Doctor Who: Did I Say Epic? SPOILERS

I've just been watching the Doctor Who season 6 opener, The Impossible Astronaut. I thought it was utterly fantastic and highly disturbing. When I said in my last Doctor Who related post that I thought the trailer was hinting at an epic series... I realise I wasn't understating.

Kudos to Steven Moffatt for taking a gutsy move and apparently killing the Doctor forever, in the very first episode of the new series. It's got people scratching their heads, reeling in shock... scribbling down theories... and reacting strongly (with some seeing it as a tool to curtail the show and limiting it to a certain length in terms of episodes).

Is the Doctor's number finally up?

I don't think that's the case at all... and if you do, I humbly suggest you've probably bought into a deliberate red herring and swallowed it whole. If there is one thing Moffatt has a tremendous talent for, it's ratcheting up tension and suspense... and this I believe lies at the heart of what's going on. How do you add peril to a character who is seemingly unkillable (at least for another couple of generations), well it's simple... you kill them (in The Doctor's case by completely bypassing the "get out clause"! That way you have this shadow hanging over the character for at least the next episode and/or possibly the whole series. A master stroke. One warning here - don't expect Moffatt to simply retcon the death away... he's not RTD. Yes he may use timey wimey stuff to explain the situation but he won't flip a switch and deus ex machina his way out of the situation. I think the likelihood is that as the episodes/series go on, we will gain more and more insight into what was really going on in that seemingly final exchange... that will give us a new perspective and the proper resolution.

I thought the Silence were utterly creepifying. The exaggerated head size and skull like facial  features (sans mouth) made them look incredibly disturbing. Moffat has a penchant for plugging into our basest primordial fears and concerns in everyday life... and used this as inspiration for the Silence - how scary is an enemy that you can't remember even seeing?

The VERY sinister and creepy Silence.

The drama and suspense were neatly balanced with some top draw humour. The Doctor cropping up in history and drawing attention to himself in Enlightenment era art, a World War II prisoner escape tunnel and a Laurel & Hardy movie (complete with Fez), was good way to start the episode before taking a dark turn. The interaction between the Doctor and River was as usual flirty and charming... with the odd dash of cynicism on the Doctor's part. Calling her Mrs. Robinson was just brilliant though.

Next week can't come soon enough for me - Whomania is back... it is in full flow and it's going global.

I thought the episode was very appropriate for Easter Saturday. Firstly it reinforced what I was saying about Jesus and Brother Edward on Thursday... because the Doctor in this episode also finds himself in a situation where he knows his end is coming (he clearly knew who was in the astronaut suit and he knew exactly what was coming), yet the Doctor remained and accepted the fate put before him.

You also had River, Amy & Rory grieving and forlorn after the Doctor's demise, not knowing which way to turn or what the best thing. This made me think very much about how Jesus' companions must have felt, following Good Friday. If that wasn't enough you have the absolutely stunned reaction as the fourth invited party walks into the diner. Having just burned the Doctor's corpse... the mishmash of intense and varied emotions that hit Amy, Rory and River as they saw the Doctor walk through the door... perfectly mirrored the kind of expressions you might have expected from the apostles on Easter Sunday.

So as I said, all in all a great episode and a perfect one given the season.

I cannot finish this post without thanking the BBC for the wonderful, heartwarming and reminiscent tribute to Elisabeth Sladen (entitled: My Sarah Jane), that was screened on CBBC immediately after the episode... as well as the screen caption. I know some people will be wondering why the Nicholas Courtney (who playing the equally beloved Brigadier), didn't get a screen caption. I believe he will get one... the Beeb probably want to pay tribute to them respectfully as individuals and not cram them together like sardines. I also think Sarah-Jane's character is a very special one because more than any other companion or side character... she binds the classic and new series together. If you look at the tribute pages for Elisabeth Sladen you will see that she is appreciated by fans, new and old... right across the spectrum... that in itself pays tribute to the kind of sincerity and emotion Sladen brought to the role... and perhaps the biggest reason she will be deeply an sadly missed... but remembered and treasured with even greater fondness and respect.

