Personal Blogs

A special thanks to Benjamin Voros for his image at https://unsplash.com/@vorosbenisop

It was February 2023. I was returning from a wedding in the Philippines on a late evening flight from Manila. After crossing the Bataan region on the western edge of the Philippines, we were flying over the South China Sea and over to Changzhou in China.

I would look down and see little droplets of light like a half-lit Christmas tree throughout this region of China. The day had ended for them. I began to think of Dylan Thomas’ epic poem, "Under Milk Wood", where the narrator imagines what the people in the small Welsh village are dreaming about. I looked down at this Asian nation with similar sentiments. People with rich inner lives filled with experience, disappointments, love and hate, goodness, and selflessness. Was there a father reading a bedtime story to his four-year-old? What stories do children like in China? I recalled reading The Little Seamstress a few years ago. How will these babes grow up, will they learn to love and show gratitude? They have more advantages to do so. Many children’s books today teach empathy and selflessness.

And what about the poor rice farmers. Would they be awake, wondering how they will get through the forthcoming year as anxiety floods in like a Chang Jiang flash storm? And there’s the teenager still playing his video game with the kid in Oklahoma, both struggling with their schoolwork as they live for the moment.

Crossing over the Gobi Desert, the patches of light became sparce. What was going on down there I wondered? Bedouin shepherds awake and guarding their flocks from predators. They would be looking up at us and wonder what it would be like to fly in a plane and imagining who we were, what countries we came from. And musing on how little of this world they will ever see. What else could one think of whilst awake at this deathly hour? I envied them as they staired into their dark skies filled with the universe.

But they were not alone. Here I was, I’ve been to the Philippines, a few European countries, and Boston in USA. Like these Bedouins and people of the Gobi and China, I have seen so little of this planet and a feeling of lost opportunity began to overwhelm me. Now I became discontented at missed opportunity and thinking of young people who take a sabbatical and wander this earth with a backpack and a pair of sturdy walking boots. Bless them.

But there is something refreshing that offers hope of gained opportunities. Jotted around the Bible are verses like Peter’s words in 2 Peter 3:13 where he wrote,

“But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” (WEB).

The scriptures also speak about “The renewal,” “paradise” and “the meek inheriting the earth.”  It becomes apparent that humans who have the right motive will one day inherit a paradise. Then, we can return to our youth, put on those walking boots, throw on the bag pack, and meet the human family.

See Job 14: 14 (NIV).

Luke 23:40 (WEB).

Matthew 5:5 (NIV).

"For the creation was subjected to vanity"

Image kindly provided by https://unsplash.com/@jcotten

Some days I am like an ant lying in a red wheelbarrow inside a green garden shed and pondering the universe in existential angst.

Outside that red wheelbarrow, there’s another world. And outside the shed, there’s a greater world. The mind of the ant has walls. But so do we humans.

But let us explore that million-dollar Biblical question: Why does God permit suffering?

Imagine the scenario: one day in spring the village passers-by would observe a tiny robin building her nest. Puffing and panting, she worked all day collecting straw and intricately weaving a safe nest for her coming family.

That evening, the farmer came out and knocked down the nest.

The next day, the robin continued her bob-bob-bobbing along working tirelessly to prepare a home for the little ones.

Once again, the farmer returned that evening and knocked down that nest.

This continued for several days until the robin sought sweeter pastures. And soon after, a storm arrived and the whole tree was horizontal the following morning.

You see, the farmer knew the storm was coming and the tree was diseased, so by knocking the nest down, it eventually persuaded the robin to evacuate to a less hostile environment.

And this is the point, many condemn and abandon God due to human suffering, but they do not understand why God permits evil.

Take a few moments to read and ponder what is being said in the following verses. There are several points being made,

1.      God has permitted suffering (Verse 20,21).

2.      There will be a deliverance from suffering (Verse 21).

3.      God is aware of the pain suffering causes (Verse 22).

4.      God requires us to be patient (Verse 25.)

Romans 8:18-25

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.  For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.  Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.  For we were saved in hope is that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees?  But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.

Berean Standard Bible

I will return to this thought at the weekend.

"Life is a journey where the destination is predetermined." 

