For those of you who thought a selfie was the local name for the Atlantic Seal its not! What is occupying young peoples attention on their cell phones is themselves! Or rather a picture of themselves which they judge to be sufficiently attractive to merit posting on a social network.

Never since Narcissus the hunter, who was famous for his good looks, caught sight of his own reflection in a pool and fell in love with it have we had such widespread fascination with the human form. Of course legend has it that Narcissus loved not wisely but too well and fell into the pool and drowned!

It must be said that the main purpose of the selfie would appear to be to impress those who view the image rather that have its creator spellbound by it. In the contest for recognition in a world where image is all, the more attention grabbing, the more likely the picture will receive the accolade of “like” from the fans.

It is little wonder in such competitive circumstances that pictures would become progressively more daring till we had publicity hungry film stars “accidentally” launching photos of themselves in the nip. The ensuing publicity was prolonged by fruitless requests to the service provider to take down the offending image.

But if we are honest we are all affected to a greater or lesser extent by this Narcissus business. Who of us can resist looking into a shop window which reflects our image? The fascination does not lessen with age! Solomon put his finger on our latent pride when he said, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes Chapter 1). In fact of the four “prides” (Grace, Place & Race) Pride of Face” is the most troublesome.

Isaiah, referring to Jesus, says there was “nothing in his appearance that we should desire him”. In fact the narrative goes out of its way to emphasise at the end of his life on earth the gruesomeness of his features “His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man” (Isaiah Chapters 52/53).

It wasn’t his form but his words that attracted people to him. Because of his death and resurrection he alone can offer us pride bound creatures the deliverance we need if we will but turn from the Selfie and look to Him the risen reigning Lord and commit our lives to him.

Where has Granny gone Daddy? The answer to the child’s question has engaged thinkers down through the centuries. The empty chair is a stark reminder that its occupant is no longer with us.

One young man age 5, after the funeral, explained that they had been putting Granny up to heaven!

In a discussion with colleagues there seemed to be a consensus that we could not know for sure. My suggestion that we take the word of the only person in recorded history who had come back from the dead was thought to be too familiar and the familiarity bred contempt!

But the fact is that my sceptical colleagues could have experienced the reality of it for themselves had they lived in Jerusalem at the time of the resurrection. On one occasion there were 500 present to vouch for Christ’s appearing. Now some two millennia on we have the words of the Apostle John who understood that there was never a time when Jesus, whom he calls “the Word of Life” did not exist.

He opens his first letter with the words “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete” (Chapter 1 verses 1-4).

St John paints a graphic word picture of seeing and touching the incarnate Christ. He refers to him as the eternal life – death is not a terminus. In fact scripture sees it more as the culmination of the separation caused by sin. As Isaiah put it; “your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Chapter 59 verse 2).

Jesus removed the consequences of sin from his followers. Speaking about the results of the new life to Martha Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die”

Then he asked her “Do you believe this?” (St John Chapter 11 verse 25-26).

Funerals mark the departure point from this life but for the believer they represent the completion of the work that started at conversion where the new life in Christ took root.

The empty chair also reminds us that our turn will come; the time to prepare is now! Trust your life to the One who died in the sinners place and rose to ensure his eternal security.

In a week which produced a lack-lustre budget when the most significant thing seemed to be John O’Shea’s last minute equalising goal against Germany my eye caught sight of an account of a Humanist wedding.

I am always delighted to hear that our humanist friends are bucking the trend of simply living together and involving themselves in the old fashioned Christian ceremony of plighting ones troth to another for this life.

It appears that this was not just a one-off but that 800 or so will be tying the nuptial knot this year. So what do they do that is different?

Well the wedding dress, complete with veil, was a carbon copy of the time honoured custom. The groom, well scrubbed up for the occasion, looked slick in a smart suit. A Humanist celebrant was located and a selection of readings and love poems agreed.

