At its simplest, life is one entry and one exit! Whether or not the exit leads to a permanent exile depends on whether there has been a second entry – some will understand this but it will be explained later for anyone who is puzzled by it.
Exile can be understood in various ways but essentially it means to be thrown out, ejected, banished or disconnected.
How very old-fashioned and religious some might say – perhaps they are right! And yet, is there something here that is misunderstood, something worth investigating to be salvaged, ‘contextualised’ and re-understood for our times?
Lent used to be about giving up biscuits and chocolates, religiously! There’s something here of an internal struggle that goes on between ‘legalism’ and ‘liberty’ or, if you prefer, ‘Law’ and ‘Grace’.
Balancing priorities in life is a skill that many of us get wrong at some point.
Even as children, there will be some who are driven by parental expectations or personal obsession to study and not play.
Have you ever needed someone to speak up for you? It could have been informally in a social setting or even in a family. Perhaps you’e needed it in a formal setting of a work tribunal or law court?
Unless an advocate will be listened to and cares enough to intervene on your behalf for a better outcome he or she is of little value to you.
The sad truth is that landslides result in many deaths the world over every year, sometimes wiping out whole communities – 2000 people were killed by one in Peru in 1962. The most common cause is erosion which leads to loss of stable ground and then to a collapse just as with this cliff face.
If belief in God is likened to a cliff, what are the corrosive forces that might lead to a collapse?
Wind and weather come together – one brings the other. What they both have in common is that they are very changeable and unpredictable even to the best red-faced forecasters.
If a weather vane cannot be relied upon as an accurate weather forecaster, then something that is a fixed point is needed for safe navigation – how about magnetic north?
This looks to be a psychotic crab with an identity crisis! Have you ever struggled with an inner anguish? Such an internal storm may be invisible to those outside or there may be tell-tale signs in one’s behaviour. When extreme, it is a dangerous state making a person vulnerable to feelings of worthlessness, self-harming and even suicide. There are so many causes – gender confusion, guilt, insecurity, sexual ethics and bereavement to name a few. It could also be around money issues, breakdown in relationships or a sense of inadequacy. There are more people suffering this inner pain than we like to admit – it is likely that there are those around you carrying this heavy load unbeknown to others. Perhaps you are suffering or have suffered in this way?
There are many different kinds of barriers which can have either a positive or negative effect. These old groynes were intended to stop coastline erosion and protect beach habitat.
As you see, they are now broken down in many places and no longer really functional. The word groyne (groin in the USA) comes from the Old French groign and Late Latin grunium meaning ‘snout’ which is appropriate as it sticks out from the shore into a body of water!
Lake Erie is a huge stretch of water at 241 miles long by 57 miles wide and 210 feet in depth at its deepest point. It is the fourth largest of North America’s five Great Lakes and the eleventh largest in the world. It can be navigated safely and yet it has over 2000 shipwrecks of all sizes. There are many coastlines with hidden dangers that have claimed thousands of ships and their crews.
