Facing the New Normal

Are we not in someways at a place akin to the disciples post resurrection dilemma where everything seems to have changed. Yet what did Peter suggest to his colleagues, ‘I’m going fishing!’ - It’s all too difficult, I’m going back to what I know. Yet, even that ‘normal’ became an illusive almost futile exercise, for what do we find, they toiled all night and caught nothing.

But, there is yet another counter-normal element in this narrative. Have you ever noticed the implications of Jesus instruction ‘cast your net on the RIGHT side’. This was against all the Galilean Fisherman’s Manual of Procedures, as you see,  you just didn’t do this. Why? Because the right side of the boat contained the vessels steering mechanism.  Now there’s a thought; that following the Lord’s instruction contains risks. Much akin to what Helen Keller said “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” 

• As we venture forward into a so-called new normal, are we ready to cast our nets on the RIGHT side. 
• Are we ready to listen to what the call of Christ means for us as the Exeter City Centre Chaplaincy or are we going to fall into the trap of saying, “Lord, I have an idea, please bless it?”

There is a telling paraphrase of Matthew 9:35-38 found in the Eugene Peterson’s The Message that is perhaps a contemporary warning!

“Then Jesus made a ‘circuit’ of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives.”

But then the reading goes on..

“When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”

I leave you with another  paraphrase on Romans 12 by JB Phillips and a challenge as we face the future “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.”

Prayer:

Lord, we pray for the power to be gentle; the Lord, we pray for the power to be gentle; the strength to be forgiving; the patience to be understanding; and the endurance to accept the consequences of holding to what we believe to be right. 

May we put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil  and the power of love to overcome hatred.  We pray for the vision to see and the faith to believe in a world emancipated from violence, a new world where fear shall no longer lead men to commit injustice, nor selfishness make them bring suffering to others.

Help us to devote our whole life and thought and energy to the task of making peace, praying always for the inspiration and the power to fulfil the destiny for which we and all men were created. to be forgiving; the patience to be understanding; and the endurance to accept the consequences of holding to what we believe to be right. Amen