Bible Study

 I did attend the Bible Study but should have checked my computer earlier in the day as there was an update in process and I was unable to connect my microphone or webcam to Zoom. My daughter came to the rescue and I used her computer which of course created a scenario where her name was on the screen although I did send an apology for lateness and that my name was not correct on the image giving them my actual name. 

By the time that I was into the Zoom room we were going into breakout rooms and I did join that room where there were three of us. I thought we were going to discuss Chapter 1. 

I had prepared my Mapping the Journey file (it is complete as I have completed the book) and I share below my thoughts on this first chapter since we chatted about other things:

1. Interestingly the first line is the way that I think – God is present ("One beautiful day in heaven, God is admiring creation and notices a problem."). But my life philosophy is different. I do not see God as interfering in the ways of the world but rather watching and waiting to see how mankind can continue; are we intelligent enough to overcome the problems that we have created in the last two centuries because of environmental pollution created by industrialization? Two great wars have occurred with either potentially Armageddon but we moved past them and sit once again at the brink. That is my philosophy. This book was written before Russia invaded Ukraine. 

2. I am asked how I would react to this circumstance where God has created a scenario where mankind is involved. What would I do with a shard of mirror. I would be cautious; I would pick up a piece if I found it. I would think about it and perhaps discuss with my siblings. I have withdrawn back into my family in widowhood. I may blog about it because it would be the news cycle. 

3. Asked about one of the most important people in my life aside from my grandparents and  my parents was my maternal uncle (my only uncle as my father was an only child). As a young child I was nervous of him and being a fidgety child I learned to be calm and quiet in his presence but he paid attention to me and gave me good advice as a child. It continued as an adult whenever I was in  his company right to the end of his days sadly alone in a hospital because I could not go SARS was rampant in Toronto and I worked at a hospital in Ottawa. His constant approval to this child in a large family was likely good for me. But he was a realist deeply committed to his United Church and Missions and Service. From him I did learn that our most important task on earth was to serve God and one can do that at any time; in any place.

Since I prepared the comments I thought I would share them with my blog. We did chat about my thoughts on labyrinths (my thoughts are very personal) so I hedged away from that with a comment on my experiences at many religious sites in the British Isles and Europe. 

My husband and/or I have been in the British Isles and Europe six times since 2001 until our last trip in 2016. I must admit that my husband mostly regarded a lot of this time in the British Isles as mine although we did on occasion find items of interest to his lines. His families from Britain were principally dissenters and had arrived in the Colonies (now the United States of America) in the 1600s but we did find a few interesting bits of information. Our times in France particularly and other parts of Europe were all his - any ancestry that I have in Europe is ancient - Huguenots in the 1400s who fled to England is the closest that I come really to knowing any of that history. His ancestry is principally 30% German, 30% Dutch and 20% French with some British, some Scandinavian and some Danish.

I do really find labyrinths to be a wonderful way to free the mind and explore thoughts in your mind as you walk. The finger Labyrinth is a wonderful addition.