Jim McCrory

Image kindly provided by Jack at https://unsplash.com/@jack_anstey

“There’s a young man inside me.

 He has followed me around all his life.

 His age, I do not know, but 

he is always there

 He comforts me

 and his presence 

convinces me

 God has eternity in view for me” 

Last Autumn I went through some medical examinations. It came the day to see the consultant for the results.

My wife and I read a scripture that morning as we do every morning. It was Psalm 91: 1,2:

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.’

I will say to the Lord, “You are my refuge and my fortress,

My God, in whom I trust.”

I said to my wife, “we are going to get bad news today.” She agreed with a pensive look on her face. God had often given us messages through the scriptures that were specific. God continues to speak as he has always spoken, but at times, the right verse miraculously lands in our lap when needed.

And sure enough, cells in the prostate that served me faithfully, turned hostile and have created a rebellion in the pancreas and liver and who knows where else.

The consultant, a kind Asian man, who seemed worried that I never received the full impact of the diagnoses said, “You are very bravado about this?”

“There’s a young man inside me. He has followed me around all his life. His age, I do not know, but he is always there. He comforts me and his presence convinces me God has eternity in view for me,” I replied.

We came home that day and read the whole of Psalm 91 and felt a great sense of comfort. I have no sensation of what the Germans call torschlusspanik, that awareness that the doors are closing in on me. No, I wake with a miraculous feeling of peace that only comes from God and Christ.

Contentment and Gratitude

The first thing was the need to create space. When it gets around that you have a terminal illness, many you have known from the past want to speak to you. As a solitary person who needs space to reflect and organise life, that came first. There are matters to consider. Passing on family photos and other documentation. Arranging a cremation. Sorting out the will and countless other matters that other’s need to respect. I recall when my first wife was dying with cancer that dealing with those who wanted some space with her became exhausting to the point that she needed protection whilst convalescing. It is a reminder to all that whilst in favourable season, that is the time for goodness,

Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due,

when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

Proverbs 3:27 (WEB)

The year will be up next month. Who knows what the following year will bring. Sure, the side effects of hormone injections hamper life somewhat with the tiredness, intrusive thoughts, dry eye and other discomforts,  but there is one thing for sure, my wife and I have not lost our joy. We are grateful for what we have accomplished in the past year. We have had a rich summer staying in Scotland’s fine places and camping and meeting interesting people whom we have shared our faith with.

Exercise and nature have restorative powers. This is important as cancer and stress are not harmonious bedfellows. Therefore, I carefully guard my peace and cherish it.

I still enjoy my book group and reading. I also start the day writing something positive. I don’t like the current way the world is changing. I like to create my own world by writing what is good and upbuilding.

And like the ancient cave painters who embedded their handprints, writing leaves a legacy as to who I am and that I was here. Life is a journey, but we can determine the destination.

When a man dies, will he live again?

All the days of my hard service I will wait,

until my renewal comes.

Job 14:14 (BSB).

"Renewal", a wonderful concept.

A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
   but deceit in it crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 15:4 (WEB).

A special thanks to Natalie for her inspiring image-https://unsplash.com/@natthornley

There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. The countless sentence structures one can create from these letters are greater than the sands of the sea. Great beauty can emerge from the interaction of these letters combined with human ingenuity. One can say I walked through a field feeling lonely, or you can make your words do a lyrical iambic prance as in I wandered lonely as a cloud as the poet put it to mimic the way he was walking in his loneliness.

So, what am I saying, that we should all go around talking like Wordsworth, Shakespeare or Anne of Green Gables? Of course, not. that's for the written page.  But let me ask you to conduct an experiment. Put on a television programme such as a soap or a movie. Write down a few sentences from a scene. Do you notice anything? It may be a high proportion of the words and sentences are aggressive, hostile, and toxic? Does that not strike you as odd, considering the beauty that language can create?

Hostile words tell you much about the person. On the other hand, there is this lovely thought that was carved on stone centuries ago:

A gentle tongue is a tree of life,

   but deceit in it crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 15:4.

Interesting, don’t you think? How many friends have fallen out over the tongue? How many friendships have been lost? How many acts of violence and wars have begun because of the tongue? How many 'good days' have been lost due to careless babble?

