We have a dream.

OK…I suspect that by now you are all heartily weary of my telling you how utterly wonderful our young people are. Nonetheless, at the end of a week in which I’ve been rather depressed by some of the in-built legalism of the institutional church, (in both local and national manifestations), they have been lighting beacons for me in all directions, and I can’t say how grateful I am to them (and to God, for putting me here where I could meet them).*

If your week has been at all like mine, feel free to be encouraged and inspired by the responses to an S.O.S email I sent to some youth group members yesterday, when I realised I’d mislaid (well, I have just tidied the study) their original contributions, which I’d intended to turn into a display on “Our dreams/God’s dreams” for the board by the west door.

The final display is headed I HAVE A DREAM and reads like this...

The prophet Joel looked forward to the coming of God’s Spirit, and prophesied that when the Spirit came the young would see visions and the old would dream dreams.
God’s Holy Spirit is alive and active in our world today, and inspires us to share in God’s dreams for creation…and to work to make them a reality.

I dream of…..

• a world where 2 and 2 equals 4 for everyone, not 7 for the rich people and 1 for the poor

• a world where the young share their creativity, the old share their wisdom, the poor share their hope, the rich share their wealth, the clever share their perceptiveness,the foolish share their contentedness

• a world where we recognise and set aside our prejudices instead of making them the unconscious basis of our judgements

• a world where people think not “If I help that person, what will happen to me?” but “If I don’t help that person, what will happen to them?”

• a world where people smile and greet their neighbours, rather than passing by with heads down or eyes averted

• a world whose people live and believe in forgiveness

• a world where the staircase to heaven has a rope from God, a harness from the Church and a handrail from the people of the nations

Do you dare to dream your dream too?

See what I mean? They're wonderful, aren't they??


*Important note to Koinonia: any of you guys who are reading had better stop right now,- I’d hate your heads to swell so much that cycle helmets aren’t a feasible option!