Author: mrgsponderings

They came to you in hope

And the Lord said to us:
‘Come and I will separate you and judge you
for how much or how little you have loved’.

I put before you the suffering ones, the desperate ones.
the hungry; the thirsty; the homeless ones.
Some cast from their homes when despots, shadows of men,
ruthless power-seekers moved against their own people:
those they had pledged to care for.
Instead they sucked the life from their souls,
souls that belong to me.

You left them ruined, afraid, unwanted, empty –
but you could not take away their dignity.
You tried to rob them of the one gift that I gave them
which you cannot touch:
their humanity –  
made in my image.
An image that dazzles ever brighter,
the more you try to stamp it out.

Despairing bodies shuffle, clutching rags and children
and anxiously walk the Indo-European Way
– that trek which your ancestors made long ago.

They come to you in hope.
They come as refugees and seekers of shelter.
You utter your political platitudes.
You blame it on the traffickers.
But you fail to look in a mirror.

For these people are your test.
How much do you love?
How much do you care?
Do you see them for the glorious humanity they are?

They come to you simply, humbly, hopefully;
Looking for baptism into a new life through your love.

And you, what do you do?
You allow them to drown in the deep, chill waters of death.
Where others have failed,
you succeed in taking their lives after all.

You must leave me now.
There is little room for you in God’s heart.

[Mr G]

Helping each other

My friend Joyce sent me this tweet.

I came across this little story recently and when Joyce sent me her tweet of the two pigeons I thought it had a message.

What Joyce observed was that “One of these wood pigeons landed on the bird feeder tray and tried to eat, but was having difficulty because the tray became unbalanced and was lopsided. When the second pigeon arrived, however, the tray was perfectly balanced and they could feed together!”

Here’s the story:
Once there was a small boy who belonged to a poor family. One day, he was crossing through the forest carrying some wood. He saw an old man who was very hungry.  The boy wanted to give him some food, but he didn’t have any food of his own.  So he continued sadly on his way.  Further on, he saw a deer who was very thirsty.  He wanted to give it some water, but he didn’t have water for himself.  So once again, he went on his way ahead.

Then he saw a man who wanted to make a camp but he did not have wood. The  boy asked his problem and realized that this time he could help. He gave the wood he was carrying to the man. In return, the man gave him some food and water.  Quickly, he went back to the old man and gave him some food and gave some water to the deer. The old man and the deer were very happy.  The boy then went happily on his way.

However, one day the boy was in the forest again and fell down a hill.  He was in pain but he couldn’t move and there seemed no one there to help him.  But, the old man who he had helped before saw him and quickly came and pulled him up the hill.  He had many wounds on his legs.  The deer, to whom the boy had given water, came and saw his wounds. She quickly went into the forest and brought some herbs.  After some time his wounds were covered.   All were very happy that they were able to help each other.

Acts of kindness and care have a way of making the world a better place. A place where, by helping and sharing with each other, becomes a more caring and happy place. Let’s learn from the pigeons, the boy, the old man and the deer. That would, I am sure gladden God’s heart.

[Mr G]

A prayer for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and all who are imprisoned unjustly

Richard Ratcliffe with the image of his wife during his Hunger Strike of 21 days

The Bishop of Chelmsford, The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani has written this prayer about the plight of
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and all being imprisoned unjustly in Iran.

It is timed to coincide with Nazanin’s husband Richard’s ending of his hunger strike outside the Foreign Office
in the hope that the British Government might make a real effort to persuade the Iranian Government to free her.

Bishop Guli is an Iranian refugee who with her family had to flee from Iran at the time of the Iranian Revolution. At that time her brother was murdered. Her father was an Anglican Bishop in Iran at the time.
This prayer comes, therefore, from her heart and she invites us all to pray it  daily with her over the time ahead.

O God, the source of all that is good and holy,
who through your Son calls the weary and heavy-laden to find comfort in your presence:
look upon Nazanin, and all those who are imprisoned unjustly, with your gentle gaze;
surround them and their loved ones with the assurance of your love;
give them the gift of hope; and soften the hearts of the powerful,
so that justice may roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
In the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Amen. 

A Military Man

Each Year we keep a time of special Remembrance for those who served and gave their life for their country in wars and conflicts.

This remembrance encompasses not only those who died in World War 1 and World War 2. Other wars and conflicts have claimed many more lives in Aden, Iraq, Afghanistan to name but a few. We also increasingly remember those civilians who have died fleeing from their homelands in the middle East countries such as Iran, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Africa. Places which today have left the rest of us with the care and safety of refugees. Every war has victims, many quite innocent like the Jewish people who suffered and died at the hands of the Nazis.

Throughout the United Kingdom and in our Commonwealth countries there is a solemn observance and a quiet thanksgiving for all who died and for those who were injured, many with life-changing injuries.

Names of the fallen are prayed in their local communities or on foreign fields away from home.

Today, as we might stand before War Graves in churchyards or in War Cemeteries, many names are just that. We know little about them. Of those who died in the First World War, the youngest graves are now 103 years old.

Often the Christian names are not recorded.
So for them I have written this poem – inspired by the grave of Private Burls, buried in the churchyard at St. Mary-at-Latton.

A Military Man

You lie almost hidden
one of Latton churchyard’s
quiet secrets.
You are a private, military man.
One quarter of a century spans your life.
We do not even know your name.
The name which belongs to you alone.
What did they call you Private W Burls,
Died 3rd February 1918 ?

You almost escaped but your destiny
was to die a military man.
You have lain here for one hundred and three years
and still we do not know your name,
Private W Burls.


You gave your life, like so many,
for the cause of peace ,
a peace in which you now lie.
The peace of God.
God knows your Name.
It’s all that matters.


Rest in the Lord,
Private W Burls.
A military man.

Latton St Mary, war grave.
2021

[GC]