This article was first published in the September edition of Itchen Valley News

From the Rectory

Personally, I think the problem maybe urban street lighting.  And clouds of course….  

It’s what stops us seeing the stars.  The vast constellations and galaxies.  How can we gaze at that astonishing sight every night without wondering something about the tiny ball of mud and rock which is hurtling through space and on which we live out our lives; asking why we are here? Street lighting (and clouds) can stop from catching our breath and pondering infinity and eternity.  How fortunate that we have so little street lighting in Itchen Valley!  But then again there is the seemingly unnecessary beauty of nature, particularly around Itchen Valley – so diverse, so beautiful, so complex.

We spend a lot of our lives looking at how and what questions.  How does this work?  How am I going to solve this problem?  Or even, how on earth am I going to get to work when the train is delayed?  What do I need to do to be successful, popular, loved?  What am I going to do with my life?  

But I think that the ‘why’ question actually underpins everything.  Once answered in a convincing way, it helps us to solve the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ questions – which are only subsidiary really.  As the leading management guru Simon Sinek writes in his [NY best seller] book ‘Start with why?’  What is your ‘why’?  What is my ‘why’? Start with Why by Simon Sinek

On September 18th, Itchen Valley Parish will be putting on the first of a number of sessions which will enable us to explore these issues in the context of a Christian perspective.  The course is an opportunity to hear a presentation on one of the aspects of how Christianity addresses these questions and to discuss these views in a group.  Any view can be expressed.

If this sparks any kind of interest, please do let me know and I will send you a detailed invitation!

Alex