There is no law regarding the use of kind words. Think about it this way, how would you feel if certain phrases you use were spoken back to you by a friend, colleague or family member?  Others will appreciate it if you choose words carefully. It's fundamental to winning friends and influencing people.

Image by https://unsplash.com/@randylaybourne

A friend, who was a charity worker that looked after the needs of refugees had a Chinese man walk into his office one day. The man never spoke English, so, with a video link to a professional translator they were able to answer the man’s query.

“Can you tell me, what happens when we die?” was his question.

The Chinese man is not unique. We all ask that question and believe me; the thought becomes more frequent as you get older.

Why is there something rather than nothing? Why is this lump of matter and electrical charge we call the brain aware of itself? Why are we so unique that we can explore these matters? This is the boundary of science. These are questions that will never be answered by science. Despite the grandiose claims, we are nowhere near answering these questions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF54xqYhIGA&list=WL&index=17&t=29s

There cannot be a God, there’s too much evil. However, why is there so much good? And think of the statement, “There’s too much evil.” Where do we get that moral absolute? Where does this invisible standard of right and wrong come from? If we are products of blind chance, then why is there the demand for justice? Justice has no place in a blind universe.

I will return to this question tomorrow.

"We know nothing of creeds here. Creeds change with the moving tides of human fickleness. We worship God, honour Christ love God’s word, and love our fellowman as ourselves.” The author

Image by https://unsplash.com/@clarissemeyer

Your word is a lamp for my steps;
    it lights the path before me. 

Psalm 119:105

Are you feeling marginalised, judged and mistreated  by your group you worship in? There was a man two centuries ago who no doubt felt likewise.

 Let’s look at Matthew. Who was he? We know he was a Jew. His name was Levi. He was a tax collector in the vicinity of Capernaum. He was considered a sinner in the society he functioned in. He no doubt spent his life in the margins because of his occupation as an employee of the Roman Government who were the occupying forces.

We also know that he knew God’s word and was dedicated to God at birth since the nation of Israel were a dedicated people.

One day his life changes.

“After this, Jesus went out. He saw a tax collector named Levi. Levi was sitting at the place where people came to pay taxes. Jesus said to him `Come with me.'

Levi left everything. He stood up and went with Jesus.

Levi made a big dinner at his house for Jesus. Many tax collectors and other people were sitting at the table with them.

The Pharisees and their scribes did not like what Jesus' disciples did. They said, `Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and bad people?"

Jesus answered them, `People who are well do not need a doctor. But sick people need him.

I did not come to call good people. I came to call bad people to stop doing wrong things.'

                                                                                                 —    Matthew 9: 9-13

Allow me to ask you a question: does your religion shun people because they are considered sinners in the pharisaical sense? For example, they have slipped into sin, left your religion, have traits you do not like. Or like me and my friends, they like to read and interpreted God’s word on their own rather than being subject to the shifting doctrines of man. It is no coincidence that the New Testament gives considerable space to the judgmental attitude of the pharisees. We need to be cautious. 

If there was a religious group who follow the Bible in the way that God intended, I would be with them.

Scripture taken from The Voice™. Copyright © 2012 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Did you ever play Follow the Leader as a kid? The idea was to mimic the leader and the best mimicker was the winner.

Did you know that there is intriguing research going on that suggests that photons can be "split" into halves? This theoretical discovery introduces a new entity known as a "Majorana boson." But wait, there’s more. It is believed if you split it, its twin does the follow the leader thing — if there is such a leader. When one half turns, the other does also. It is theorised that if you set the two halves a light-year apart, they will still behave in the same manner. Time will tell. Well not really. We cannot travel a light year; not unless we get ‘Doc Brown’ on the job. Anyway, humour aside it all takes us back to that first statement,

‘And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.’ Genesis 1:3

Image by https://unsplash.com/@nadineshaabana

“I am constantly amazed by man's inhumanity to man.”

