Today we celebrate St David’s Day, the Patron Saint of Wales, and also the patronal festival here. A double celebration, which surely gives us permission for at least one joke. So, I’ll begin with the wellknown story of the referee who arrived in heaven. He was met by the man in charge, who said, “Welcome. Before you enter Heaven, is there anything you’d like to confess?” The referee shuffled awkwardly. “Well… yes. In an England–Wales international, I gave Wales a penalty that won them the match. I saw the replay afterwards and… it wasn’t a penalty. It’s been on my conscience ever since.” “You don’t need to worry, my son,” said the gatekeeper. “You made the correct decision.” “Oh, thank you, St Peter,” said the referee, relieved. “Oh,” said the gatekeeper, “it’s St Peter’s day off. I’m St David.” Moving swiftly on… It feels particularly appropriate that this year St David’s Day falls in Lent, because David’s life was famously simple, disciplined, and—if we’re honest—probably rather mor...
There’s a moment in the reading from Genesis (2:15- 17;3:1 -7) that always makes me think . It’s the moment just before everything seems to fall apart - Adam and Eve are standing in a garden overflowing with possibility , with beauty, abundance, freedom. God has given them everything they need, and more besides. And yet, in the middle of all that goodness, there is one tree they are told not to touch. It’s a strange detail, isn’t it? Why put the tree there at all? Why allow the possibility of failure? But perhaps the point is that love always involves freedom. You cannot have a real relationship without the possibility of choosing otherwise. God doesn’t create robots, God creates people. And people, as we know from our own lives, have a remarkable capacity to choose our own thing even if that isn’t always good for us ! Back in that garden, t he ser...