It’s just gone11.30pm and I’m in Lima. Thishas been quite an historic weekend. For the first time ever the Vine Trust and Union Biblica havecome together for a joint meeting to discuss visionand strategy. For the past two days I’vebeen down at Kawai where Union Biblica have a boys home and a holiday camp site. It’s a really pleasant place with beech houses looking onto the Pacific Ocean.

Last night some of the boys from our homes were there on holiday and it was good to see these little guys entertain us withsome amazing dancing and singing.

I’m glad to say that we’ve had an excellent meeting and made good progress in our deliberations. All of us need to now deliver.

I felt a touch of history repeating itself today as I read in the news about the world’s tallest building being opened today. It stands at 828 metres and has cost 1.5 billion dollars to build. So what makes us wish to build higher and higher. I guess there is a human desire to stretch the boundries of technology and to go one better than our neighbours.

The sad thing is that the whole Dubai economy has collapsed and one wonders if this building should be hailed as a great achievement or a sad reflection on an extravagent and greedy world that continues” to fiddle while Rome burns.” Anyway the papers tell me that tower has been named Burj Khalifa after the president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of the neighbouring emirate of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan.

In the Bible there is a story told about how the tower of Babel was built s an expression of mankind’s egotism and confidence. Early mankind was reaching for the stars while at the same time killing his neighbours. Nothing much seems to have changed. What a diifferent place the world would be if we started promoting our energy to bring about peace and justice. I’m reminded of these words in the Book of James.

“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” James 4:13-17 I think this verse is a great reminder to us all of our human fraity and our dependence on God.

This Season of Remembrance draws from all of us a sense admiration and gratitude but also a great sense of sadness and disappointment. Its overwhelming as we consider that so many innocent people are the causalities of war. Its not just the soldiers and the immediate civillians caught in the crossfire. Its not just the people who have lost limbs Its literally thousands upon thousands of people whose potential has been ruined or snuffed out and who live their lives a shadow of what they could or might have been.

STICKS AND STONES

Sticks and stones

And broken bones

And terrorists and mobile phones

And babies cry alone

Children play

And mothers pray

Their children will be suicide bombers

Its a strange world

We live in desperate times

The lines of right and wrong

Have all been redrawn

And suicide means – taking sides

For some its just another day

To hide To pretend

To say, “Its gonna be alright”

Knowing nothings right

And never will be

Till the guns stop

And soldiers go home

And poppies fall

In Albert Hall

And all around is silent

No one speaks a word.

I’ve been thinking about rivers recently,  well the truth is I think about the river everyday. My house looks out on the River Forth. The thing is the river never stays the same it changes everyday in life. I believe its such a great privilege to live so close to a river.  There are so many exciting analogies about tour spiritual life , to be learned from a river. Here’s a picture of the River  Tweed in full flow this afternoon, Monday 7th September.

A couple of Sundays ago i was preaching on the text from Psalm 46. ” There is a river that makes glad the city of God. What a wonderful thought. I wonder what the city of God “being glad” sounds like ? Its a wonderful image.

There is a River

I think this river is

Laughing with me

It too has a place in the city

God has given rivers a future

Now i know why it’s  singing in tune with the stones and the fish

Its presence lifts your spirit

It really knows how to move

It never stays still

A river is always going somewhere

Flowing

Faster

Slower

Deeper

Broader

I want to move with the river

I want to to race the river

I want to swim in the water

I want to catch a fish in the river

I want to flow like the river

Lord let the river of life flow through me

Today

Yesterday

And forever

I’m trying to kept a promise I made to someone in India when I was there a few weeks ago. So I’m in Edinburgh this afternoon on church business meeting people at the central church offices. Its a busy place, even more so just at the end of the Festival. Its a cold damp lunchtime. I walk along George Street and suddenly I realise I’ve just walked past a beggar who was sitting on the street outside a restaurant. I was past him before it registered. Then you have this struggle in your head. Should I give him money or do I just ignore his plight. I mean no one sits in a wet damp street begging unless they’re desperate. You think, to yourself, what is a pound to me? Nothing in my economy.  So I walk on window shopping before my next appointment.

