Thought for the week (we 6th April 2014)

It was called ‘the ship that rocked!’ Radio Caroline transmitted for the first time off the coast of Essex on Easter Sunday 1964, fifty years ago this month.

It started with a welcome and the first track played was ‘Not fade away’ by the Rolling Stones. It was a completely unlicensed radio station that transmitted pop music from international waters at a time when the broadcasting establishment thought that such music did not warrant any preferential air time.

The BBC had commissioned ‘Top of the pops’ in January that year, but if I remember correctly we in Wales had to wait some time before even that half hour of pop music crossed the border. There was an emerging UK pop music scene especially with the Mersey brand of the Beatles and others and that’s why a generation of youngsters tuned in to Radio Caroline which along with Radio Luxemburg rocked the broadcasting establishment – and the rest as they say is history.

For generations the Pharisees and Scribes had dominated the religious life of the nation of Israel. Their rigid interpretation of the of the law meant that most were forced to live far from God because they were burdened by the inaccessible requirements placed upon them.

Jesus condemned these self appointed guardians of the law and challenged the burdens they placed upon so many. That’s why the coming of Jesus made all the difference. He told stories such as the Good Samaritan which crossed religious divides and the Prodigal son who under the law would have been dead in the gutter.

Instead Jesus told of a father who ran in joy and celebrated his sons return. Jesus went out of his way to welcome those shunned by the religions hierarchy as they declared on one occasion ‘Look this man eats with publicans and sinners’.

Their long held prejudices began to crack as God’s love was spread around and the very character of God’s compassion love and forgiveness was made known. Perhaps it’s time we came home to that love and share in the joy of faith grounded not in empty religiosity but in God’s amazing welcoming love in Jesus.