My main purpose in posting a celebratory message on
the anniversary dates of starting this blog is to encourage other Christians
who feel they can bring helpful insights and images to the web, to take the
plunge and start blogging (or vlogging if you’re more internet-savvy than me).
Whilst the early days were slow, momentum picked up,
rather as it might for a small business, and at each anniversary, the numbers
of pageviews have felt very encouraging. At the year ends, the figures were Yr
1 – 3000/ Yr 2 – 7000/ Yr3 – 13000/ Yr4 – 45000 and today – in excess of 75000.
I recognize that these numbers will include occasions when one or more ‘trolls’
are on the site and that a number of views will be people who accidentally
graze the site on the way somewhere else: but for a site which features poetry,
science and faith by an ‘unknown’ author, if even, say only 30 – 40% of these
are ‘true views’, I feel very encouraged.
Further encouragement has come from elsewhere – and
has given rise to some delightful surprises. The Principal of St John’s College at Durham University (who
holds professorships in both astrophysics and theology and has become aware of
what I try to do on the blog) has invited me to spend a term at the college as
a ‘Visiting Fellow’ to develop the ideas alongside university academics. That
cannot be until 2018 because of the popularity of such fellowships but the
offer was way beyond anything I could possibly have anticipated arising out of
my writing. That offer was followed by a request to preach and lecture on Science
and Faith at Trinity College, Dublin. I have been thrilled by all this.
So I will undoubtedly be continuing in this venture
and if you are a new reader, you might like to see the following three examples
of work I have published – under three different categories.
First – on Beauty, Science and Faith (fastest growing of the Science and Faith/
Wonders of Creation category on this blog)
I met with Beauty, Science
and Faith
walking life’s uncertain
road.
Beauty, with her exquisite
modesty
outlined a rôle with which
she serves God:
‘I am granted a special
privilege’, she said,
‘Of stirring humans to wonder
and awe,
into heightening of senses;
of prompting thanksgiving
that may wake an instinctive
desire to adore.’
‘Ah!’ said Science, ‘It is my
task
to explore the relevant
‘laws’ of creation
which underlie the cause and
the mystery
of just such outbursts of
elation.’
‘To shape understandings and
insights
that between them
progressively yield
deeper, empirical
details
of all pertinent
knowledge-based fields.’
‘And then’ said Faith, ‘It is
my part
to explore and illuminate,
the purpose, the cosmic
significance
of both rapturous and
reasoning state.’
‘To encourage human
cognition,
to re-visit paths it has trod
of experiment, wondering and
prescience,
and search them for glimpses
of God.’
Second
in the category of Science based hymnody
(This Can be Sung to ‘Little Cornard’/ Hills of the
North Rejoice)
Praise the Creator God,
Lord of the dark night sky.
Myriad of stars we see,
Far more beyond our eye;
Some young, still in their
forming stage
And some, about to die from age.
Planets go round most stars,
Gathered by gravity:
Size and their mineral mix
Form their trajectories.
Among this family, spread through
space
Earth seems a rare life-giving
place.
So let all earth rejoice,
Hills, rivers, ocean’s waves
You’ve heard the advent voice,
You’ve seen Messiah’s ways.
Your great Creator’s trod your
soil,
A babe, a man, redeeming all.
Third,
in the category of ‘Care of our Common Home’ poems
Plea of an Unborn Child
Dearly beloved Mother, you
are, just now,
the only person to whom I can
talk.
You are my sustenance, my
comfort,
my very life; and it will be
much the same
up to and beyond that special
day when I can walk.
Today I want to ask you
that you will do all you can
to ensure
the world into which I will
be born
will sustain me and your
grandchildren,
and not be so hideously
transformed
that we will find it
impossible to live without fear
of disasters, even wars,
brought about
by too much or too little
water, violent winds,
extremes of cold and heat:
and a probability of having
to weep all-too-frequent tears.
Please, please, listen to discerning,
careful, forward-thinking
scientists
and whenever possible,
tell those who pursue the
relentless exploitation of fossil fuels -
and everything that follows
in its wake -
that you need them to draw it
to a rapid halt, for my sake
and for every single child of
my generation.
Please go on marches,
write indignant letters,
organise petitions,
argue with vehement determination,
that I and all of
us-in-waiting
may not have to mourn the
earth,
but live as you would no
doubt have us live,
to welcome our
children
in the fullness of time,
with joyous celebrating.
I hope all of this may have whetted your appetite to
start communicating YOUR faith in whatever way you think might interest and
excite others. Blogging is an astonishing way of ‘Going out into all the world
and preaching the Gospel’ (Mark 16.15).
If you need help as to how to start, a very good
guide (in the UK) is the book ‘Blogging For Dummies’).