Within seconds I was looking at a pair of boots I quite  liked,  they cost over £100.00. The beggar and his plight was no longer in my mind. I didn’t buy the boots, didn’t have my wallet with me. As I turned to head back to the church offices I passed the beggar and put a £1.00 in his Starbucks paper cup. He said “thank you” as I walked past. I had probably just helped him buy his next fix. Now I’m thinking, “did I do the right thing”?

Solving issues is never easy. I can’t remember seeing beggars on the street when I was was growing up. However I do remember the odd tramp at the door. There used to be a guy who walked about St George’s Cross, I think we called him Skipper. I always remember he had a ginger coloured beard and a rope tied round his waist to hold his coat closed.

I’m wondering if in fact we’re now actually going backwards. What kind of society have we become? I guess the drug culture has changed everything. More and more people are experimenting with alcohol and drugs and as a result we are finding there are more casualties. I find I need to continually remind myself that there are needy people in Scotland just as much as in other places in the world.

I started writing this post on the street in George Street on Friday. Its now Sunday evening.  In a few moments I hope to be in my bed, I’m still thinking about the man begging on the street and his cardboard cup.

In my sermon this morning I mentioned the phrase in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your Kingdom Come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” It reminds me that God expects us to fight for justice in the present. His Kingdom is not a future tense but a present tense. I guess that means we are all responsible to bring about change in our world. Did I change the world with my pound?  Maybe I did, but was it for better or worse?

My friends Wilfred and Shanti Davidar took us out for dinner the other evening. We ended up at JCs Cafe in Chennai. Its actually quite a cool place. It was also quite busy. It is run by a Christian businessman, who is seeking to reach out to a group of people who are seeking to engage with spiritual ideas. It is a place where people of different faiths and no faith frequent, because they enjoy the ambiance.  I actually think it could be a brilliant place to promote and run Sanctuary First  in Chennai. I spoke to the owner and he seemed quite interested.

Anyway it was an opportunity for us to catch up with the Davidars after spending the day with their staff who run the Raphe Ministry. Shanti is always full of amazing stories and her faith in the Lord is quite irrepressible.

Among the topics we discussed was the work that was started in the Rainy Hospital by   another woman, this time a powerful Scots lady called Christina Rainy, she was ably served by another Scottish lady doctor . Together they founded the Rainy Hospital here in Chennai in 1888.  Christina Rainy had visited this area with her husband Robert Rainy who was the Principal of New College in Edinburgh. She returned home with a passion to establish the hospital and find women doctors who would come and work to establish a service for local women. Christina rainy knew that moist women like to be examined by a woman doctor. So the hospital was established.

I spent sometime looking round the facilities yesterday. I found it very sad to see that the place had been allowed to fall into such poor condition.  I was heartened to meet the senior doctor in charge of the hospital  Dr Chris Roy. I was also full of admiration for the task that he has taken on. He has only been in post a year. He tells me he is fire fighting everyday to raise enough money to pay bills. He is in need of so many resources. he is short of sterilising  equipment, a present he has cannibalised  an  older broken down machine to make the present machine work. It is difficult to know where to start he tells me as he shows me round a hospital that has been allowed to fall into such disrepair. Yet he has nothing but faith and praise for his team of doctors and nurses. He tells me they have just stabilised a young girl who was admitted the previous evening after trying to hang herself in her home. He tells me of the successes he has had with such meager resources. We try hard to keep the wards clean and tidy. We have no infection whatsover in the hospital. However he explains it would be wonderful if we could paint the walls and have the equipment we need to do the heart operations that I’m skilled to do.

I came away moved at the commitment of this man to bring back to life the vision of these two Scottish ladies and I thought to myself I’ll do all I can to help him make that vision a reality. When we get back home there will be opportunities i hope to speak with others who might take up the call.

I’m sure in the past this hospital no doubt has had challenging issues to try and resolve. However with the right support there are no issues that can’t be resolved and indeed turned to good. Pray for Chris Roy as he works tirelessly along with his staff to serve the poorer people in Chennai.

