Tag: mystery

Riddles

Posted on by Olaf

Things are not always as they seem.  Sometimes there is a hidden meaning and you must persevere to tease it out.  Riddles can be absorbing, time consuming and frustrating until you solve them – then they bring pleasure as you perceive the answer, taking care not to gloat when others do not see it yet! Newspapers and puzzle books earn income through their crosswords, sudoku,  word wheels and many other intriguing puzzle formats.  Here is a short one for you – what Bible character does this picture suggest and why? Try not to glance down for the answer yet!  Here is another one – have you solved the riddle of life yet?  If so, what is the answer and do you like to tell others?

Do you remember any of these simple riddles from school?  They are a bit of fun for you to have with youngsters:

  • Anthony and Cleopatra are found gasping for breath as they die together; the only evidence is broken glass and a pool of water – how did they die?

CONTRASTS IN THE BIG STORY

Posted on by Olaf

Have you noticed the four major contrasts in the story which we belong to and which belongs to us as Christians?  There is God who is also Man and Father who is also Son.  Confused?  But then we have the Lion who is also a Lamb and the King who is also the Servant.  How about the contrasting sub themes – dead and alive, mercy and justice, flesh and spirit, now and the future, light and dark, free will and predestination, heaven and hell?  Have you got it all worked out?  Do you grasp a bit more of it than you once did? Can you see the big picture or is it a little blurred?  Where do you fit in?  So many questions so time for some answers!

The central character is God who calls us to join him in this story and make it ours.  So we see boat-builders, prophets, shepherds, angels, warriors, fishermen, and ordinary men, women and children woven into the Big Story – people like you.

IT ALL MAKES SENSE OR …

Posted on by Olaf

How would you finish that statement if you were thinking about life?  To some it all makes perfect sense whilst to others it is complete nonsense.  If you know something about this picture then it makes sense but if you don’t, then it is abstract and beyond understanding.  The artist alone can explain what was in his mind and what he saw – for sure it wasn’t a baby!  Do you know The Artist who alone brings sense to this life?  His colours and brush strokes come at times boldly whilst at other times faintly but there’s no doubting that the picture includes a baby, a mystery, a messed up world that is made good and you are in it!  At first the canvas is all dark, but then the Word is fleshed out and light blazes into the picture with the Incarnation of Christ Jesus as a baby, God with us.  Into the darkness comes the Light of the world, but not everyone sees it or understands it.