Unanswered question

Another sunny day worthy of summer in July, and an early start for me, collected at nine twenty five for another 'medical' funeral in Thornhill. Just three mourners today, who also had an early start with an hour's journey from the top of the Ogwr Valley, and they arrived at nine, having mistaken the service time. I gave them the time they needed to think and pray with me. Without a memorial service soon after death, it seems to be this act of closing the circle is important, but may awaken painful memories of an incomplete parting at the time, especially if anyone still felt helpless faced with a situation where there as nothing that could do to change the outcome.

I was back home by ten thirty. Clare had already started routine housework, and had to wait for the floors to dry before I could make a coffee, then do my share. I made a start on preparing next week's Morning Prayer until Clare served us a veggie pasta lunch, and continued writing a reflection after lunch. Then a walk in the park, and some time spent reading the Spanish novel I'm half way through, having not returned to it since I was travelling to and from Nerja. While I was reading after supper, I nodded off and slept for half an hour, something I rarely do in the evening. I went for a short walk to clear my head as the sun was setting in a sky enhanced by beautiful patches of high level cirrus cloud.

Clare discovered another missing page in the printout of my novel which I had to print out to enable her to continue reading and checking. This is taking longer than I hope for. The next time I do a print run of the corrected version I'll need to make sure it's done in small batches of pages that can be error checked for slippages en route. Lessons are being learned in pursuit of perfection!

A missile landed on a football field, killing a dozen children in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, which has a large number of arabic speaking Druze Israeli citizens, many of them sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. The attack was initially presumed to come from one of the Lebanese groups hostile to Israel, but none have claim responsibility for the attack, and fragments of the missile don't correspond to those used against Israel. Could this be an anti-missile missile gone astray? In any war zone accidents can happen, worsening the suffering of the innocent, has happened when a Hamas rocket misfired and dropped in the grounds of Gaza's Al Ahli Christian hospital. There's no end to the suffering when fanatics are in charge on both sides of any conflict and don't know how to stop.

In Britain a knife wielding teenager killed two children injured nine others and two adults in an attack on a children's recreational dance class in Southport Merseyside. There's an epidemic of young people carrying knives and using them to wound or kill other youngsters. Despite public concern there seems to end to it. There seems no end to the fears, aggression and lust for revenge that drive destructive behaviour, whether on the part of  individuals or governments. 

Meanwhile the Olympics continue peacefully in Paris with athletes striving to excel and set an example of good-will and endeavour to their countries. The gulf between this ideal reality and the destructive alternatives is as great as it ever has been. How can the world learn to choose the better way that leads to a life for all that's worth living?