Heaven

 Nantmawr, Shropshire, midweek

Sitting here on the patio in the afternoon sun, a gentle breeze making the heat bearable, not a cloud in the sky, and the distant sound of birds chirping- it's a vision of a sort of heaven. To complete the picture, a good book, a cup of tea, doors and windows flung open, sheep making their way across the steep hillside opposite. It's a very English vision of heaven, even though everywhere round here is blessed with Welsh place names,,,,,, so thoughts turn from the book I'm reading to wonder what other nationalities, other folk, would include in their heaven. 

Whatever, heaven is unlikely to be as we imagine. 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of  man what God has prepared for those who love him' St Paul tells the Corinthians. Well, not strictly heaven there, but it about covers it. Meanwhile, there is work to do to make what we know of this 'kingdom of heaven' a little more visible on earth- 'the kingdom of God is justice and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit; Come Lord, and open in us, the gates of your kingdom'. 

Little time for the reveries of bucolic Shropshire in that. Work to be done. Starting from today -Sunday- now that holiday is over.  .