Devotion

“Be still, and know that I am God.     I will be exalted among the nations,     I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10)   Once there was an old man who took his grandson a walk in the countryside. The old man's face was creased with wrinkles. Like the rings inside an ancient log tree, each signified age and wisdom. The man, to the boys surprise stopped suddenly. He was calm, so calm the boy didn't feel it right to interrupt this moment of solititude. 'Listen', the old man said. The boy listened. At first he could hear nothing but his own racing thoughts. 'Truly listen', the man said sensing the boys difficulty. So he tried again. He closed his eyes, took a breath and opened them again. 'I hear it', he whispered. They both fell silent again and listened to the gentle winds and the birds in the trees, and further a field the beautiful sound of a babbling brook. Then they listened to silence itself. 'This my child is real worship.'

Some grave news from  The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and The Quakers: Not that I want to be alarmist, but the UK is at "watch" level on Genocide Watch ...  Targeted Groups:     Gypsies, Roma and Travellers,     Refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants,     Muslims and Jewish people, and      Trans people "Since 2010, the U.K. has become increasingly hostile to minorities, with the government and far-right parties demonizing refugees, immigrants, and the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) community. GRT people face high levels of normalized racism and discrimination. The government has now passed a law that not only cracks down on protests but also criminalizes aspects of many GRT people's nomadic identity and way of life. Additionally, the government has made multiple attacks on the rights and safety of refugees, including by signing a deal with Rwanda to offshore asylum processes for refugees considered "illegal." In the 2010s, the policy to cr

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." - John 16:33 Sometimes I despair. I find it so hard to find hope. Shall violent Godless rulers and terrorist/revolutionaries hold our world to ransom forever? Shall poverty and disease be left unchecked in this age of advanced everything? Shall life always be a struggle? Thankfully whatever happens if we follow Jesus we know He has overcome the world and we shall be overcomers! Martin Luther King Jr seems to have referenced this wonderful hymn numerous times in his ministry. It links nicely to our text: We Shall Overcome  We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome someday! Refrain: Oh, deep in my heart I do believe we shall overcome someday! We’ll walk hand in hand … some day! We shall live in peace … some day! We are not afraid … today! God will see us through … today! (The hymn is Public Domain - via Hy