Thought for the Day

As delivered at BBC Radio Bristol just now:

What's the connection between 20 mph zones, Christmas lights, lock gates and milk deliveries?

Good question.

A favourite Bible story is the illustration from St Paul's letter where he compares the church to a body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

The body works because the parts are different. An organisation works because it has different people. If a retail outlet consisted entirely of accountants it would have great spreadsheets but no money. If it consisted only of sales staff it would have many customers but organisational chaos.

I sometimes use Bishop Gene Robinson's answer to the question, 'Why can't you do something about the weather?' He used to say, 'I'm sorry, I'm in sales not management.'

I'm a church leader and a communicator by gifting. Please don't ask me to do the accounts.

So what is the connection between 20 mph zones, Christmas lights, lock gates and milk deliveries, apart from the obvious that they have all been stories on today's show.

What they share is that they are all important to someone right now. We're all individual; unique and special. We get passionate about different things. We make our livings in different ways. We contribute our skills. The world would be in trouble if nobody knew how to repair lock gates. But it would be in worse trouble if that is all we knew how to do.

Today, try and notice someone doing something you can't, or don't want, to do. And if you can't thank them personally then try and find a space in your heart, a prayer if you like, to be grateful.