One of the things that never fails to amaze me – and this is a little embarrassing to admit! – is when you have been literally under the weather for a while: the sky is grey and overcast, perhaps it has rained a bit, with fog and mist thrown in and the weather is really beginning to have its depressing impact upon you. But then you get to the airport, and after your flight takes off and you leave Melbourne, it only takes a few minutes and suddenly you are through all the cloud and the day is bright and warm. Every time that this happens, I forget that the sun is still shining brightly above me – only there is this thick layer of cloud that prevents me from experiencing the warmth and light.
Now all images are flawed, but perhaps this helps us remember what the love of God is like. His love continues to shine forth across the whole world – but sometimes there are all kinds of obstacles that are in the way, and which need to be burned away and purified. Perhaps this is an image that can help us to approach this otherwise rather bizarre Gospel (Luke 12:49-53).
Recorded at St Paul’s, 6pm (8’04”)
Sunday 20, Year C