The last few days just seem to have flown by. I visited the Leprosy Colony at Chengelpod. It’s a facinating story how the Colony has been able to develop and survive. It is always a moving scene busting these people. We also spent some time at the Raphe Ministry. The group of women work among sex workers and their families. They have now formed themselves into a church. What an amazing stories these women shared with us yesterday. I’m actually hugely impressed with the quality of leadership that seems to be present in all these ministries. It also ntetesting to notethat the key players are all women.

It was actually no different this afternoon when we visited the Sangita Orphanage. What an amazing transformation has taken place in the last year. There are a number of key building erected now enough to move some of the children in next month. There’s still a considersbleamount of money required to finish the work. Paul tells that they at short of about 100,000 to complete the whole project. I’ll get some pictures up when we get to Temple Bay.

We’ve just been resting here for the past twenty four hours. I think it is a well earned rest. It also has allowed me to reflect on all that has gone on in this trip.

We are so grateful to our fixer over here Captain Alfred Thacker. He is a man with outstanding determination and is greatly respected in these parts. In India seniors are often referred to as Uncle. it is a term of endearment and also respect. So we salute uncle once again on this trip just encase he thinks he’s been overshadowed by the women. Anyway her are a couple of pictures from the Sangita Orphanage. We have been filming the new build. In due course when it is edited we’ll get it up on youtube so that everyone can see the massive improvements that will come about with the new build. Grace was telling us that she took the children to see their new home. their eyes were popping out of their heads at the sight of the new granite floors and the spacious sleeping areas. Here are some of the children.

We arrived in Munnar last night after spending a very interesting afternoon with the Little Sisters of Nazareth. The town is about 5,000 feet above sea level. We booked into the “Westend Hotel” it has a grand entrance , with beautiful gardens. I’ve stayed in this hotel once before. it has a bit of a colonial feel to it. Perhaps the present owner may not like that idea, but it certainly reflects a bygone era.

We were welcomed and shown to our rooms. The sheets on the bed can only be described, as they say in Glasgow as “mankie” one had a hole in it.

In comparison the sheets on the second class sleeper from Chennai to Dindigul were dazzling white. Anyway this is good missionary training.  But we still made a point of getting them changed.

Munnar is a hill town built up by the Brits when India was part of the British Empire. Its a tea town, surrounded by tea plantations. It snuggles into the rich green vegetation of the hillside. It has become the holiday destination for many Indian tourists seeking to find a place of sanctuary from the relentless heat of the Indian cities. The temperatures here are just like a mild summer in the UK.

So first thing this morning we head out for a bit of down time. This was an opportunity to visit Mattupatty and go for a brilliant ride on the resovoir there in order to see the wild elephants. it was a great experience. Following on from this great experience on the speed boat, ( video of which could be available), we continued with the elephant theme and went on an Elephant ride expedition. have a look at the pictures below.

The post code lottery came to Bo’ness last weekend. I believe around 1.5 million pounds was distributed among my fellow towns people. Although I don’t do the lottery myself, I do wish everyone who won something well and hope that they can enjoy the windfall.

Someone once said to me  recently, so if you don’t do the lottery will you accept lottery money, and my answer is yes. You see I believe that  the lottery is a bit of a tax on the poor.  Too often it is the poorer people in our communities who buy the tickets.  The truth is  you have a better chance of getting mugged  or even murdered than you have of winning the lottery.  However I have come to the conclusion it is my  Christian duty to make more use of the lottery money in a creative way. I think there is nothing wrong with taking it and recycling it  to do some good in our communities. 

In the past we’ve done a bit of recycling of goods. have a look at this cartoon produced by Guthrie Pollock in memory of the aution we ran out of the church hall in the mid 90s. I guess i’m a bit of a carpetbagger for God.

( This article has been reworked in the light of a comment on the blog.)

Michael Jackson and the Bo’ness Fair – what do they have in common?. Perhaps more than you might think. The fact that he died yesterday on the Bo’ness Fair E’en, will live on in the memory of his many Bo’ness fans who were once children who danced and performed to his music as part of the Fair.

