Chris Bennett on ‘Thought for the Day’
Tune in to Revd Chris Bennett at 6:55 and 7:55am each Wednesday in December as he gives Radio Ulster’s Thought For The Day.
Chris’s first reflection on 7 December was about a lady called Eleanor, whose father, Ambrose Willis, was the man behind Titanic’s beautiful carved wooden fireplaces and panelling.
“Eleanor’s story really brought the Titanic to life for me,” said Chris. “All the facts and figures I’ve learnt are transformed by the picture of Eleanor’s father returning home from work, being scolded by his wife because his clothes smelt of paint and varnish. The facts become a face. Which is a tiny little picture of the story of Christmas – a story in which the awe–inspiring, far–off fact of God’s presence in the Old Testament becomes the face of a vulnerable baby, crying in a stable.
“Everything changes when the facts become a face – in bringing history to life, in building relationships between people, communities and nations – and in the realm of faith. “God is”, is a pretty huge statement to make. But “God is near”, “God is personal” – how much more amazing. And life–changing. And true.”
You can hear the 7 December broadcast on BBC iPlayer at the 1:25:00 mark on Good Morning Ulster by clicking
here
. It will be available for a week.