Easter 2021

I hope you are enjoying your Easter holiday and will continue to do so for the next two days. My break is marked by meeting nice people and eating breakfast or lunch with them plus lots of interesting discussions and sipping a glass of cool wine. I got a nice present early yesterday. My near neighbour Rene, arrived with a couple of ‘Easter cakes’ made by his wife. Very creative of her and they make me smile each time I see them staring at me when I open my fridge door! Many thanks to her.

Yesterday I was reminded that I was also a Pope. Those of you who know me well will be shocked to read those words. See the photo. I got it as a present when I had lunch with some nice prople yesterday. I had completely forgotten about that photograph. I think it was made by someone in my old Friday afternoon Photoshop course. The person who gave it to me said I was: Pope Johannes von Müller. Nice name! That made me think about religious belief and practice, much of which has been affected by the corona pandemic.

I quickly found 3 books on my shelf and can recommend everyone to read one or all of them. The first is called, A History of God by Karen Armstrong. Earlier she was a nun for seven years in a Roman Catholic order. Since 1982 she has been a freelance writer and broadcaster. The Sunday Times said her book was, “Brilliantly lucid, splendidly readable…..dazzling”. The second book is called, “The End of Faith: Religion, Terror and the Future of Reason”. The author is Sam Harris and the front page carries a quote by Richard Dawkins in the Guardian, “Read Sam Harris and wake up”. The third book is, “Science and Religion: Are they compatible?” by Daniel C. Dennett and Alvin Plantinga. Well worth a read. There are many more books dealing with aspects of religion which you can find in your local bookshop or order online. Happy reading!