The Tomb that Speaks to the Living

In the quiet of Westminster Abbey in London, tucked away among the final resting places of generals, kings and statesmen is the grave of a young woman named Mary Beaufoy. I found this memorial years ago while exploring the Abbey and the memory of it, along with the photographs I took on that day, have remained with me ever since.
The reason? This grave speaks to the living.
Mary Beaufoy was the only daughter and heiress of Sir Henry Beaufoy, of Guyscliffe, near Warwick, and the Hon. Charlotte Lane, eldest daughter of George Lord Viscount Lansborough. Standing there in the Abbey's stillness, looking at this tomb, it isn't too hard to imagine how the hopes and dreams of Sir Henry and Lady Charlotte were bound up in this one precious child. She would have been their laughter, their joy, and the quiet confidence that one day their title and lineage would pass to another. But Mary died on July 12, 1705, aged just 28, and their hopes died with her.
Such was the impact of this tragedy, and yet through her grief and loss Lady Charlotte resolved that her daughter's death would not be in vain. The tomb she commissioned at the hand of the famous woodcarver Grinling Gibbons bears a striking message, one which stopped me in my tracks all those years ago and one which I pray will speak to you too.
This is what it says:
"Reader! whoever thou art, let the sight of this tomb imprint on thy mind that young and old, without distinction, leave this world; and therefore fail not to secure the next."

What a Waste of Time

Do you like wasting your time?
Hebrews 11:6 describes what is possibly the biggest lost cause of them all, and yet one into which otherwise intelligent people have poured huge amounts of time and effort down through the ages. The verse says "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Many seek to prove or disprove the existence of God by their intellect, by clever philosophical argument or logical reasoning. Some point to the natural world or the laws of science while others turn to history and comb ancient texts in dogged pusuit of a secret clue.
But all this is a complete waste of time. If we're going to "come to God" as the verse says, if we ever hope to approach that place where God can be found and seen, then there's only one way and that is to come by faith. The writer is very clear, "he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Notice the word "must." Your arguments won't bring you to God and neither will they prove his non-existence. Science, nature, and all the intellect and philosophy of man will equally get you nowhere. Even religion is a waste of time. Unless you're willing to exercise faith your search will be in vain.
This upsets some and frustrates many more, but that's the way it is. You see, if God really is God then His position gives Him the right to make the rules. And He's decided that only those who are prepared to approach Him in humble faith are going to find Him. "Humility," as a wise friend of mine often says, "is what gains entrance." It's your ticket to the door, it places your name on heaven's guest list. The humble soul stops trying to evaluate God, to disprove God, to analyse God, and simply worships Him. It makes sense if you think about it - if we could understand God, categorise Him and explain Him then by that very act we've reduced Him to the level of our own intelligence and discovered that after all He's no wiser than us. But the glory of the true God is as far beyond the grasp of our feeble human understanding as quantum physics is beyond the reach of the average family dog. If God truly is God, then we can never figure Him out. But what a glorious truth it is that while we could never reach Him by our own efforts God has provided a way for us to find him, a way so simple that it can be mastered by the lowliest peasant or the youngest child.
Stop wasting your time. Approach God in simple, humble faith and you'll find that He's more than willing to make Himself known.

The Silent Minority

One thing that seems to characterise today's society is the abundance of groups determined to impose their agenda on everyone else. Without really pausing for thought I could name several, all of which demand quite agressively that I accomodate their beliefs and uphold their practices and yet become strangely upset if I in turn ask that they respect mine.
One thing that particularly troubles me in all this is what I call the terrorist paradox. Here in the UK we're no stranger to terrorism having lived with the IRA for half a generation, and yet we have a settlement today in which former enemies have come together to form a power-sharing government. That's good, and I'm glad the peace finally came. It came because people on both sides put aside their guns and rhetoric to talk; both the government and the terrorists meeting on middle ground and moving forward together for peace. And what's interesting is the way in which these leaders have now risen up with one voice to condemn the recent murders by the 'Real IRA' - acts that some of them supported and even committed before they became politicians. Again, I'm glad they spoke out; but I worry that in the wider context of our society we're setting a pattern here.
It seems that in today's world if you live quietly as a reasonable, law-abiding citizen, respecting the rights of others and never forcing your agenda on your fellow man then your voice is ignored by a political system that has more pressing things to think about. But if you step over the line and make noise, if you break the law and throw bricks at Policemen, if you kill and maim innocent bystanders, damage property and commit that most British of crimes, "disturbing the peace", then after the outrage and condemnation have run their course someone will eventually decide to sit down and talk with you. Make yourself a thorn in society's side and sooner or later your demands will be heard. And not just heard; in the fulness of time you'll probably be brought in from the cold and given a leadership role.
We live in a world where only the loud are listened to; and there are many who understand this and are prepared to be as loud as it takes. It's a shame our governments and leaders can't find the time to equally engage the quiet. I don't see anyone offering to bring the young, carers, refugees, ordinary people of quiet and dignified faith, single parents, the elderly or the homeless into the political establishment; rather, I see them increasingly marginalised. We face big problems today, and there are many who have much to contribute but because they either have no voice or have a moral compass that prevents them from stamping on others, they are ignored.
There are rumours that Obama might be about to talk to the Taliban. If he does then it's further evidence, should more be needed, that in today's warped politics there are now two routes into public office: the ballot and the bomb.

Perspective

People are more important than things.
Friends have more value than funds.
And eternity is more significant than this short, fleeting life.

Ten to one?

Someone once said, "God gave us two ears and one mouth - to be used in that proportion".
Wise words. We would all do well to listen more than we speak.
Then I realised that God gave us ten fingers. Does that mean we should abandon conversation altogether and spend our time on Facebook? Perhaps not; but it does prove that we should be careful not to stretch our clever illustrations so far that they make fools of us.

Computer Tips

Have you ever lost a valuable file while working on your computer? I often get asked to help in such situations but sadly sometimes there's nothing I can do. So, to save you from digital doom, here are The Bishop's top tips for safe and happy computing.
Firstly, always have more than one copy of any important file or document. Always. Here's how:
1) As soon as you open your document and before you do anything else, use the Save As function to save a second copy of your document under a slightly different name. For example, "Prizewinning Novel - Version 13". That way you'll always have Versions 1 through 12 to go back to should the worst happen.
2) Buy a USB memory stick and keep copies of your documents on that. Then, if your computer dies or gets stolen you've still got your precious files. A word of warning though: only keep copies of your files on the USB stick - never edit the files on the stick directly as this can cause corruption if your system crashes. I've seen two cases of this in the past twelve months and on both occasions the important document was lost forever. You have been warned.
Secondly, get into the habit of saving:
3) Find out what the shortcut key sequence is in your editor/word processor (check the Help) and use it. For example, in Microsoft Word Alt+F then S will do a quick save without you even needing to touch the mouse. Whenever you pause for thought in your typing, do a save. Whenever you stop to pick up a reference book, save. Whenever you lift your mug to sip tea, answer the phone or glance out of the window, save. Get into the habit of saving; then if your computer crashes or the power goes off you'll only have a few minutes work to redo.
4) If your editor/word processor has an auto-save feature (check the Help), turn it on. Again, if something goes wrong you'll only have lost whatever you wrote since the last save.
Thirdly, keep your computer in good order. Install anti-virus protection, turn on your firewall and make sure you install critical patches and service packs. Defragment occasionally, don't let your hard drive fill up and don't install dodgy programs from the internet. Look after your system and it will be far less likely to let you down.
That's it; I hope those tips were useful. If you agree, disagree, have something to add or would like to share your personal disaster story, feel free to post a comment.