Hear the Spirit Crow

I said I would post more on what Duncan Morrow had to say at our recent meeting... And let me assure you that there will be much more. He generally says more insightful things in a talk scribbled on the back of 3 crumpled pieces of paper than I do in reams of closely reasoned and carefully prepared material.

But anyway, our discussion was generally about the theology and practice of reconciliation (although after he left it majored on the theology and practice issue, without really focussing on reconciliation... dodging the issue again perhaps!)

Duncan's thesis was largely that the western world in general, Northern Ireland in particular and the church par excellance were governed by 3 broad principles in dealing with current problems:

Distraction
Containment
Denial

I may come back to comment on the first 2 at some point, but what was most memorable for me was his assertion that while the church finds its origins in the confession of Simon Peter, its experience is reflected much more in his denial.

Then he suggested (and I don't know whether this is original or not, but it certainly made me sit up and listen) that the Holy Spirit comes not so often as a dove as a cockerell.

Can you hear it?

For a fuller description of the conversation that inspired this series of reflections and another perspective on it, read Glenn Jordan's blog.

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A Woman of no Distinction

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