All this seemed pretty familiar but then comes the “sand ceremony”! This involved the couples pouring yellow and green sand into a glass jar so that the particles mixed inseparably. Doubtless it would have the place of honour in the house for years to come a constant reminder of the vows taken for lifelong fidelity. Beats lighting a candle from a couple of other candles any day!

So what’s missing?

Well God is. He instituted Marriage before the fall, as being a bulwark against loneliness and the means by which the race is regenerated. It keys into the attraction of opposites and blossoms as a lifelong love affair.

In Scripture, families became the building blocks of society and from the 12 sons of Jacob came the 12 tribes of Israel. These incorporated simple rules of engagement whereby the taking of foreign women as wives was forbidden. This maintained the purity of the bloodline giving us the genealogies culminating in the birth of Christ the Son of God by the Holy Spirit and the Son of Man as descended from King David – two natures in one person.

It was at a wedding that Jesus performed his first miracle (St John Chapter 2 verses 1-11). And it was in the context of holy living that St Paul restated the principle that Christians marry Christians (2 Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 14).

But the most fundamental difference between Christian marriage and all other forms is that it is intended to reflect the relationship between Christ and his Church. He is the groom and the church is the bride linked in an indissoluble union (Ephesians Chapter 5 verses 22-27). That’s why God hates divorce – amongst other things it breaks the union (Malachi Chapter 2 verse 16).

The Bible concludes with the glorious picture of the wedding feast of the Lamb (Jesus) with his bride (the church of the redeemed) Revelation Chapter 19 verses 6/7.

G. F. Handel encapsulated a flavour of the scene in the climax of his oratorio “Messiah” but the real thing is the Christian’s eager anticipation.

The jar of sand will run out but there is an eternal wedding banquet – Jesus invites you.

It must be a couple of years since I read the book “I am Malala” and was moved by the courage of this young Pakistani girl who defied the Taliban.

The Nobel committee don’t always get it right but in awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to her this week they certainly did. At 17 she is the youngest ever to receive the award and the first from Pakistan.

It all started in the home of her headmaster father where Malala was the eldest daughter. Her father campaigned against the exclusion of girls from the education system and in doing so incurred the wrath of the Taliban.

These were bloody times in the Swat Valley with the Taliban using force to impose their brand of Islam. Despite the danger her father went on to found a girls school which quickly built up an enrolment of 200 pupils.

Malala espoused her father’s ideals and before she was in her teens began writing a blog on BBC Urdu programme about life in the Swat Valley. This continued to highlight injustices but more particularly the plight of girls being banned from attending school. Eventually her identity was discovered and life became even more difficult. During this period her father’s courage was exemplary. Through many threats he was not intimidated and kept his school going although the number of pupils became much smaller as fear gripped the community.

The day Malala was shot she was on the school bus on her way to school.

A Taliban fighter boarded the bus and shot her through the head and shoulder. Providentially the shot was not fatal and after treatment in both the local and national hospitals she was airlifted to Birmingham where her face was rebuilt.

Now, at age 17 and still at school, she supports, through the Malala Fund, local education groups in countries like Pakistan. Her work has taken her to Nigeria where she has campaigned on behalf of the 200 girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram. Her message is simple. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you are weaker or less that anything – you are not less than a boy you are not less than a child from a richer or more powerful country.”

Courage and a cause are powerful motivators.

John the Baptist looked for evidence of the Messiah. Jesus referred him to the evidence which fulfilled prophesy. “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear and the dead are raised up and the poor have the good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (St Matthew Chapter 11 verses 4/6).

John might have hoped for countrywide repentance leading to regime change and the mild rebuke at the end of the evidence required John (and us) to be open to God’s unfolding plan. This led Jesus to the cross where our chronic sinfulness could be dealt with and the poor in spirit from all nations liberated from guilt to serve the Lord in the situations in which he has placed them.

Christian emancipation goes beyond education and “rights” to being ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven and to look after others rights including their salvation.