― Primo Levi, If This Is a Man • The Truce

Auschwitz by https://unsplash.com/@lasmaa

I was watching a documentary about a religious group who excommunicate those who leave. Not those who commit serious Biblical sins like adultery, theft murder and the like, but those who simply leave to protect their mental health from unloving fellow worshippers. Cut off from former friends and family they travel a lonely path. Some resort to suicide.

Primo Levi in his book The Drowned and the Save wrote of the “grey zone” in Auschwitz. It would seem that the prison camp life would easily be divided into two blocs: the persecuted and the enemy. He wrote, “At least for the solidarity of one’s companions in misfortune” would offer some relief. But no, the camp was divided by multiple divisions and the enemy was everywhere. “The enemy was all around but inside as well”, he wrote. 

"Nevertheless, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue" John 12:42

Image by https://unsplash.com/@jordanmadrid

      "Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the market-place and cried incessantly:

      'I am looking for God! I am looking for God!” As many of those who did not believe in God were standing together there, he excited considerable laughter.

      ' Have you lost him, then?' said one. '

      'Did he lose his way like a child?'  said another. 'Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? or emigrated?'  Thus they shouted and laughed. The madman sprang into their midst and pierced them with his glances.

      “Where has God gone?” he cried. “I shall tell you. We have killed him - you and I. We are his murderers. But how have we done this? How were we able to drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What did we do when we unchained the earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving now? Away from all suns."'

Consider

"Be sure of this. In the last days hard times will come.

People will love themselves. They will love money. They will talk about themselves and be proud. They will say wrong things about people. They will not obey their parents. They will not be thankful. They will not keep anything holy.

They will have no love. They will not agree with anybody. They will tell lies about people. They will have no self-control. They will beat people. They will not love anything that is good.

They cannot be trusted. They will act quickly, without thinking. They are proud of themselves. They love to have fun more than they love God.

                                                                2 Timothy 3: 1-4 (World English Bible).

Image by https://unsplash.com/@simon_alibert

A friend, who was a charity worker that looked after the needs of refugees had a Chinese man walk into his office one day. The man never spoke English, so, with a video link to a professional translator they were able to answer the man’s query.

“Can you tell me, what happens when we die?” was his question.

The Chinese man is not unique. We all ask that question and believe me; the thought becomes more frequent as you get older.

Why is there something rather than nothing. Why is this lump of matter and electrical charge we call the brain aware of itself? Why are we so unique that we can explore these matters? This is the boundary of science. These are questions that will never be answered by science. Despite the grandiose claims, we are nowhere near answering these questions. The reason being, science is not the arbitrator of the metaphysical.

We have an assurance penned in John 5:24-29, 

Most certainly I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the Son of God’s voice; and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself.  He also gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man.  Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. (WEB).

A righteous man respects the life of his animal.

Proverbs 12:10 (WEB)

Image by https://unsplash.com/@hamishsecrett

Do not cut up the worms or swat the wasps. They dearly need our help. Life and beauty would be gone in their absence. Without them, Wordsworth would never have written Daffodils, Jack would never have had a beanstock, Matsuo Bashō would never have written those haikus and Gyo Fujikawa would never have produced those stunning illustration that haunts the child within.

Now let us take this seriously for a moment. Worms decompose dead matter and pass the nutrients on to trees, flowers, and vegetation in this grand symbiotic dance of death and life. Wasps spend hour after hour, pollinating plants, and flowers. They bring pleasure to the human family. Think of this little workhorse the next time you see a rainbow eucalyptus tree or a bleeding-heart flower.

When I was a child, I took an aerosol and spray painted a hive of wasps silver. There they were, just buzzing away, minding their own business. I realised then, that small as they are, they can be protective and vengeful. They had every reason to be so; I invaded their private realm. Thirteen times they stung me. After you are stung, you cannot be unstung, they leave their mark. My mother counted the reminders as she applied the soothing calamine lotion.

Writing:  © 2024 Jim McCrory

Image by https://unsplash.com/@_louisreed

Some time ago, I responded to someone on Quora regarding the role that Christians play in society. His post implied that Christians sit around singing and clapping hands to music. I replied to his statement, but I got no answer.

I would have hoped the person posting had done some research. A simple Google search takes you to Wiki where we find multiple scientists from the 18^th Century to the present period who were at the forefront of science,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christians_in_science_and_technology#21st_century_(2001%E2%80%932100)

These scientists could and still do science because they observed stable laws that govern the universe.

