Tuesday, 7 July 2009

THINGS BEST FORGOTTEN ... THINGS BEST REMEMBERED

This was my Prayer for the Day from Radio 4 this morning:

On the inside of my wedding ring an inscription marks the date when I gave up my bachelor life. My wife and I tied the knot in the year 2000, so working out how long we’ve been together is a simple mathematical process. But people warned me at the time that my bride would not thank me, if in twenty years, the best I could remember was that it all happened sometime around September.

Thankfully, so far, I’ve never needed a reminder and maybe that’s because the day still holds happy memories for me.

There are other days that I’ve tried hard to forget and that is probably true for everyone. Their recurring presence is not welcome in the diary of our minds and if we could banish them then we would.

For some of us today will be the anniversary of when life was changed forever. Perhaps when we lost our job, or the trust of someone dear to us, the date of that accident or when we took the phone-call from the hospital. And today will be remembered as the time when four years ago, 52 people died and hundreds more were injured in the London Bombings.

As Jesus approached his darkest day, he asked his friends to remember him with a simple meal. It could’ve turned into a morbid fascination, except that death was not the end for him. New life was born out of that most cruel of events, and in the moment of his resurrection a fresh future was unfolded, one that the church remembers regularly, a time when all tears are wiped away and every hurt is healed: it is a future to remember.

Lord God who comes among us as wounded healer
Heal our hurting memories
And lead us to a time where all is well.
Amen

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Craig: a most apposite and reflective beginning to my 50th birthday. Gathered and scattered; a future to remember. Memorable indeed. Again, thanks.