Of course the sad thing is that Jackson rightly or wrongly will always have a suspicion hanging over him when it comes to children. His friends say he was the victim of his own success. Moving from a child star to a teenage pop idol, to a global superstar in the 80s.  All this hero worship  and I believe a very  strict and at time abuse father, had an impact on his life. What ever the truth is, there is a great sadness in the story  of his life , because as I read it, it seems to me, he was a man in search of his lost childhood.  Ask yourself what ever happened to the wee boy in the picture

Jackson’s search for childhood is no different from many of our own longings. Physiologist tell us that we all at different stages in our lives try to be children again. Frank Lake a clinical theologian talks about the child parent role that we all alternate between instead of engaging with the adult we can all become. Too often we play the child to get our own way, or we play the parent often to put another down and win a point.

If only we could turn back the clock.  But we can’t and its dangerous to try.  When we do it often not only affects us but can have ruinous effects on other people. None of us can live in the past, we can learn from it but we have to live in” the now”.

Take for instance scores and scores of mums and dads have been building arches for the Bo’ness Fair. When my children were young  I did it myself. I think it’s quite magical to see a father working on an arch for one of his children, but everything has to be kept in perspective. We  all need to accept  especially in a world where there are increasingly limited resources that the simple can be the most effective.  I always remember the phrase, when it comes to art and music less can mean more .

Jackson’s love for children and his extravagant development of “Neverland” might be likened to the shear extravagance that many feel the Bo’ness Fair shows to children. I find myself alternating between two opinions. Delighted, entertained, and overwhelmed by the shear creativity of this community, and on the other hand left wondering is this the best use of resources?

It is the same challenge I find myself facing as we consider the refurbishment of the church. Should we spend thousands on a building or give it away to make a difference in the lives of the poor, or can we do both?

While saying all this it would be churlish of me not to commend the outstanding contribution that many hard working mums and dads are making to the the Bo’ness Children’s Fair. For them their work is a labour of love to help them engage with their children and the community.

The sad thing is for some  parents the fussing and preparation for the Fair is more about them reliving their own childhood rather than listening to their children. The truth is,  given the option of a huge expensive Fair experience, or the pleasure of Mum or Dad’s company on a daily basis, I know what most children would prefer.  Sometimes we can underplay the significance children attach to the most simple of gifts or actions.

All of us need to examine the motives that lie  behind the activities with which we get involved, be it in church or the community, or at work , especially when it come to our children.

Sadly too often for many of us, and I include myself in this,  the big gestures  in life can be made out of our  guilt complexes rather than our genuine engagement with an issue.  I have come to the conclusion honest involvement always creates the most effective community spirit.

No other town I know of  can match the enthusiasm of this community for a Festival centred around children.  Last year the Fair celebrated its 100th Anniversary. have a look at this clip from Youtube.

For me the challenge is to take the Fair to another level all together. To move from being a little less  inward looking to becoming outward looking. To become an International Children’s Fair.

Highlighting the predicament of so many children around the world who are caught in the trap of slavery and abuse, could be the greatest contribution that the Bo’ness Children’s Fair could make to the lives of children world wide as the fair moves into its second century  of “Fairness” .

I’m certainly encouraged by the response that many of our young people are making to the challenge of injustice and inequity already.  Indeed as a town let’s remember  it was people from our community  who set up the   Vine Trust nearly  25 years ago . Today  it is famous for  taking aid to street children in Peru.

Over the last six years this Trust has built over 5 orphanages,  in various parts of Peru, set up  a Medical Centre, from which two medical ships, now operate out of in the Amazon and the surrounding area. The Trust is also sending over 300 volunteers a year to make this work happen.  Yes there is much good will and good work in our town. It now needs more good people to catch the vision.

There is a sadness I feel as I finish this post.  The Jackson story will never be properly understood, but who ever does try to make sense of it   – one thing is for sure , children and his childhood must feature largely in it. There is little doubt that our childhood has a profound effect on the rest of our lives so lets help the children we know and even don’t know live happy and fulfilled lives as children.

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