When I applied to be ordained as a non-stipendiary priest, I wrote on my form that, as far as I could see anything, I saw my ministry as being a bridge that would unite opposites: it would be less a matter of doing than of simply being. It was my task to be what I had always been – a catalyst.
People pass through a threshold into new territory; it is both a departure and an arrival. A threshold is not necessarily a door, rather it is a frontier which calls for decision and commitment. Do I cross or not? Each of us is a pilgrim and like all true pilgrims we are here to help each other on the journey.
What a blessing James has been in my life. I have not seen or heard quite these words before, but they speak of the man I knew and respected so deeply. They are simple, clear, humble and contain that living Presence he so often spoke of. They make me nod. They speak to how I see the journey of faith we all have to make, and I am deeply thankful for the reminder they are.
They are a gift for Christmas. ‘God Bless us, every one’ as Tiny Tim said in Christmas Carol.