大象传媒

Good morning

鈥淏e of good comfort and play the man Master Ridley.
We shall this day light such a candle
By God鈥檚 grace in England
as I trust shall never be put out.鈥�

And those words of Latimer, spoken at the stake alongside Ridley were all that I could remember of Ridley鈥檚 execution, this man whose fate was sealed when he was condemned on this day in 1555.

Consequently I was deeply disturbed when I recently re-read the details of his final hours and realised how prolonged and horrible his,聽 ordeal really was

A cruel, cruel death carried out in the name of religion just as were the deaths of many others across the centuries, and whether one thinks of those like Archbishop Oliver Plunkett from the opposite religious campwho suffered a horrendous form of execution聽 in Tyburn a century later, or some of those public and not-so-public executions done in the name of religion today, here we have reminders, that while across the centuries world religions have been the greatest pioneers in education, healing and compassion they have also been guilty of some of the most depraved atrocities as well.

And we do well to remind ourselves, as do those tales of fallen angels that our potential for doing good is equal and opposite to our power of evil, and that it is only insofar as our efforts are daily directed by the hand of God that His purposes will be attained.

No one knew that better than one hanging naked upon a cross in agony who continues to symbolize聽 the price of our flawed zeal.

Lord, I believe,
Help Thou mine unbelief...........and arrogance.聽聽聽聽聽

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