Virtual Methodist

A couple of weeks ago I read of a decision by Croydon council to cut down three 30 yearold Rowan trees outside some sheltered accommodation for the elderly, because they had received one complaint suggesting that the berries from the trees might cause a risk of slipping. I had a short rant in my last Just a Moment for Downtown Radio last Friday about what seems to be the current, (I believe undesirable) attempt to  eliminate all possible  risk from life…  There is no such thing as a risk free existence. Even if we were to encase ourselves in bubble wrap and not move from the safety of our own home, we would be at risk because of not getting enough exercise… The Bible begins with God taking a risk with a tree in a garden… Why  didn't  he simply not plant that fateful tree in Eden ? And why did he allow his son to come to earth and risk death on that mockery of a tree we call the cross? In the light of that, I thought I would post another of my monologu...

A monologue from the perspective of Zacchaeus, the tax collector, based on the story in Luke 19 v 1-10 and a bit of dramatic license on my part. It is largely based on some material I wrote for a show entitled "I Witness" performed in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast in 2003 by New Irish Arts. I almost didn’t meet him… First because as you’ve probably noticed, I’m not the biggest person around, and there were so many others trying to get a glimpse of him… But also because he was on his last journey south… Even though we didn’t know it at the time… But I had heard so much about him… Stories told about him and by him... Right from the time he actually invited one of my sort, Levi the son of Alphaeus, to be one of his followers… Word of that quickly got out and about. Apparently the holy rollers didn’t like it and complained about him mixing with Levi and his friends… You see, people look down on me not just because I’m short… you get used to that… But people look down on me and m...