Simon Says ...

This evening will see Bristol ’s first ‘state of the city’ debate . Every part of the Council’s discussion can be followed online via webcast . It’s a new experience for Bristol , and one to which all Bristolians have been invited to contribute. Tonight’s debate owes much to the American President’s ‘State of the Union Address’. But there is an important difference in that Bristol has a debate, including many voices, not all of whom agree, whereas the United States has an address, given by one man, presenting one point of view. The Bible is full of cities. The first city it records was founded by Cain, who was more famous for being the first murderer in the Bible. But the last city it mentions is the New Jerusalem, the city of God . This is the place where everything is good and all has been put right, all hopes are fulfilled and pain and sorrow are no more. We, of course, live between those two cities. There is still death and crime in our city, there are ways in

Whatever you think of Gordon Brown’s idea of a check-up on the NHS , he has his timing right. The New Year is a good time to be looking things over and putting things right. So may I suggest that now is a good time for a spiritual check up, to look at our inner-lives and see if they are working as well as they might? There is an ancient spiritual discipline called the examen that can help with this. It suggests that we ask ourselves two questions: where have I met God in the past day?; and where have I failed to recognise God in the past day? The first question asks us to look back over a day, or a week, or even a year, and ask ourselves what there is to be thankful for; the people, places and things that have done us good. It doesn’t ask us to be sentimental, simply to be honest with ourselves, and to recognise the good that we have encountered and then to say thank you. The second question asks us to look back and to ask where we have not done all that we shou

'Uncle Simon, were the dinosaurs before or after Adam and Eve?' A good question, that only a six year old could ask. How to respond? Option 1 - 'Well the dinosaurs were creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago, while Adam and Eve are characters in a story to tell us that God made us, and that we messed up God's good creation. So they're not really before or after the dinosaurs.' This is not a good answer to a six year old. Response shelved. Option 2 - 'That's a good question. Let me talk to your Dad and get back to you.' The coward's way out, which naturally I took. Option 3 - 'Before' Mummy's voice from the kitchen. The right answer.