An end is only a beginning in disguise.

You may have heard the saying, “As one door closes, another opens.” As the former Chaplain Joey once told me, ‘it’s only a cliché because it’s true.’

We’re coming to the end of the school year. There have been many highs and lows, difficult and uncertain moments, and incredible changes and achievements. The door of this school year is closing, and after the summer holidays, the door of the new school year will open. None of us knows what will be behind that door, and if there’s anything this last year has taught us, it’s that we can plan and try to predict, but we can never be certain. And that’s okay. In fact, life has always been that way. The bible tells us that we don’t know what tomorrow will hold. Jesus famously taught that we should only worry about today, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Perhaps the main thing we can take away from this year is to slow down, and try not to look too far ahead. The present day and moment is all we have. Let’s be thankful for each day as it comes, knowing that as we make it through each day, we’re getting closer to the next chapter.

Dear Lord,
Thank you that you watch over every day of our lives. You know what the future holds for us all, and you hold the future firmly in your hands. Help us to trust you for the next chapter of school after the Summer holidays, knowing that just as you carried us through this year, you’ll carry us through the next year. Amen

As we all know, every story has an ending. There are six different types of endings involved in storytelling.

A resolved ending: When a story has a very clear conclusion that leaves the audience with no questions.

An unresolved ending (aka cliffhangers): Leaves the audience with more questions than answers.

An expanded ending: Gives the audience a wider view of what was going on in the story, therefore answering questions that may not have been answered earlier on.

An unexpected ending: Leaves the audience surprised as something happens which they didn’t see coming.

An ambiguous ending: An ending that isn’t entirely clear and can lead the audience with different ideas about what actually happened.

A tied ending: When the story ends where it began.

As we approach the end of the school year, I wonder which ending we feel like we’re currently experiencing, and which we would prefer? In the bible we’re told “The end of a matter is better than its beginning”. In other words, it’s better to see something through to the end than to guess where it’s going based on how it began. We’ve been through a rollercoaster of a school year, but it’s coming to an end. For some of us, it may feel like a resolved ending where we have all the answers we want and need. For others of us, it may feel unresolved, or unexpected. However we may feel, we all made it through the story of the year, and that’s something to be thankful for.

Dear Lord,
We thank you that you know the end from the beginning. We’re grateful that we made it through this school year. Help us to trust that as it draws to an end, you will guide us all safely and gently into the next chapter. Amen

 

Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them

Matthew 7:12

 
Many of us will be familiar with this scripture often called ‘The Golden Rule.’ Most people would agree it’s a good rule. After all, none of us wants to be treated badly. We all want to be treated with dignity and respect. However, it’s definitely easier said than done to treat others this way all the time. In times where we feel disrespected, mistreated or sense injustice, our desire could be to seek revenge and act out of anger & hatred rather than love & respect. But Jesus came to show us how to live out this rule in our lives. Watch this video which explains how he did this:

Dear Lord,
In a world that is so often unjust and unfair, help us to treat one another with the same respect, kindness, patience and compassion with which we want to be treated. Help us to be the change that we so long to see in our world by seeking justice and respect for ourselves and for others. Amen

I, the Lord, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth and I desire people to do these things," says the lord

Jeremiah 9:24

According to the Cambridge dictionary, justice is ‘fairness in the way people are dealt with’. In recent times, there has been a global outcry for justice for different individuals and communities. Justice & respect is one of our ALIVE themes, and one that as a school we seek to demonstrate on every level. What does the Bible have to say about justice? Watch this short video clip & find out:

Dear Lord,
We know that you are a God of justice, and you made us to be like you. Help us to seek the good of others as well as ourselves, and treat one another as we’d want to be treated. Amen

Empire Windrush graffiti, Bristol flickr photo by duncan shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC) license

Where is this amazing mural found? What do you think the message is? This beauty is found in St Pauls, and depicts the impact of the Empire Windrush. This was a ship that arrived in Britain on June 22nd 1948. It brought around 700 people from predominantly Jamaica to start new lives in Britain, invited by the British government to fill some shortages in jobs after the Second World War. It was the first in a wave of migration of people from the West Indies to Britain in the 1950s and 1960s.

The video focussed on London, but we can see that the Windrush has huge importance to Bristol, helping to build the great diversity in the city, and it is commemorated in St Pauls! Like London, Bristol has faced the challenges of racism, but has also built incredible diverse communities and has its own carnival to rival Notting Hill! It is important, particularly at such an uncertain and divisive time that we recognise the importance of Windrush Day, that has helped build our nation!

Dear Lord,
As Windrush Day is celebrated this week, may we remember those who made long journeys and great sacrifices to make our cities, towns and nation what they are today. May we honour their legacy through the love, appreciation and gratitude we show one another. Amen