Earth AND Heaven Day

Do you remember that last year on Good Friday, Google decided to celebrate the birthday of Hans Christian Anderson? If so you may recall that a lot of Christians on the right got upset about it. Rather than get angry... I decided instead to draw parallels between one of Anderson's works, and Good Friday. I feel you should look for opportunities in everything. Well... just over a year later and Google decided to pull a similar trick.

Yep... Google decided to celebrate Earth Day. Now Google is obviously a secular company and has no obligation to do anything for Good Friday. I know that voices on the right are again upset... and me?  What am I going to do this time?

I'm going to do exactly the same thing as I did last year - use Earth Day as a way to examine the importance of Good Friday.

Every year when Easter Sunday comes around, it is traditional in some services to examine the entire story of salvation. How God created a perfect world, free from sin... and how he placed humanity at the heart of his creation to act as his appointed custodians/caretakers. The Bible says that God commanded Man to subdue the Earth... but what it actually means by this, is that we were intended to use it's resources wisely in the service of God and Man.

All that changed with humanity's rebellion against God:

“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.  By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

Genesis 3:17b-19

To put it bluntly... we stuffed up!

My belief is that after we strayed from God's initial command, we became selfish (and that our controlling nature and rejection of  God  is in fact what brings about the terms of the "curse"). This selfishness brought about an imbalance and rather than using the Earth's resources sensibly,  we began to consume them in a manner that glorified ourselves but not God. Like parasitic leeches through the ages... we have taken and taken from the abundant things God has given us... but not given nearly half as much thought to what we should put back.

In our arrogance we claim the highest authority with regard to managing the Earth but this directly ignores what the Bible tells us:

"The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;" 

Psalm 24:1

 In the modern age there are a growing number of people who have taken the cause of environmentalism to heart... and this is commendable. However if we put environmentalism and ecology at the centre of everything we do... socially or politically, we still fall short because the problems humanity causes the planet are only a symptom of the greater problem that needs to be addressed in the human condition.

The Bible speaks of Jesus in these terms:

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.  For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

 Colossians 1:15-20

It's clear to me that if everything was made by and for Jesus; if all things hold together in him and if he considered all things on heaven and earth something worth giving his life up for... then ergo he can be trusted to look after our planet. If we put our lives in his care, we can be sure that he will shape us into people who make this world a better place spiritually, morally, ethically, ecologically... anyway you look at it.

So as we remember Earth... let's not forget Heaven... because in his death and life Jesus reunited both.

All Alone in the Night?

Haven't blogged for a while, so I'd catch up by bringing you up to speed with my most recent actions.

If you are a regular reader, you may recall that back in 2009 I decided to change my meditation for Maundy Thursday. I did it as a response to having been to the Mount of Olives and concluding that perhaps the best place to get a feel for what happened back in the Garden of Gethsemane (if such a thing as at all possible - I believe we can only get a glimpse at best), I took my time of meditation into the wild... and sat on a hill overlooking the town.

Alas, last year I was unable to repeat the experience due to torrential rain. So this year - armed with the promise of a good weather (and what glorious weather it is), I resolved to return. I was especially nervous this year because the last time I went to the hill (last Autumn), there was a ridiculously oversized aggressive looking bull grazing there. As I reached the bridleway that led to the hill, my torch failed... so aside from the limited light afforded by the torch utility on my iPhone Sonic Screwdriver App... I was walking by faith, not by sight.

So many emotions ran through my head as I sat at the foot of the daffodil cross in the dead of night. There was the fear of being discovered by a surly farmer wondering what I was doing... or shish kebabed by an even surlier bull. I even had thoughts of bandits or rogues jumping out from the treeline. Or worse... LARPers.

That's the thing about the dark... isn't it? It amplifies everything... especially the negative. every sound you hear could be something coming to eat you... or worse. It gives you a great sense of being surrounded by threats and being devoid of support... alone.

That gives you some idea of some of the thoughts going through Jesus' head as his disciples lay sleeping in the background... as the wind blew, the tree branches clacked together ominously... and as the faint glow of torches and conspiratorial voices in the distance drew ominously nearer.