In a day of declension from spiritual values in Ireland it is encouraging to learn of our fellow Baptists in the Cork/Kerry region marking their steady growth in their annual celebration which took place the other day. From small beginnings with a couple of churches the work has progressed to neighbouring towns till we now have eight churches, each standing on its own two feet, with its leadership in place.

There appears to be a New Testament principle that new churches are created pregnant! That is they have the makings of another church within their ranks. Certainly the principle has been seen in practice over the last 20 or so years in Munster.

What makes it all the more extraordinary is the background against which this has taken place. The upsurge of materialism created during the Celtic Tiger years produced tiger cubs that rapidly became addicted to the “good life”. The god Mammon became increasingly intolerant of anything that stood in his way, so family life suffered as work took precedence over domestic relationships. Marriage became largely replaced by promiscuity and, when it took place, the advent of “DINKS” (double income no kids) became more attractive than rearing a family.

Secularism, aided by church scandals, became attractive to many. To placate the inherent desire for the transcendent new spiritualities sprang up and produced the New Age culture which, although muted, is still with us.

So what was the preaching that made a difference in the Cork/Kerry region? It was simply people who believed the A,B,C of the Gospel.

A. All have sinned – Romans Chapter 3 verse 23.

B. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved – Acts Chapter 16 verse 31.

C. Commit your life to Him in prayer – St John Chapter 1 verse 12.

The prayer? In your own words simply confess your sins and your wish to turn from them. Recognise that Jesus died taking (your) the sinners place and rose again to ensure the sinners welcome into His family as a forgiven and changed person relying on Jesus’s promise never to leave you.

In this case the ombudsman is a woman! None other than our own Emily O’Reilly who presented her annual report this week as the European Ombudsman. She got the job on the back of her proven ability here in Ireland and it looks like she will be re-elected next May for a further 4 year term.

What is the job that she has done so successfully? It does not sound very glamorous, fielding complaints which the public raise about the workings of the European Parliament. Last year her staff of 80 had to deal with 23,000 of them! Of these 350 led to the opening of enquiries. You can imagine that she would not be very popular with the Parliamentarians she is investigating!

Her success is largely due to her treating the work not so much as a complaint handling body but an office which can bring reality into the cliché dominated jargon of Brussels-speak! She has worked to hold politicians to act out the words they use like transparency and accountability. These are trotted out so glibly in their speeches but seldom reckoned on having to actually put into practice.

She has also been proactive in investigating matters which have not been subject of any complaint. Last July she initiated a probe into the EC-US trade deal which lacked transparency. She also has an ongoing enquiry into the close links some EU staff members have with big business.

Her years doing the job in Ireland have proved to be an effective training ground!

Just how difficult the job is in Ireland was demonstrated recently when the Garda Ombudsman suspected his office was being bugged. The ensuing fracas claimed the heads of the Minister of Justice and the Garda Commissioner both of whom had to resign. It leaves a number of unanswered questions that official enquiries have not been able to get to the bottom of.

The principles of transparency and accountability are writ large in the Bible.

Perhaps they are best summed up by the writer to the Hebrews who had a high view of the perspicacity of Scripture, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Chapter 4 verses 12-13).

But you might say, “I don’t read the Bible so how can I be accountable?” St Paul writing to people like that in Rome said, “They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares (Chapter 2 verses 15-16).

Don’t leave it to the divine Ombudsman to expose you. Confess your sins and commit your life in prayer to Jesus. “Whoever comes to Me I will never drive away” John 6:37.

“Nae the noo” or in English “Not for the present!” The Scots have spoken. 0r at least 84% of those eligible have opted to vote and a 55% of voters want to continue the marriage with the rest of the UK.

After all the marriage had weathered many a storm in its 300 plus years of existence. In recent times Prime Minister Cameron wanted a straight YES or NO on the ballot paper. Not much “wiggle room” there! He wanted divorce or stay as you are. But that was at the beginning of the campaign!!

