A Sabbath 5-mile walk on the Hartslock slopes.

I have not written for a while but I have appreciated the time out.

I know Wednesday isn’t Saturday, which is my Sabbath day, but if you read my posts this one is like other Sabbath walks in different countries as well as the UK.

I appreciate nature and religion so this has two aspects. Lots of questions in a story of a healing by Jesus and then our walk in Hartslock.

First question: ‘ Who sinned, this blind man or his parents?’

Jesus: ‘ Neither, but the work of God will be shown.’

Jesus spits on the ground, makes clay and puts it on his eyes. ‘ Go wash it off in the pool of Siloam.’ Jesus says. Someone must lead him there and after he washes he can see.

Second question: ‘ Isn’t this the man who sat begging?’

I am!

‘How did it happen?’

‘ Where is this Jesus now?’

I don’t know.

They take him to the Pharisees. The same questions. Except for: ‘when did He do it? ‘

‘Sabbath! This man can’t be of God, because He Jesus doesn’t keep the Sabbath day.’

The questions continued. Poor man. Eventually, Jesus made the effort to find the man and this is how he spoke to him.

Jesus speaking: Do you believe on the Son of God?

Healed man: Who is he, Lord, that I might believe in him?

Jesus speaking: You have both seen Him and it is he that talks with you.

Man speaking: Lord, I believe! And he worshipped Jesus.

Jesus speaking: For judgment  I am come into the world. Those who don’t see will see

and

those who see will be made blind!

This was overheard by some Pharisees and here is their question: ‘ Are we blind also?’

Jesus answers: ‘ If you were blind, you should have no sin: but now you say, ‘ we see’; therefore your sin remains.’

Breaking this story down into so many questions left an interesting answer.  A God answer.

The ‘non-Sandy’ version is in

John 9 ( The Bible)

The countryside is showing the first official autumn colours which will soon sweep out the majority of the shades of green. I once noted that there were 750,000 shades of green, a fact I believed while travelling in Scotland.

Hartslock is on the north bank of the River Thames to the southeast of Goring-on-Thames in the county of Oxfordshire. An area of 29.4 hectares is a Special Area of Conservation and 10 hectares is a nature reserve owned and managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Trust.

The afternoon spent walking with our group was filled with some lovely views. Here are three:

Our autumn skies are so changeable that it is fascinating to watch as we walk.

It was a walk with pleasant views with one steep downhill but no severe uphills. Perfectly led. Thank you.

A few thoughts with skies:

‘ There are two kinds of teachers: the kind that fill you with so much quail shot that you can’t move, and the kind that just prod behind and you jump to the skies.’

Robert Frost

And

‘ Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that people have inherited,  and the wealth and confusion people have created. It is a major force in explaining people to people.’

Edward Steichen

Then

‘I believe that if one always looked at the skies, one would end up with wings.’

Gustave Flaubert

I’m happy to be back in this space.

Take care,

Sandy 🙂