For him the threats were very real... as events on Good Friday proved.

Emotions are often one of the most stalwart and trustworthy allies in our human arsenal... they give us an impression of how we should respond to the world around us... and yet at times, they can quite easily be at odds with the facts.

Jesus above all people, knew that he was not alone in the garden. He prayed to his Father... who he shared a unique relationship with.... and yet from his words to his disciples, it's clear that he felt very much alone.

I find that very reassuring.

There are times when all of us feel alone... even if we know God... it can seem very much like we are fighting our battles alone. If the Son of God struggled with emotions like that, then we can be sure that the Father does not frown on us too hard when we find ourselves feeling that way.

The only thing he asks of us is that we are honest and give our emotions and struggles over to him.  If you look at the Gospel... that's exactly what Jesus did. How often though, do we cling tightly to our struggles? We become so obsessed with our battles and so proud about acknowledging they way we feel, that we neglect our greatest ally. Sometimes will not remove our circumstances... just as he did not remove "the cup" for Jesus (in the case of the former it's because we are not the centre of the universe, in the case of the latter it was because God esteemed humanity to be so precious to Him... that he deemed the suffering of his son as mandatory). Even if our circumstances are not changed though... we have the promise of God's presence and support in our lives and I don't think that is something we should dismiss as a consolation prize.

Another thing I've been doing of late, is rewatching Babylon 5. About a week or so ago I was in the latter end of Season 1. It was then that I hit upon the idea of trying to get to the season 3 episode "Passing Through Gethsemane" by Maundy Thursday... as the importance placed on events in the garden... are a central theme to the episode.

At one point the character of Brother Edward (played by Brad Dourif), is asked what is at the core of his beliefs. This is his answer:

"On the night before our Lord was crucified, he spent the night alone in the garden of Gethsemane and he knew that they were going to come for him and in a moment of weakness he asked if this cup could pass from him if he could be spared the pain and death that would come with morning; and of course the cup would not pass and the soldiers would come to Gethsemane; but he did not have to be there when they arrived. He could have chosen to leave... to postpone the inevitable for a few hours or even days. He knew what would happen but he chose to stay, to sacrifice himself and thus atone for the sins of others. A very fragile, human moment... and I've often thought about that night and I honestly don't know if I would have had the courage to have stayed."

Again it reinforces the loneliness and anguish experienced by Christ in Gethsemane... it also underlines his absolute resolve in completing his mission... the redemption of humanity. At the same time it challenges us about the level of our own convictions. When everything is called into question, when the cost is high and spiritual, emotional or even physical adversity loom over us... are we prepared to stand by our beliefs?

Brother Edward later discovers that he has a hidden past... he was once a serial killer who had been mind wiped for his crimes.... years later as an utterly benign and humble monk, he is forced to discover this truth when the relatives of his victims seek him out for revenge. Edward finds himself in a similar scenario to Christ... and following his example. He too, chooses to remain:

I find this scene extremely moving... especially the sincerity and compassion offered to Edward from Brother Theo (played by Louis Turenne), such is its impact on me that I actually well up with tears.

In his dying moments, Edward is filled with fear. Is there enough forgiveness for him... given what he has done? Theo reassures him that there is and administers the last rites.

If you ever find yourself asking yourself if there is enough forgiveness available to what you have done... then be assured the same is true for you. God's forgiveness is not based on a numeric accumulation of the wrongs you have done offset against Christ's sacrifice. It is dependent on only two things: Christ's sacrifice once for all, itself... and your genuine desire to repent of what you have done.

It doesn't matter what you have done. As long as you are willing to turn away from it with contrition, salvation and forgiveness are yours.

The final words Jesus chose to utter as he died on the cross are all about completion. Jesus effectively says it's done, over; the debt is paid, the law is satisfied.  From the minutest misdemeanor to the most grievous violation... everything is covered.

So my message to you today is simply this. If you genuinely seek forgiveness... it's there for you. Grab it with both hands and embrace it with all your heart.

A Covenant of Convenience?

