Thought for the Day

As delivered this morning at 8.45 a.m. on BBC Radio Bristol:

 

Hang on a minute lads; I've just had a great idea. You may well recognise that as the last line from the original 1969 Italian Job movie, famously spoken by Michael Caine's character, Charlie Croker.

 

I wonder. What was the idea?

 

It's great living near a city that has a festival of ideas.

 

This evening, at the Watershed, Francis Spufford will talk about his book Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Make Surprising Emotional Sense.

 

Then tomorrow @-Bristol will host Anthony Grayling on The God Argument: The Case Against Religion and for Humanism.

 

For me, I find as much learning in the conflict between these two ideas as I find in them individually. I would gladly attend either. I enjoy debate.

 

Words are always better than warfare. Christian writer Brian McLaren talks of there being as much blessing in the conversation as the conversion.

 

St Paul was hanging around in Athens, a place the Bible tells us where people loved talking about the latest ideas. He got to chatting with some of the people there. He was in the market place.

 

He didn't have great success. Some sneered. Some wanted to talk more. Some believed.

 

On Wednesday I have tickets for comedian Robin Ince at The Arnolfini. I may not agree with everything he says as he is famously down on faith communities, but at least I'll be laughing. His title? The importance of being interested.

 

I hope you find something to make you laugh and to make you think today. Have some serious fun. That's a great idea.