You have maybe been asked the question, “Will I go to heaven when I die?” Here, heaven is thought to be a place somewhere far away where God lives, only reachable by our death. And if God is so distant both in time and space how can he be relevant to living today?

The unexpected knock, the sudden uncertainty, the surprised smiles, the rush of relief mixed with excitement. “You came!”

When you had given up thinking that they would come and were settled into the ache of the hope you could not let go of, that perhaps they might. When you had put the thing you had left by the door to give to them, back into the drawer with a mental note that you knew where it was, if that day ever came. When, in busy times you did not give the thought time to surface, but it did every time you paused, or looked out. That’s when it came…

What should we do when we are offended by the gift and we know that there are strings attached? Some would say that the perfect gift is one given generously, where the recipient feels no pressure to return the favour and has done nothing to merit their receipt of it. It comes at just the…