Two Questions - and World War 1

The sun was out yesterday!  But it rained during the night - and the floods are deepening and spreading. And the strong wind seem to have caused some havoc nationwide.  Our plumber was telling us how he and his family were almost hit by a roof that was blown off an enormous barn.   Natural disasters...  which brings me back to two questions posed by Jesus' disciples - questions that had an urgent meaning for Christians back then, and an urgent meaning for us today.

Jesus has just told his disciples that the temple in Jerusalem is going to be destroyed.

"Departing now, Jesus was on his way from the temple, but his disciples approached to show him the buildings of the temple.  In response he said to them: “Do you not behold all these things? Truly I say to you, By no means will a stone be left here upon a stone and not be thrown down.” " - Matthew 24:1,2

The 70 weeks prophecy in Daniel has also warned that, after the Messiah is "cut off" in death, Jerusalem and the Temple will be desolated.

The disciples then come to Jesus with two questions:   Matthew continues:  "While he was sitting upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?”"

Two questions. Firstly: when will the Temple be destroyed?  And it was very urgent to pay attention, because if people did not get out of Jerusalem at the moment Jesus told them to, they were trapped there by the advancing Roman armies.  The Romans sacked Jerusalem, tore down the temple, stone by stone - and terrible slaughter ensued.   History records that those who had become Christians left at the time Jesus told them to. The Arch of Titus stands in Rome to this day, and memorialises the fulfillment of that prophecy.

But the disciples had also asked a second question.  What would be the sign of Jesus' presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?

The answer to that question brings us to 1914, and a time of increasing trouble in the world.  I hope to get back to that.

Jackie is coming for supper tonight - and I am wondering what to cook...   Or rather, have had to stop wondering, as my personal shopper (Captain Butterfly) fluttered off to Arundel yesterday, as the sun had suddenly come out, and a small photographic window opened. So he won't be shopping till today. In which case, it will be a question of what to buy from which chill cabinet.  And heat up.  Or should we have fish and chips?

My brain cells - all two of them - had better get to work.  Its quite frustrating not to be able to go out and choose something.  

I am up early - woke in the early hours, started thinking about coming hospital horrors - and can't sleep. I've just watched House Doctor. Lovely email from Anne o'the Cape in my inbox - and yesterday a beautiful card arrived from Bea.

The Kierin and The Mogul

Watching the Winter Olympics I have become aware of  a new sport - it seems to be called The Mogul, and involves ski-ing over lots of bumps and leaping and swirling in the air every so often.  Even more amazing is another new thing (new to me anyway), in which they ski down bannisters then over immense ski jumps, sometimes backwards.

Isn't life scary enough!

Its wonderful but hard to watch as when the falls come they are really nasty ones.   I loved the other new (to me, definitely not to everyone else) Olympic sport at the London games - the Kierin.   I could identify with that - with the guy on the trike, who trundles slowly out, in no danger of crashing.  He never wins, mind you. But I can identify with that too.

And I missed my chance of a Winter Olympic silver...  if only...    A group of skiers were hurtling round the rink, all bunched up in the final lap, when one slipped and took the rest down with him - except one Aussie guy who had fallen behind.  He skated through and got the gold.  Now if I had only thought to enter, I would still have been picking my way carefully round the course, holding on to the barrier firmly with both hands, while everyone else was tangled in a dazed knot on the ice.  A little effort and I could have got silver.

I would have a lot of trouble getting up onto the podium to collect my medal though, so perhaps its all for the best.

Very rainy start to the day - strong winds - but a sunny coldish afternoon as promised.

The Troll Wall

Dead and dying puffins are being found on the South Coast. They shouldn't be here, so I suppose it is something to do with the strange winter weather we are having.   It has been the wettest winter since records began - and with more to come.   At first I was excited to think we might see a puffin on our beach - one of the most charming of birds - but not when I realised that it would mean it was in deep trouble if so.

The sea is much calmer at the moment, and its not raining.  Its not raining!   But we are assured it soon will be again.  The news is full of the flooding which is now hitting the Home Counties hard.

We had a lovely evening at Jacks, of course. She had made us chicken kiev, which I love, with cauliflower cheese, which I also love.  Followed by cheese, including a creamy goats cheese for me, and a carrot cake - with ice cream.

A lovely meeting yesterday, and Maggie and I worked out that we won't see each other for a week as I can't make it on Thursday night (my chauffeur's night off) and she can't make it on Sunday - family visiting. Neither of us can travel at the moment - though it doesn't seem so long ago that we were both driving.

I have just read "Fiva" by Gordon Stainforth.  Wow!  If you want a good absorbing read for a journey, take this with you.  Its a true story of how two brothers went to climb the fearsome Troll Wall in Norway, back in 1969.Thinking it would be a much easier climb than it was, they go unprepared and...  well, read it.

The Beast

A storm system they call The Beast is supposed to be hitting us at the moment. Its been an odd day. Sunshine with portentous dark clouds. And at 4 o clock, a few minutes ago, a violent storm outburst that sent the valiant dog walkers scuttling for cover.   The sea is driving forward very fiercely. I doubt the tide could go out even if it wanted to.

We are going to Jacks for supper tonight, so will likely get soaked.

At least I have managed a busy day.  Got the butterfly paperwork mountain climbed.  All is ready for the post office on Monday now.  And  I made a giant lamb casserole out of the shopping Col brought back yesterday. That will do us for Sunday, Monday and possibly beyond.  I am trying to keep my resolve up re the coming operation by reminding myself that I will be able to take over the food shopping from poor Captain B, who finds it very tiresome. Whereas I like to see what is out there - it helps me to decide what to cook.