There are some words in the English language that hold a special meaning.

You can usually tell which ones they are because they have an archaic feel to them and their meanings has rarely changed. Trespass is one of these words... it refers to the illegal crossing of a boundary (geographical or moral), it is a word that has remained rooted in the traditional English form of the Lord's Prayer. I used another of these words when I first christened my blog - Sanctuary; and it is one of these words that I want to look at in more detail, as it is very relevant to something that is going on in my town at this very moment. The word... is "covenant".

If you look up the word covenant in the dictionary, you will not be at a loss to understand what it means. A covenant is essentially a promise, pledge or oath or agreed or proclaimed by one or more parties. Covenants can take many forms - unilateral, bilateral, multilateral, secular, religious and ultimately, even the divine.

Whatever form they take, they all hold one thing in common; they bind the parties involved by law or divine will, to the circumstances that have been agreed upon or proclaimed. They are considered sacrosanct  This is something that doesn't site easily in the modern world. In a throwaway society, the duration of a promises' relevance has continually been eroded.

And now I come to my motivation for highlighting these things - the fate of the Hannah Susan Greig Memorial Hall in my home town of Alcester.

The Greig, Alcester

Hannah Susan Greig was a lady who devoted her life to bettering the needs of those around her... most specifically, the local youth. When she passed away, her husband used his funds to build a hall in her memory... that would help continue the work she started.The land was sold to his charitable trust with a covenant that it would only be used for youth and civic use.  Just over half a century later, that covenant finds itself under threat.

The current Board of Trustees for the Grieg have determined that its current business model is not profitable... and have proposed a course of action that will see the original covenant lifted and prepare the way for significant housing development. Stratford-upon-Avon District Council's portfolio holder has agreed to this with the proviso that £200,000 of an £800,000 loan be paid back in return as a kind of administration fee.

I am completely opposed to this course of action... principally because I believe all agreed covenants should be respected. It is a matter of honour. As a man of faith I understand the importance of keeping covenants... for I believe my very salvation depends on it. Where would be if God decided the covenant he established through his Son was a bit of a "no brainer" and couldn't be bothered with it any more? As lost and royally stuffed that scenario would leave us, we'd equally be  outraged. There's a cosmic understanding of the arrangement.

God does not say:

"I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."

No... that was Darth Vader.

Instead, this is what God says in His Word:

"He is the LORD our God; his judgements are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations"

Psalm 105:7-8

Or as Billy Graham once put it:

"God said it, in His Word. I believe it, in my heart. That settles it... forever".

If we have a God who honours his Word at every opportunity he gives it... should we not also live in such a manner? Keeping covenants, honouring commitments and upholding righteous promises that fall within our jurisdiction? I believe so and I believe that's what the Bible says too.

That's not to say covenants are inflexible. Jesus himself knew all too well that the words of God's covenants and promises could be warped by men... and on occasion reiterated or illustrated his teaching which reinforced the Spirit of what was meant.

Covenants should not be hampered by legalism. You only have to go to Jerusalem and see the Immovable Ladder to see how a covenant can be warped into upholding something meaningless.

Going back to the Alcester situation, I'm not hanging on for the sake of sentiment or tradition. I would get behind an update of the site that made it more relevant to the current youth and civic generation. I think you could redevelop the side buildings and main hall whilst retaining the Art Deco style of the atrium. I could even accept a change in use of the site if it honoured the Spirit of why that site exists. For example... if the covenant remained and houses were built that were exclusively aimed at providing starter homes for young people or families... I would see that as honouring the commitment.

However, the inconvenient truth of the matter is that social housing and doing good, are very rarely profitable ventures. It seems as though the covenant has now become inconvenient and will be disposed of as soon as profitable. I am grateful to my father and the other local councillors who are upholding the will of many townsfolk (myself included), by calling the decision in to be examined by the Overview and Scrutiny committee.

How this pans out, only time will tell... but it would be nice to have faith in people and think that  this promise... this pledge... this one covenant made many years ago... would still be valued and upheld by a generation that lives in a time where so many others are so casually tossed aside.