Crossword

Whilst I was at the pool a couple of weeks ago waiting for swim practice to finish I was chatting to a crossword do-er. I admitted I rarely had time for the crossword - or rarely made time - but enjoyed it when I did. But this swim team parenting is proving to be a good time for crosswords as I end up sitting at the pool waiting around at various times and a crossword is an ideal past-time.

Anyone who has done a puzzle will know that they go at varying speeds - sometimes it seems as though you will never get started - then you get a rush of answers flooding your mind and then perhaps some stumbling and down to the last one or two which might stump you. And all will be solved tomorrow - it is a slightly silly thing really when to get the answers all you have to do is wait for the morning edition of the paper instead of racking your brain today.

In Luke 22 the Disciples are doing their usual brain racking - who is going to be best -who is getting the best seat, who will sit next to Jesus? Unlike a crossword puzzle the answer to this will not appear tomorrow morning and could actually cause some problems if the argument is allowed to fester. After all, we human beings tend to like structures and hierarchies.

So, Jesus says, look at what I do. I am the servant of all yet who am I really? This is topsy turvy. The answer, like the answer to a good crossword is unexpected but it is not a mere play on words and affections it is the reality of the kingdom - things are not as they expect them to be and they cannot make them as they expect by building artificial structures and power plays around them.

This is worth remembering as the powers are gathering in anticipation of General Convention. The theme of Ubuntu is not about getting one up on my neighbor by some cryptic solution to the world which favors me, it is much more about understanding that my neighbor already has much that I need - whether it seems that way or not.