Today in the UK...some will be sad, others will be celebrating, and others still will be sublimely indifferent to it all...
To what?
To the announcement today by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, that he is resigning from the leadership of the Labour Party and will cease to be Prime Minister on 27th June.
It's the worst kept secret since the Spanish Armada, and the longest goodbye since Frank Sinatra's.
As to my reaction? I am not going to tell you into which of the above categories above I fall, but all the talk on the news bulletins today has been about Tony Blair's "legacy" - what he will be leaving behind when he leaves office, and how his premiership will be remembered.
Who knows?
Time alone will tell. Although it is never likely to tell all.
One thing is certain, every one of us leaves some sort of legacy, in the sense that we all make some sort of mark on the world and on the lives of others, for good or bad (most likely both.)
It is the first principle of forensic science that 'every contact leaves a trace.' And it is certainly true of every human life, however insignificant we may seem.
Jesus asked, or rather told, his disciples to be like salt and light.
Both were, and are, essentially positive, although salt rubbed into a wound can sting and too bright a light can be very uncomfortable, especially when we have become used to the dark.
So, maybe sometimes the followers of Jesus are called upon to make some people feel uncomfortable some of the time, but for the most part our responsibility is to bring flavour and health, illumination and hope to the world in which we are placed and in which we move.
...not easy though.
