Thought for the week (we 20th October 2013)

There’s been some good news for Dr Who fans this week. Nine episodes of the cult TV series believed lost have been found at a TV station in Nigeria. Thankfully many of the original episodes from the 1960’s were transferred to film and sold to foreign countries such as Nigeria.

That they survived all those years in such a warm climate is surprising but Dr Who fans the world over can now look forward to seeing episodes believed lost including the classic story The Web of Fear with the second Doctor Patrick Troughton.

It’s always good to find something which has been forgotten or lost. The same is true as far as the Bible is concerned. One of the best known stories Jesus told was of the Prodigal son. He had to go to the distant land before he realised he had lost something precious and irreplaceable – his home, family and the love and security which he had taken so much for granted.

Lonely, hungry and destitute he realised the extent of his loss and made his way home not knowing that all the time his father longed for him to return.

The Bible’s central theme is of redemption and reconciliation, of God seeking the lost and inviting us to find again the love and acceptance he freely gives. Somewhere we may have a Bible which may have been handed down through the family; or a Gideon Bible given to us at school which was nice to have at the time but remains very much part of our past.

Perhaps the time has come for us to read again of the love and peace that God offers through his word and to celebrate like the prodigal the amazing love of the Father. John Newton in his hymn ‘Amazing grace’ tells of his own experience ‘I once was lost, but now I’m found was blind but now I see’

What a discovery!