There is a new movie out this week entitled ‘“The Long Walk To Freedom “  Its all about Nelson Mandela  and his incredible story.  Earlier this year I was in South Africa  and I was aware of the journeys that many people in that country have made in order to secure  their freedom but also to prevent a blood bath. U2 have released a new song the first in four years. Its going to be part of the sound tract. have a listen. I think there is a real commentary in this song on human nature. So much has been achieved in South Africa yet there is still poverty and underlying injustice in so many places. Bono writes " We can't fall any further if we can't feel  ordinary love, we can't reach any higher if we can't deal with ordinary love"   For me the inspiring message of Christmas is that God has come to us with an extra - ordinary love and therein lies our problem. We struggle to understand and live with an ordinary kind of love. To grasp the extra ordinary love of Christ calls for a revelation.

The theme we’re going to explore over Advent is the theme of “Journeys”. We all go on physical journeys from time to time as well as spiritual journeys.  Journeys by nature often change us.  I hope that this Advent leading up to Christmas the material we put up on Sanctuary First will be inspirational helping us all to go further on our spiritual journey and bring about change for the better in our lives. Christmas surely invites us to engage with an extra-ordinary love.