens to be a part-time, temporary, insecure, zero-hour contract. And if we really want to talk about betrayal, Lord - what of your apparent negligence in so many of the bizarre and often painful 'life experiences' I, and others, regularly experience? Huh? Huh? So, please do not come at me with this accusation of betrayal unless you want me to betray you in a far more real and imminent way. Okay?'

At this point the Lord usually seems to go a bit quiet and seems to say things like, 'Stop putting words into my mouth. You're making me look bad.'

Or seems to say, 'I never said any of this stuff. Quit complaining and count your blessings. I am a great King.'

Or else... simply the silent treatment. And when I say that the silent treatment is, in fact, a form of manipulation, the Lord appears to shake his head invisibly. Except I wouldn't know, would I? Being as I've just betrayed him in a tiny way for the umpteenth time. Like now.

Being as he probably said none of these things, or at least would deny it all, I may, or may not, respond, 'Whatever God. But I could have actually properly betrayed you and left Christianity by now you know? So count your own blessings in Heaven, where you are probably very comfortable while I'm stuck here in need.'

And we go our separate ways once again.

Then, if I dare to tell any Christians any of this 'world of Nick' stuff, they just shake their heads and praise the Lord because they know he butters their bread and I don't. 'Keep your eyes on Jesus,' they might say (if they are feeling kind). And I'm going, 'He's INVISIBLE!'

Then they stare knowingly into the sky and say something profound and disarming like, 'But is he invisible to the eyes of your heart?' and I feel guilty once again for even expressing anything ever and for the little betrayals I'm possibly guilty of.

A few hours later I come back to them and say, 'Hold on. My heart hasn't got eyes has it?'

But they've gone by this time and are giving me the silent treatment and saying that it is a perfectly valid way to deal with people and not manipulating others at all, even though I know for a fact that there is a Wiki page on how it is all psychological manipulation of the worst kind in any relationship. But if God does it, it must be okay mustn't it? And not like a betrayal at all? (even though it so obviously is).

And I'm, like, 'From here on, I am going to find EVERY SINGLE PERSON people are giving the silent treatment to and talk to them.''


Patient reader, I will update you if anyone likes my reply...

I've released my first audiobook..

I've released an audiobook.


I've updating my short experimental ebook, 'The Owl Flies at Night' and had it auto narrated. It's an audiobook bargain at £1. 

This is not the annual free Halloween story but it is a fictional modern ghost story, using an unreliable narrator in the tradition of Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart'.

Available on Google Play/Books.

This is the trailer I made...

And here is the Google link: The Owl Flies at Night audiobook

Why I write Halloween short stories...

I'm just putting the finishing touches to this year's Halloween story which is called 'A Sermon of Life' and which will appear here on October 31st.

Sometimes I get a little flak for these annual short stories. So I wanted to make my defence, or apologetics, here to combat the worst of the criticism...

FAQ

"Why are you celebrating Halloween? Isn't it a celebration of all things evil? There is enough evil in the world already."

I love Halloween. I've always liked it and to me it is not so much a celebration of evil as an attempt to enjoy all things scary. Although there are excesses in society - it can be fun. I really look forward to writing my Halloween story every year. I genuinely enjoy doing it. It's not even as if I write gory stuff - a lot of it is traditional ghost story, often with a mix of spirituality in there.

"Well, where is the spirituality? As far as I can see, you are just writing ugly things. Why not write beautiful things?"

I do, sometimes, write more aesthetically pleasing things, but remember, these are supposed to be scary adult ghost stories. The spirituality is mostly drawing from the Bible and from other aspects of Christianity. As far as I can see, the Bible and this faith are an absolute gold-mine for scary and sometimes even horrific things. Few people say that the Bible is an ugly book because it mentions hell, demons and suchlike. I'm contributing back to the people for free. It's an act of service.

"You are totally obsessed with the topics of the afterlife and the last judgment. Change the record. Sing a new song."

Mainly because there is a fear which accompanies thoughts about the final judgment and life after death. In a way, the writing is also a form of therapy, or simply asking the question 'What if'?

"In all your writing you are telling rather than showing and I've lost count how many times you've used an intrusive narrator. If you want your work to be read then you have to obey the writing rules. Also, you write caricatures, characters which have no depth. No-one is totally good or totally evil. It's just not realistic!"