When he saw the blue of the Saltire flags gaining prominence and heard the eloquence of Alex Salmond making a strong case for independence the promises and pledges began to flow. What had been thrown out of court as unworkable, the “devo-max” or maximum amount of devolved government that could be granted short of total independence, began to be talked about.

As the polls massaged public opinion towards a photo finish Westminster caved in and devo-max it would be – only do not leave us! The stark choice of YES or NO on the ballot paper (who wants to be a NO – so negative) had been cleverly tempered in the hustlings by posters proclaiming “No Thanks”. A little politeness never comes amiss when you are getting your cake and eating it!

So the tale has a happy ending. The Scots got their devo-max. The 1.6 million who voted for Independence form a substantial reminder to Westminster to follow through with their pledges and Gordon Brown has promised to ensure that it happens.

Just how contrary this is to the usual behaviour that arises when a little country wants to leave a bigger one and take its assets with it. One group of sinners telling another group of sinners that we want divorce or permanent separation. National pride normally kicks in and the larger country flexes its muscles and the blood and gore that ensues skew relationships for generations.

Of course civic empowerment is seldom exercised with total restraint and we may yet see pockets of unrest. In an imperfect world the full devo-max may never be put in place. But a measure of national unity is possible resulting from Christ’s prayer in St John’s Gospel chapter 17. There he prays that they may be one (verse 11). Who is he speaking about?

They are the people the Father has given to the Son (verse 2), the born-again ones of Chapter 3 and those down through the centuries who have heard the message and believed in Jesus. They are the salt that preserves society from corruption (St Matthew Chapter 5 verse 13). They bring a message of a Saviour who forgives and restores broken relationships making unity between independent people not just possible but actual.

Breaking up is always easier than the hard work of uniting people, who by nature want their own way. But believers having been forgiven much will love much and provide society with the glue that is in for the long haul. And what is true at national level is also true for individual relationships. Jesus ends his prayer with the words of assurance that he (by the power of the Holy Spirit) will be in them (St John Chapter 17 verse 25/6).

This was the week the swallows chose to leave us for warmer climes. Not even the present spell of fine weather could persuade them to stay. The migratory instinct was too much – they had to leave.

Last Sunday they were massing on the wires that crisscross the 14 acres. The chatter was powerful. They were making their travel arrangements.

This year’s chicks would need to listen carefully as it would be at least 6 months before they would see the green fields of Ireland again.

Most importantly they need full stomachs and the aerial gymnastics around the Pines and Ash trees indicated a rich harvest of insects were being delivered to them on the gentle breeze.

The musical twittering notes which had heralded their arrival last April were now amplified to the full orchestra with the excitement of the imminent departure. It was farewell to the nests so beautifully sculpted in mud and straw to produce the bowl shape that would hold the 4 or 5 chicks.

Gone but not forgotten as they would return to the same spot next Spring. Swallows mate for life and the offspring remain with the parents in so far as they too return to the same spot and build their nest next door to where they were born!

But for now the yard is empty. They are on their way to South Africa to enjoy their second summer of the year! Their distinctive forked tail and pointed wings cutting a path across the Sahara Desert and Equatorial Africa until they reach the same place they left many months ago.

We are so prone to worry about the things the Swallows take on trust.

Jesus pointed out how uncharacteristic it should be for the Christian who having trusted God for his salvation should worry about everyday things.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (St Matthew Chapter 6 verses 25/7)

We each choose our master – either faith or worry. Which is it to be?

It was reported recently that next year – 2015 – could be the first year since 1914 that the British military have not been engaged in fighting somewhere in the world. This week’s announcement from the Welsh summit of 60 nations put paid to all that! Prime Minister Cameron has pledged 1,000 troops to be available to destroy the new Islamist State’s war machine.

It is this machine which has shown superior media savvy in the modern warfare of traumatisation. The broadcast of the public beheading of a journalist effectively shred the emotions of Americans, and had the Deputy President ranting about hell, shows just how effective such provocation is.

