To continue where I left off last October…. The storm came through on the Feast of Jude, did some damage in the West though not as much as expected and was gone. This January the UK has again been hit by storms and high tides this time with severe flooding the West Country.

But then that is the nature of things, climate change and global warming, all part of an evolving story.

We are approaching the first Anniversary of the resignation of Benedict and the ‘storm’ that is Francis shows little sign of abating, thank goodness. The Spirit has blessed the Church with a Bishop in Rome who is indeed a pastor of his people. Change is in the air and we had better get used to it. But more than that, we should positively welcome it.

Francis has shown himself open to conversation, open to a personal willingness to listen to others, to be a repairer of bridges. His remark on the flight back from World Youth Day in Rio, when asked about homosexual issues – “Who am I to judge?” – has been widely quoted. But there is so much more. The gestures, the asides and above all his generous smile and obvious delight when greeting people have been there for all to see. His contact with Liberation Theology through Gutierrez and recent exchange of correspondence with Hans Kung are indeed hopeful signs.

I have been asked to give a Day of Recollection for a parish group in a few weeks time. I have given it the title “The light of Christ in the darkness of the edge of town”. Some may recognise the Springsteen lyric there. There has been much darkness around in recent years, much that has caused pain and anxiety within the Christian Church and given others the opportunity to mock our belief and criticise our behaviour. In Francis we do indeed have the light of Christ to illuminate that darkness, to guide us on the journey of renewal.

Others see it differently. Their recipe for security is to look back to an earlier imagined time of certainty, no grey edges, but black and white assertion of truth. Unfortunately, our troubled world is not like that now, nor do I believe, it ever was.

So as we approach in these next few weeks the anniversary of a resignation and that of an election, maybe we should, with increased fervour pray that the Holy Spirit may indeed come to enlighten his Church through Francis and, through each one of us.

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