Guilty as charged. Can I carry on writing now?



Here is the trailer for this year's story. If you want to ask any questions not covered here, please feel free to ask in the comments...

Why does God allow suffering? Is it because there is no good God?

This is the one question which is asked in any discussion about God and I have one answer...

I don't know.

This is to do with the question of suffering which cannot be adequately answered by any human being. This is to do with why God, should he be good, chooses to allow some things to happen. Put it this way - neither Einstein nor any of the greatest philosophers or theologians have been able to answer this question, so why do you think some random blog from some obscure writer will? This also means that you don't know either.

I'm not sure it is possible to prepare for physical or mental suffering beyond making sure there is access to pain relief. It is also hard to alleviate suffering with words alone.

God can defend himself on this one. It 'appears' as if God has made a choice not to heal, or not to answer certain prayers for now. This does not mean it will be the case for eternity. It has to be enough to recognise that the pain and suffering is not caused by God, but only allowed by him for now. There is literally little other choice for those suffering. But the question is still valid and legitimate.

Because there is still a choice there made by God, even in the allowing. I believe that he holds the responsibility and accountability for this decision. That means that neither you nor I need to defend his honour on this question.

Neither the Book of Job nor the rest of the Bible answers this question and Job deals with it explicitly. The answer to Job is that he should look to nature and the awesomeness of God's creation and God's greater might above all that. However, Job (and the reader) is not actually given an answer. The only answer Job gets is a future compensation for all the suffering he has experienced. And pain relief of a kind, in the form of God's presence.

The best that could be said is that Christ suffered too and so lived his life under that same tyranny of suffering, and the shadow of death. If you think about it, it would be very hard for a God who never suffered to hold any kind of authority or credibility on this question if he had not lived as a human being.

So you and I can make what feels like a great response to the question of suffering - one which maybe defends God's honour and which seems to answer the question... or one which does not. There should be no value judgement in that. Even if that answer is: 'There is no rhyme or reason to it and it happens because he doesn't exist. There is no good God'. But this is also an answer which is similarly unsatisfying for many.

The next time you and I are suffering (which will happen, even if it is not happening now), all these answers (maybe even this one) will be blown away like chaff - because when you suffer, you don't necessarily want an answer, you want the pain to go away and you want coping strategies if you have to endure (which is usually the case).

The individual who suffers may say some outrageous things and that's okay, because suffering and pressure does not cause a person's true colours to come out. True colours only come out when a person is in relative ease and luxury. And since when was saying something seemingly odd or outrageous indicative of a person's value as a human being? True colours only come out when you are pain-free and in a season of happiness.

So, why, if God is good, does he allow suffering?
I do not know the answer to this question. 

The human condition is such that we are largely compelled to ask it and live without adequate answers.

Get the pain relief in and make it accessible to all.

Think happy thoughts.

Goodbye Queen Elizabeth

 

Many people have been affected by the death of Queen Elizabeth.

The newspapers and websites are filled with material which has long been prepared. There is something comforting about that - in the idea that there has been some kind of plan in place for years. That Operation London Bridge is there to smoothly keep the cogs and wheels of Britain and the Commonwealth running. Goodness knows if there are any other plans in operation. 

The BBC will stop all comedy for some reason – because when you grieve, laughter is not acceptable to some. We live on a strange island.

There were many worse monarchs than Queen Elizabeth. Of course, when a monarch dies, everyone is a royalist to some extent. Freedom of expression has its limits after all, for both republicans and royalists. She surely won the award for being the most popular monarch.

They say that as soon as the Queen died, Charles became King. They say this because they rightly fear that the time between the death of a monarch and the coronation of the new one is a time of social instability. Certain forces, the kind of forces that Queen Elizabeth hinted at during her long reign, will become opportunists. People fear terrorism. Instability. Journalists and writers are called on to keep the peace. We are to write words of comfort and words which keep the wheels and cogs of the system oiled.

People will miss her. She received a lot of prayer and was among the world's most well-known Christians. We got used to her.

Perhaps she could have been more proactive. But in the history of kings and queens she was reasonably benevolent. Episodes of The Crown probably did more for her public image than all the PR of the palace.

We are in new territory. So where do we go from here? What can we say to comfort each other? Millions of words will be written from here on. All kinds of words, and those of us who were raised on Spitting Image, with its caricature of Queen Elizabeth, will wonder at some of them.