The UK journalist who faces a similar fate will test Cameron’s resolve not to follow Germany, France and Italy and pay ISIS a ransom. In this type of psychological warfare hard choices have to be made.

While all this is going on Russia’s move into Eastern Ukraine makes progress. The current cease-fire would seem to be but a ploy in the light of Putin’s boast that he could take Kiev in two weeks.

In a bid to curb Putin’s expansionist ambitions NATO plans to strengthen its defences in the countries it acquired from Russia in the ‘90ies when Russia slipped from being a world power. The use of “sanctions” imposed by the West on Russia are designed to create economic hardship but these must be muted as Eastern Europe is dependent on Russian oil and gas. You don’t have to be a military strategist to realise what an increasingly powerful weapon this becomes as winter approaches.

These are only two of the many hot spots in today’s world where wars are raging. The human suffering of people fleeing from conflicts is immeasurable but its scale at 50 million refugees is the highest since the 2^nd world war.

Jesus was never in any doubt but that the world as we know it would come to an end. When it would happen has not been revealed but the three synoptic Gospels all predict that it will be preceded by wars (St Matthew Chapter 24 verse 6). In addition to various physical phenomena another sign is that the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to all nations (verse 14).

This Gospel heralds the reign of Jesus in all who have yielded their allegiance to Him: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (St John Chapter 1 verse 12/13).

To those who remain faithful and obedient through the difficult times of persecution St Luke encourages with the words, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Chapter 21 verse 28).

The daily news will not give much to rejoice over unless we can see it as part of a chain of events leading up to the return of Jesus.

As St Peter put it “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2Peter Chapter 3 verse 13).

One of the hazards of being a Scotsman living in Ireland at the moment is that you are assumed to have some insights into the Independence Referendum. There is a general disbelief that one whose accent still sounds Scottish could not but be in the thick of it!

In some of the more Irish Nationalistic circles to declare that the Scottish debate is a lot of nonsense is tantamount to treason.

Any suggestion of “Better Together” is met with the charge that you are gripped by greed for English gold! The notion that one can quite agreeably live with the English/Welsh/Northern Irish is met with disbelief. Have ye no national pride they cry betraying a mindset that dreams of the four green fields in the glory days of Ireland.

To mention how well East and West Germany have united and where today the disunity is created by disproportionate incomes not accents is seen as somehow undermining 1916 and all that.

After the US gained its independence from Britain in the late seventeen hundreds the country did not fragment despite becoming home to a multitude of nationalities. Today the ethnicity of these immigrants can be seen in the flying of the flag of their Motherland in their front garden but it is usually flown alongside the Stars and Stripes of the land of their adoption.

In Scotland today the Saltire is being flown in the front garden in defiance of, not alongside the Union Jack flown in the neighbour’s garden. The discord, seen in rural areas, sparked in some street fighting in Glasgow last night between the “Yes” and the “No” sides. Whichever side wins the last thing Scotland needs is an aftermath of disunity.

The Bible recognises the Nation-State and startlingly declares that its authority comes from God. It further states that resulting from this fact we should submit to its laws with very few exceptions, Romans Chapter 13 verses 1-2.

On the other hand there is nothing sacred about national boundaries which over centuries fluctuate to accommodate nationalistic ambitions. The trouble begins when we want the power that goes with the authority thinking that if only we had it we would do a better job running our own affairs. A kind of divine right to rule as we fragment to smaller and smaller units or if we had the weaponry into bigger and bigger ones!

Jesus was clear that his kingdom was not territorial, St John Chapter 18 verse 36, but uniquely his subjects would inhabit every land. There were to be no frontiers that could not be crossed. Its citizens would be those he purchases with his blood from every language, people and nation, Revelation Chapter 5 verse 9.

The inhabitants of his kingdom would come from all walks of life and would be equally welcome Galatians Chapter 3 verse 28. So if you are a citizen of Jesus’ kingdom St Peter says you have a job to do, “You are…a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” 1Peter Chapter 2 verse 9.