"A few years ago, a priest working in a slum section of a

European city was asked why he was doing this replied, 'So that the rumor

of God may not completely disappear."

Peter Berger, (Rumor of Angels)

The rumour of God. A whisper, an argument that one can make when others say that there is no good in the world, that people hate and hurt each others. That life is hopeless.

You can say….

Somewhere, someone gives a warm, clean,

dry pair of shoes to a

person living on the street

A 101 year old Man Races For Women's Rights in India because his “daughters, grand daughters and great grand daughters are no longer safe,” and “he wants to open up the conversation to social change.”(fromwww.huffingtonpost.com)

In a world where children are

constantly hearing words of hate, somewhere

someone tells their child…not

everyone is like that….

It is not easy to have faith… or rather to admit to having faith… it’s almost embarrassing isn’t it?

How do we live in the world we live in… where religion is the cause of so much hate, where religion is used to excuse

abuse, discrimination, oppression… and admit in polite company that

we too believe?How do we distance ourselves from those who use the words that we proclaim are

words of radical love and equality – to proclaim the opposite?

The apologetics have always been a part of our faith… it’s an impressive list of the worlds great thinkers. Nature is mathematical… and because he could delight in that fact but not explain it… Einstiend had faith…

So how do we defend being

people of faith?The best defense is

a good offense - live the rumours of God, so that they do not disappear.

How are you going to live it this week?Why not be generous… randomly generous.. fill you purse or pocket with some spare change, a bandaid, something you can give to someone put in your path(check out www.40acts.org.uk for more ideas.

“Every Time You Smile At Someone,

It Is An Action Of Love, A Gift To That Person, A Beautiful Thing.”

Mother Theresa

It doesn’t even have to be something physical, how about giving out grace, forgiveness, give somebody a break

How about doing the things on this list?

View the world differently….How can you have faith with all of the evidence against it…With all of your intelligence, education, don’t you know better ?Yes you do… but you have a rumour of God…and even more…. Your actions have been the start of a new one…