And all the plans of Government and the other forces, and the long ago written newspaper material and the plans of church and state... and agitators... will swing into motion like a machine.

You want my advice at this time? Do what you have always done. Survive. But don’t carry on as if nothing has happened. Don’t just keep calm and carry on. It's not business as usual. Even in war, the advice was to keep calm and carry on as much as possible. There was some acknowledgment that there would be some significant ripples felt by people. Sometimes you just can’t carry on as normal. 

So survive. Look around. Read the blogs, watch the changes. Think a little about it all. See the royalists, watch how they act and what they say. See the republicans and listen to their complaints about the constraints on free expression. Watch the news, listen to the journalists. Try not to read too much David Icke.

Take it easy Britain, somebody loves you.

Think happy thoughts.

You are invited...

 Free short story coming on this blog: October 31st...

Upcoming Halloween Story 2022

 

Criticism of the Government

The cost of living crisis is really only going to affect the poor isn't it?

I live in a Conservative voter majority area, under a Conservative MP. I am always irritated, in discussions, when defenders of Her Majesty's Government say things like, 'You shouldn't judge our PM, he is doing the best he can and you are no better. He is trying his best in difficult circumstances and we should move on from Partygate because there are more pressing issues'.

It isn't a judgement so much as a simple fact that the Government have a lot more responsibility and are in a position of power. Even the Bible says that those who are in leadership should be held to greater account. But the defence of the PM is that he made a few mistakes (weirdly the breaking of arbitrary house of commons rules about lying, considered to be a greater scandal than the fact that he behaved hypocritically).

'But some citizens also broke the rules during the pandemic, so they have no right to judge.'

It's a non sequitor, it doesn't follow that those in power should be held to less accountability than every other citizen. 

'But he has and he has apologised and now we must move on.'

Except the whole of law and ethics is that people are held to account when they have done something wrong, mostly so that they do not do it again. And Boris Johnson saying, 'Let's move on' (as Tony Blair always did) does not mean that he will not do it again. Specifically, to behave hypocritically in any decision he makes in the future.

'But we all sometimes behave hypocritically'.

Sure we do, but we are not all in a position of power.

Who is to say that as Boris Johnson tackles the cost of living crisis, the train strikes (and why will they not even talk with the unions?) or the war in Ukraine, or the coming crises, that he will not do the same thing again - i.e. not practice what he preaches. Well, at least the Government are being consistent in their hypocrisy. They are saying that they want peace in Ukraine and at the same time supplying arms to the Ukrainians, for political reasons, rather than actually caring. They are also not talking with the unions in the train strikes and saying that the train staff are just being selfish. Some of us don't even have the luxury of unions and the Government will make it very certain that you feel that the inconvenience is making things worse. At least the Government isn't greedy for anything huh?

It is said (in the Bible) that people shouldn't say, 'Why were things better in the old days?' It is never explained why. 'Because it isn't wise', writes the leader of that country.

Except that just sometimes things were better in the past. Just sometimes Governments have been held to account and the level of scandal that is occuring in the present would be seen as nightmarish if it had happened before now. 

I always think that the Tories always allow the worst things to happen. They let things happen which other parties would not let happen. They have allowed all of our demons to reign free. This country was my home. I know people who are suffering so much from the negligence of the Government. But it is a delegated neglect. You won't be neglected should you put a foot wrong. But you won't be helped. This current regime has come back ten times as nasty as before. Specifically in the treatment of the poor, the disabled and patients. No wonder the NHS is in crisis - they are under so much pressure from the Government that doctors and nurses barely have time to think.

'Stop doing down the country, we are a great nation and we may be allowed to host Eurovision.'

Except great nations have ethics. They don't NEED ethics advisers to act as their consciences. They should have consciences. Who knew that they had delegated that role to anyone anyway?

'Quit your whining, are you going to offer up any positive solutions?'

Sure, survive. There is no political hope anymore. All we have is this nasty regime which does not care for the poor and disabled. There is simply no compassion. And that attitude permeates all of society now thanks to our leaders. 

So my advice is to survive the best you can under this oppressive Government. If you are so sure that the PM is genuinely sorry for appearing to lie to parliament (surely not?), or worse from behaving hypocritically, then why should you worry that he will do it again? 

