Blowing in the wind

From the Manse...

I am writing this letter as we wait for storm Dennis to come and batter our nation over the next day or so – at the moment, it is the proverbial calm before the storm.

While not expected to be as extreme as storm Ciara, (of last weekend) the Met Office has nonetheless, issued widespread warnings from yesterday to Sunday and is urging caution.

We may be wondering why we have started naming the storms that come our way, the Met office website states that "The naming of storms using a single authoritative system should aid the communication of approaching severe weather through media partners and other government agencies. In this way the public will be better placed to keep themselves, their property and businesses safe."

You can even suggest names for future storms if you wish by sending your idea via email to nameourstorms@metoffice.gov.uk
In case you are interested, the next storm will be called Ellen.

You may recall how in the film "Paint your wagon", the prospectors holed up in their leaking tents due to the awful weather, sang about the wind being called Mariah.

The Hebrew word for wind, the breath of God is Ruach.

In John's Gospel, (Chapter three verse eight) Jesus reminds his listeners "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.'"

The thing about the wind, whether a gentle refreshing breeze on a hot summer's day, or the destructive force of a powerful storm, is that you can't actually see it. Wind in itself is invisible. What you can see of course is the effect and the impact the wind has on everything in its path.

In 1962, the answer may well have been "blowin' in the wind", yet the answer to who and whose we are in this day and age is seen by our effects on others.

Love and God Bless,

Keith