Swallows                          Word on the Week                    22^nd June 2024.

The warmer weather this week encouraged the Swallows to go hunting!   They turned up in numbers and began to catch up on their food supply.   The insects they depend on do not fly in the rain!   Indeed, it was the cold wet weather which caused an absence of swallow activity, that is until now.

It was a joy to visit the farmyard and hear the melodious ‘tswit’ coming from all quarters as the birds execute their manoeuvers.   The display is not for show but is part of the feeding process.   They have been blessed with a large mouth, hinged at the widest part of their head so that the gape can scoop up multiple insects on the wing.

Their wings are slim and pointed making them highly acrobatic.   With a slender body and long trailing tail feathers the bird has a very efficient wing load ratio enabling it to travel vast distances with no rest.   With its short legs and feet, it is seldom seen to land, preferring to perch on wires, rooftops or tree branches.

The long tail feathers are attractive to the female although the glamour is not all that necessary as the birds mate for life.   The young who make it through their first year return with their parents and create a mud nest near their original home.    

The nest, which is cupped in shape, is typically built on the timbers of a stable tucked under the slates and accessed through tiny gaps in the wooden door.   It differs from its relative the House Martin who prefer external locations such as under the eaves of the roof.   In order to adhere to the wall, it requires more mud and produces an elliptical shape with only one small hole for an entrance.

These birds spend the Winter half of the year 10,000 kilometres away in sub-Saharan Africa.   In some cases, ringed Irish birds have turned up in South Africa.   Like other migratory species they rely on their God given instinct to guide them to fresh food supplies for their journey.

It could be likened to the Christian who having trusted God for his/her salvation should not worry about everyday things.   Jesus thought they could teach us a lesson.   “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (St Matthew Chapter 6 verses 25/7) We each choose our master – either faith or worry.  Which is it to be?

Are there Bots in the Bible?      Word on the Week          15^th June 2024.

Generative A I is an Artificial Intelligence which creates text, music or pictures on the instructions of its user.   It is increasing in popularity receiving more than 1.8 billion hits on its site per month.   It even exceeds the popular channel called Netflix!

Bots or rather robots are programmed by Artificial Intelligence to faithfully carry out specific actions over and over again.   Many tasks in the work scene have repetitive actions which lend themselves to robots.   All their actions are programmed by routines that specify the direction, speed and distance of a series of coordinated motions.    This information is stored in the robot’s library and can be updated to suit changing needs.  

Generative A I has a Library of information available to it and can answer questions in circumstances where the questions are anticipated.   Employees answering phone calls rely on the robot’s ability to provide the answer.   It is a short step for the robot to deal with the call itself!

This is the A I which can produce essays for students drawing the information from its pre-programmed library.   Apparently it has now delved into paintings and music obtained from its stored information.   It is only as good as its programmer’s skills!

When we come to the Bible we meet Jesus who made this extraordinary claim; “I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me” (John 12:49–50).   There we have it Jesus has the words of eternal life (John 6 verse 68).

What of the other Bible writers?   The apostle Peter recalling his time on the Mount of Transfiguration spells out that this was not some cleverly invented story but as an eye-witness he could vouch for its authenticity.  He heard a voice saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (2 Peter 1 verses 16/17).

He continues to claim that no prophecy of Scripture came from the prophet’s own interpretation but men spoke from God as the words were borne by the Holy Spirit (Verses 19 to 21).

The apostle Paul in prison awaiting execution wrote “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).                                                   Certainly there are no Bots in the Bible!

Music Will Calm You                 Word on the Week                   8^th June 2024.

One of the earliest gramophone records that came into my collection was that of Kathleen Ferrier singing with her superb contralto voice, “Art thou troubled? Music will calm you”.

It was written by George Frideric Handel who, by all accounts, had good reason to prove the truth of the lyrics!

Scripture gives us more evidence of this fact.    When a harmful spirit from God came upon King Saul, David, who was at this time was Saul’s servant, would play music on his lyre.   This refreshed Saul and the harmful spirit left him (1 Samuel 16 verse 23).

In Psalm 130 we have an example of Keith Getty and Stuart Townend’s, two of the most talented modern hymn writers, making the Psalmist sing like a Christian!    The middle verses are rendered; –

So put your hope in God alone
Take courage in His power to save
Completely and forever won
By Christ, emerging from the grave

I will wait for You, I will wait for You
On Your Word, I will rely
I will wait for You, surely wait for You
‘Til my soul is satisfied.

Singing has always marked out the Christian.   From the early days of evangelism when Paul and Silas were beaten for healing a disturbed girl in Jesus name and thrown into prison at Philippi they were praying and singing hymns to God at midnight (Acts 16 verses 16 to 25).

In the more settled situation of the church Paul writes both to Ephesus and Colossi commending the singing of Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual songs and ‘making melody to the Lord with your heart’ (Ephesians 5 verses 19 to 20).

There has always been a stream of Christian music through the centuries becoming particularly rich during times of revival.   In recent years some very fine musicians have enhanced our worship with their songs. The last verse; –

I will wait for You, I will wait for You
Through the storm and through the night
I will wait for You, surely wait for You
For Your love is my delight.

Waiting on the Lord is never in vain.

You’ve Been Trumped               Word on the Week          1^st June 2024.

This was the name of a film documentary made in 2011 to record the struggles between locals and Donald Trump who wanted to build a golf course in the sand dunes at Balmedie, Aberdeenshire.   The area was one of scientific interest and not all the locals were in favour of the venture.

In particular Michael Forbes, a local farmer, refused to sell his land despite various efforts of intimidation by Trump.   The New York Times critic said the film depicted Trump as an insensitive lying bully who tried to pressurise the golf course neighbours to sell their properties to him.   Trump failed.

A sequel called “You’ve Been Trumped Too” was launched in October 2016 highlighting the problems experienced by the neighbours of the Trump International Golf Links.   Trump’s lawyers threatened legal action against anyone who screened the film.   The effort to block its release failed.

Trump’s mother, Mary Ann McLeod came from Tong a village 4 miles North of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.   At the age of 18 she emigrated in 1930 to New York where she married Fred Trump, a property dealer, in 1936.   Donald was the eldest of five children.   Before she died in August 2000 she did not reckon that Donald would make a good President – wise woman!

The events of this week where Trump was found to be guilty by a 12-person jury on all 34 counts in a criminal trial.   This is the first of four cases pending.   The same stream of vitriol that he used against Michael Forbes was unleashed in a 30-minute Press briefing.   The legal gag, silencing him during the trial, had been lifted and the pent-up fury released!

As a modern Goliath he has won the admiration of a certain class of American and frightened the Republican Party so that none will stand against him (1 Samuel 17 verse 24).  He reported that $39 million (€36 million) had flooded into his campaign in the 10 hours since the jury’s verdict was read out. It emerged that searches for Trump on Google jumped by 3,200 per cent overnight!

Trump’s ability to turn defeat into victory is remarkable.   It is predicated upon his view of the truth!   His followers have shown a liking for it which has encouraged him.   His view of reality is described by Isaiah in chapter 5 verses 20/21.

Believers in the Bible as the Word of God have seen a fanatical bully in Saul of Tarsus transformed into Paul, one of the leading Apostles of Jesus Christ (Acts 9 verses 3 to 6).   Trump’s self-centeredness requires to be changed to Christ-centeredness.   God can do it.   It happened to me.