If you even dare to criticise them, they point the finger at the opposition. But the opposition are not in power. The Labour leader may have broken the rules too, but the difference is that he is not in Government. 

And they will not even acknowledge that part of the problem is Brexit. Because to do so would be to admit responsibility and that is something which the Government perhaps do need an ethics adviser to understand. We are not free yet.

Because their consciences have been seared with a hot iron, and that's why they need to delegate ethics.

Survive.

The Dead Shall Rise

 

Since I moved here there had always been this fight. It was a kind of conscious resistance which the villagers had with a man, a rich property developer. The facts of the matter are this – some years ago a man ‘donated’ a piece of land for the council to use as a cemetery. The cemetery was built, with some lovely wooden carving and graves, graves, graves added month by month, year by year. The slight trouble was that the cemetery land flooded. It was not good land. It was a marsh. But the council liked it. It served a purpose.

For many years the villagers had consciously resisted the developer. We had resisted plan upon plan to build on the land behind our houses. If I say that the developer ‘gifted’ the cemetery land during his applications for building would that be seen as more than a fact? In the end, after a number of failed attempts to build on this greenbelt land, the developer sold the land on to a company who had a lot more power. The same fight continues up and down the country.

Well, despite the supposed nimbyism, they won. Despite the many objections. Because it has been a long fight. A fight which has involved petitions, council planning comments (hundreds) and a whole lot of angst among the village. Some villagers were against it because they knew that it would be greenbelt land and, despite the new Tory policy of building on greenbelt land, they intuitively knew that it would cause massive disruption to traffic, services, noise pollution and all kinds of trouble. I resisted it too. But more for the sake of the wildlife. There were mineshafts under the land. Chasms that could take a lot of living bodies. And newts and bats and all kinds of flora and fauna. I suggested to the council that the mineshafts might fall in as if in some kind of Poltergeist (you will understand if you have seen the film) scene. I used every argument I knew. I used the last of my authority. Our MP Gavin Williamson supported us. We give him credit for that even though he was part of a regime that decided that developers could build on greenbelt land in the first place. He was swiftly promoted after his announcement that his constituents problem had passed. He even made it to the Tracy Ullman show as a character. For a while he was a rising star.

Meanwhile the graves in the cemetery continued to rise. And maybe the mineshafts in the land to be built on began to sink a little. We were all haunted one way or another.

This is Tory-ground and most voters are Tory, but the locals are human beings, they are friendly enough.

I did pray sometimes. We are commanded to love our enemies and the developers seemed to have fit the bill like the rich man Dives may have done to Lazarus. I shot prayers their way. Resistance prayers. Just occasionally. Prayers to make things better for all of us. But they didn't work and I'm sorry about that.

Enjoy the cemetery, council, enjoy the policy of building on greenbelt land. Bury your dead there. Maybe they are already dead? After all, that’s what people say.

When I die (and goodness knows it may be sooner rather than later), do not let them bury me in the council’s cemetery. I do not want to rise before my time. Let them sprinkle my ashes in the River Trent, to be carried downstream and out to the sea (or else get caught in some branch or blown back in a beautiful face by the wind).

It sounds so pathetic. ‘We tried’. But we did try. For years. But our prayers were unanswered in any meaningful way.

And this kind of tiny battle goes on up and down the country while the Tories continue with their policy of building unaffordable housing on greenbelt land. The nasty party.

Yet still, the dead shall rise. One way or the other.

Ten more reasons this is not the end of the world...

Things have changed. The pandemic is on the wane. But one thing that has not changed is that certain circles still believe we are in the last of the last days. It is disturbing. It means that hope for your children (should you have them), is no longer there. Who could believe our luck? Not only do we have to cope with energy prices skyrocketing and the strange effects of Brexit just happening to raise the prices of milk, bread and pizza, but we now have to cope with the four horsemen. No! Go away horsemen. You are not wanted.

First plague and now war (and I can guarantee that some people already want you to think that Putin is the antichrist).

So, as I do not like it when people are misled, here are ten more reasons why this is not the end of ages.

