Faith is hard.

What do you do with it.

Faith is useless unless it makes a difference.
In essence faith is a verb not a noun.
Faith is lived out in our attitudes, thoughts and speech

The point where faith meets the world is uncomfortable. but it is rewarding.

Today I spoke to a stranger. she was nice. I spoke with her. she spoke with me. I listened, we laughed, alot. My faith was there. My extolling the virtues of renewable eneegy was was a small part of living this faith out.

Today I saw a mother speak with courage and commitment about faith and the differnce this made to their life. This was in the glare of national & international media, Against the backdrop of a court case which must have made her faith a hard thing to deal with.

Faith is a stage beyond hope? (when hope is gone faith can still exist?)
If i was in her situation I hope I could react with faith.

I live in the 13th most deprived area of Scotland, (according to government figures). This is not a salubrious area, but the houses are good and transport links to the city centre are v-good. There is a large 24hr supermarket, a football stadium, a park and a climbing wall within 5-10 mins. walking distance.

Earlier this week the Glasgow City Council approved plans to allow Rangers to bid for the one Super Casino licence from the British Government. The proposed casino would be situated two streets from mine.

Justice is a word with many interpretations. But from here, the use of my area as being deprived so we need a super casino next door is unjust in the extreme. The area I live in does not have the social or political impact to oppose these plans. I wonder how many believe the argument of the planners and the council that it will benefit local residents.

Me. I’m not convinced. It justices it treating everyone fairly then why does the planners need to sell this to us. Why do I feel like I am being to be thankful for something that is unjust?

Strongly worded letter on its way, Tony.

Today I went to a large bookstore. Being tight, I looked at the bargain clearance section I saw a white jacketed, oversized, picture book. The book was called “Cross“.

My spiritual ears pricked up

The book was put together by Kelly Klien, a fashion photographer and editor. It has about 160 pictures and the inside flap claims, “This is the first book ever to distil the icon of the cross to its pure aesthetic essence, to explore it’s universal beauty.”

Can you do that?

The pictures are striking. (With a list of top-notch photographers it should be.) But does it distil the icon of the cross to its pure aesthetic essence?

Yes.

It does. The heart is ripped out of it. The pictures seem cold at points. Shock is main weapon of several of the photographers.

No.

About 120 pictures in a picture of Frank Sinatra captured me. Black and white. He looks in his 30’s casually dressed, conscious of being photographed. Effortless, looking apologetic, as he stands arms outstretched in a cross, one thick boot on another.

Does the cross ever have a universal beauty?

Yeah.
But I think that comes with the baggage of its icon status.