Better Angels of Their Nature

There are some interesting passages in Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov that illustrate patterns of Christian thinking that are in full view today. If you have read the book, it explores areas of mercy, morality, faith, and the human condition.

A case in point is Father Zosima , an elderly monk who is full of compassion and self-sacrificing love who offers kind words and solace for those who are laid low.

Then there is the youth, Ilyusha and his papa, Captain Snegiryov. Alyosha Karamazov, who is moved by Father Zosima example, demonstrates considerable human compassion to Ilyasah’s family despite suffering poverty himself.

Overall, the book is rich in examples of love, compassion, and forgiveness in imitation of the Christian paradigm.

But that’s just fiction, right? What about today? Well, our city streets are filled with Christian groups delivering essentials to street people. There are Christian food banks. I see Mercy Ships full of Christian medical, dental optical and pharmaceutical personnel treating children and adults in the developing world who have life threatening disorders, cataracts, disfigurements, and multiple other issues. They bring comfort to societies that many never give a second thought to.

Now, I know many others who are none-Christian do the same, but the question that was raised in Quora was directed at Christians.

Mercy Ships: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtqkXdYcc1c&t=2s

Blessed is the man

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

or set foot on the path of sinners,

or sit in the seat of mockers.

Psalm 1:1

https://unsplash.com/@adamjang

One of my favourite words is the word sincere. The double syllabic consonants slide smoothly off the tongue. It’s a soothing word in my mind; it summons up images of the type of humans I like to be with; those who are genuine and unpretentious. There is a hygge feeling with the word. But I self-reflect on the word as well. Am I the kind of person others are refreshed by?

Some years ago, I had an epiphany; I realised that many of the people in my life were making me unhappy. Lack of empathy, gossip, slander, bullying, and control tactics were the norm. I decided to withdraw and create new friendships. It wasn’t an easy decision; it meant withdrawing from those whom I had known most of my life. It also meant reinventing a new identity. The decision brought happiness. My epiphany was this: as a person I was intrinsically happy. It was the unkind people in my immediate proximity that brought negative energy into my life.

Ridding such ones demands radical decisions. What if it’s your boyfriend, your workmates, family, or friends? The truth of the matter is, we must enter the darkness if you are to see the dawn, the new day.

How do they treat you? Do they corrode your self-esteem by being offensive, then say “I was only joking” or “You’re too sensitive” or “Get a life”? Do they bully you to the extent that you never make your own decisions? Do they humiliate you in public by saying you're too fat or stupid? Are they nice to your face but criticise you behind your back? Do they defame your values, destroy your dreams, flatter for profit and leave you as empty as a pocket?

You cannot afford to be naïve and think they will change. They may have been this way all their lives. Don’t think marrying your future partner will make it happily ever… “Marry in haste; repent at leisure” the aphorism states.

Can you categorise those in life that make you unhappy? Is the person a narcissist? Uncaring, perhaps spoiled as a child. They always think of themselves first. The language gives them away. The “I” and the “me” stand erect in every sentence. They bully you into their way of thinking all the time.

There may be economic considerations to consider. That will take planning. Hitch your waggon to others that feel like you, who are kind and thoughtful and really care. It maybe you can flat share to get away from the immediate crisis. This is especially so where violence is involved. Remember, violence visited on a partner leaves lifelong emotional scars on you and the children if you have them.

Is it friends that is the issue? Join a group where you can find new friends. Is it family? Remember, you are attached to family by reason of history, but genetically, you are almost as much related to every human. Find another family. Join a walking, photography, writing, language or sports group. The internet is full of sources and meetups. In many cases, some groups have people who have shared and have suffered what you have gone through. God bless your efforts.

Fix my own steps solidly in your saying. 

And may no kind of hurtful thing domineer over me.

Psalm 119:133

P.S. 68324 people have accessed this blog in the past 2 years. It indicated they have an inclination towards spirituality. If you have a desire to discuss these matters in privacy, feel free to email me at JimAlba@proton.me

Otherwise, just say hello.