I’m going to have to think about all this. I’ve already gone into the main ten reasons here (of which I am 99% certain) and now I have to think ten more up…

 

1.     1.  Believers say that God always keeps his promises. Eventually. So here is the thing – if God has promised specific things to specific people because they’ve asked him to answer their prayers then he can’t wind up the whole of history without answering those prayers. For example, an individual may say ‘God, I really, really want a Blackberry KeyTwo’ (even though it is almost impossible because Blackberry have now faded). And so, if God says “Okay” then that person has the promise of a new phone with that dinky little keyboard. Conceivably they could get one in heaven, but what if they are asking for a specific job? Or a partner? Or some kind of healing? God has made specific promises to lots of people and they can’t all be answered outside of time.

2.      2. What did the thunders say in the Book of Revelation? Maybe they said ‘Ignore all this really bad stuff, there’s going to be good stuff too’.

3.      3. The Two Witnesses. According to our favourite book, which we all read all the time I’m sure, there have to be Two Witnesses. Now this is the reason I’m never going to Israel. For someone like me, with mental health problems, apparently it is a thing that Christians who go to Israel get really worked up and start believing they are one of the prophesied two witnesses. Apparently, it happens all the time and even has a syndrome name amongst doctors there. But, if we are in the start of the tribulation then where are these protagonists? You could say they are symbolic and not literal, but I still don’t see how they are around now. And for us literalists, take some comfort in the fact that the Church fathers actually thought that a literal reading of the gospels and revelation (not the rest) showed spiritual maturity rather than the opposite. No two witnesses. Not here yet.

4.     4.  Us Christians can be an argumentative bunch. You may have noticed that we are not as loving as we are supposed to be and that we sin all the time. So here is number 4. ‘The worldwide church has been prayed for by Jesus to be in unity. But have you seen the state of us? We can’t agree on the very slightest thing most of the time. I’ve seen unity in political parties at moments (such as in Labour at the start of Blair’s takeover), but I don’t think you can call what is going on now unity, even if you redefine the word. No unity.

5.      5. If the main forces who want us to think that this is the end of the world happen to be the devil and his demons, then can someone tell me how they know that when even Christ claimed to have hidden it from himself? Do they have secret knowledge of some brooding antichrist figure? The spiritual forces are bullies and as far as I am concerned have no rights. They certainly have no knowledge concerning the actual end of the world. They simply want to freak people out.

6.      6.6.6. According to the Muslim meta-narrative there will be a wind which will take out all of the believers. It’s windy here but I haven’t seen that happen. I may have got my faiths mixed up momentarily but bear with me…

7.      7. Earthquakes. There was one here in Blighty just recently. I slept through it. You tell me just how it so happens that earthquakes and great plumes of smoke ‘just so happen’ to have been more reported recently? Oh yes, that would be because of the digital revolution. Now we all hear if there has been an earthquake in Dudley or wherever. It’s also possibly down to fraking or something. I bet they are still doing that.

8.      8. The harlot riding the beast! So where is she then? And no, it isn’t the Catholic church. Anyone saying that is kind of proving my point that we are not in unity. The harlot represents such and such but according to the Bible, Babylon effectively implodes through fighting factions (you could say ‘oh, what is the point of fighting it then?’ and maybe you would have a point). Revived Roman empire. Good grief.

9.      9. So much for receiving the latter-rain in terms of revival. Oh, and some of us thought that was promised as a mercy in the midst of plague and war. God was supposed to be pleased with Brexit. Where has that reward gone then? Now we are facing an economic nightmare.

10.   10. The rapture! Well, this is the main argument against any of my sign-seeking. The idea is that the rapture could happen at any moment, meaning that none of these prophecies needs to be fulfilled (although you would think church unity would, but hey?). Could happen any moment. Take your lover close and all that. But no, is church unity to happen in heaven alone? What is the point of the prayer of Jesus then? And no orthodox Christian ever thought that a rapture would save us from the tribulation when it comes. And surely someone during that time will be writing a list of 20 reasons it is not the end of the world? According to the Bible, the Church is right there side by side with people in that time. Those of us still alive are still here and haven’t been swept up into the air. Yes, we are going through all this bad news with you. It could happen, but I’m 99% sure that the other prophecies have to happen first. Christians can argue about the pre-trib rapture all day long and it kind of proves my point that we are not in unity on this or on most other issues. The rapture hasn’t happened yet. It could happen, but God, as a storyteller is probably most likely to do it at the very last moment when all seems more hopeless than ever. No rapture yet.

And no Season 4 of Stranger Things.

Think happy thoughts.