More Cakes

It was a bit of a cookery day yesterday - I made the veggies Col bought back into a veggie stew - not bad considering I forgot to add herbs - and then, realising I had just used the last muffin from the freezer, I made another batch - not a large one as not many eggs left. But at least I have a supply in.  Otherwise I could hear myself saying:  "Sorry there's no cake in your packed lunch, but I was too busy watching "The Great British Bake Off", "The Great British Bakery", "Cakes Galore" etc etc to do any baking..."  And I wanted to avoid that.

Feel a bit stir crazy today. So my bad leg must be healing. Or maybe I am sleeping a bit better?  Hope so. Not that I could go anywhere even if I was able, as it is pouring with rain again. The sea hasn't reached the levels it reached yesterday though. Yet.

The Captain and Butterfly Mark are off at a conference about waterways - rather an urgent subject just now where in so many places its hard to tell where waterways end and roadways begin.  He was here for lunch though - pork pie and salad for him, the rest of the veggie stew for me.  It was a nice pork pie, from the Farm Shop, but I eat very little meat nowadays.

Actually the waves are quite spectacular now. I was just looking out of the balcony doors. There is a noise as of a thousand freight trains and the balcony is awash.

I have been having an interesting internet conversation with someone called Eli - we were talking about the way Quakers and Jehovah's Witnesses behaved during WW2, both of them knowing they should stay out of it and not kill.  But coming from slightly different angles. Quakers, as I understand it, are pacifists.  We, JWs, are neutrals, we try to be "no part" of the world, taking no part in its divisive politics and cruel wars.  We don't vote, so can't exercise even an indirect influence on things political. And we were severely persecuted by both sides during WW2.  Possibly Quakers were too?  Eli and I didn't get round to discussing that.

A new career?

I was watching the repeats of  "The Great British Bake-off", watching the judges Mary (Berry) and Paul (Hollywood) sampling sponge cakes filled with cream and chocolate and strawberries, and iced buns, and chocolate croissants, and what have you, and I wondered how I could get a job like that.

I would have sent off my CV, but the Captain pointed out we couldn't afford the door-widening and floor-strengthening that would be needed after I waddled home from my first day at work.   He is probably right -but those cakes!

He chauffered me to my appointment with the Anaethetist this morning. You don't just have an operation nowadays - there are all sorts of  hurdles to be got over first.   I am very grateful for the NHS though. An internet acquaintance in the U.S.of A. had terrible trouble trying to get treatment for cancer - the stress of it being enough to give anyone cancer - and now, under this new Thingummy they have, she apparently can't get any treatment at all, without paying a fortune for it, which she simply does not have.   Its a pity they didn't take a close look at the NHS - see what works and what doesn't - and tailor their health care accordingly.

Once again, as I don't get out much, I was surprised by the extent of the flooding.  And more rain is on the way.  The sea has been very stormy, and the wind is starting to get up.  It looks like the incoming tide will come over the road again tonight.

I got a card and letter off to Vera, who is in hospital and not at all well. And am talking to Audrey most days now she is home. She is housebound too - and is trying out meals on wheels. She said her first one was very good.   My mother used to deliver meals on wheels for some years.  That was a long long time ago, so its good to know they are still around.  Dorothy of South Island was in touch - is on her way to a ski-ing holiday with daughter and grandaughter.  My ski-ing days are long gone - insofar as they ever existed.

WW1 Redux

The Pity of It

Thomas Hardy

I walked in loamy Wessex lanes, afar

From rail-track and from highway, and I heard

In field and farmstead many an ancient word

Of local lineage like "Thu bist," "Er war,"

"Ich woll," "Er sholl," and by-talk similar,

Nigh as they speak who in this month's moon gird

At England's very loins, thereunto spurred

By gangs whose glory threats and slaughters are....

http://www.sonnets.org/hardy.htm

This poem is dated April 1915, so was written at a time when war frenzy had been whipped up and the first ever world war was under way. So it is a brave poem.  It is also a linguistic window into time...  a look down the time telescope back to the time when Dorset - Hardy's Wessex - was part of the ancient kingdom of the West Saxons.  

If Genesis tells the truth about our origins - as I believe it does - than all wars are civil wars - all wars are brother fighting brother.  And here it is so obvious- the language in the remote villages is signalling that these are the same people.  How was brother turned against brother so quickly, so easily, and so lethally?

And without that conflict and the punitive - and unChristian - treatment of the losing side, would Hitler have risen to power in Germany?  So the seeds were being set for WW2 even as Hardy wrote this.

Who are they "at root and bottom" of this?

The answer lies in the Inspired Scriptures.   And that is why for decades Jehovah's Witnesses were warning about 1914 - even though we did not then fully understand what was going to happen.

The Captain kindly chauffered me to the meeting this morning. We had a lovely talk about the cure for all our sickness, which included a reminder that we are getting this excellent training in how to teach not just for now - though now is urgent! - but for the great teaching work to be done in the millennium as, one by one, the dead are re-created from the ground of dust and wake to find themselves in Paradise.

Tom and Jackie were round on Friday night - and we had a fun evening together - lots of laughter.  It was a wild and stormy night though.   This morning was sunny with a clear blue sky, but as we drove along the seafront to the Hall, we saw that the sea had come over the road in two places - and it was close to coming over this morning