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A reflection from the Rev'd Brenda Jackson

The year has drifted gently into autumn and as L.M. Montgomery wrote in Anne of Green Gables “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” As the leaves on the trees turn from summery green to red, yellow and orange, autumn shows us that change can be beautiful and that every season of our lives is to be enjoyed. Each of the seasons serves their purpose. Autumn is a time for endings and beginnings, for tidying up the garden and planting bulbs that will flower in the spring. It’s the time for many trees to let go of their leaves because they are no longer needed and is a good time for us to release the stresses, habits, or expectations that no longer serve us.

Autumn is mentioned only once in the Bible, in Jude 1:12 where false teachers are compared to “autumn trees without fruit.” The implication is that autumn should be fruitful, an abundant season of the year. And the same can be true of our lives if choose to notice and delight in the things that bless us.

The days are now becoming noticeably shorter and with fewer hours of daylight nature is slowing down, offering us a gentle reminder that we too need times of rest. In the Creation stories in Genesis God takes a day of rest and later a day of rest on the sabbath was written into Jewish law. The wisdom of having time to slow down and recharge ourselves physically, mentally, spiritually and is supported by modern science too.

As I write, the news is dominated by calls by fears about Artificial Intelligence spinning out of our control and the possibility of imminent human extinction. A few years ago, Stephen Hawking commented “The real risk with AI isn’t malice, but competence. A superintelligent AI will be extremely good at accomplishing its goals, and, if those goals aren’t aligned with ours, we’re in trouble.” Faith leaders have echoed the warnings from the executives from Anthropic and other pioneers of AI technology and have joined those asking for a meaningful pause or slowdown in its development. consensus that moral judgment, human control, and the common good must take precedence over technological speed. Youngsters are growing up in a very different world to the one many of us knew as children and AI’s many unknowns add to our feelings of insecurity. Every generation has had new challenges to face but have always found constancy and security in God’s unfailing mercy and love.

Seasons come and seasons go, the beautiful autumnal colours surrounding us never last long. The prophet Isaiah wrote “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” and Jesus’ promise is that he will be with us “even unto the end of time” (Matt 28:20). We don’t know when that time will be and the Bible warns us against speculation. May we, like the trees, slow down and let go of the things that aren’t needed. And as we delight in the richness, colour and blessings that October brings, may we give thanks for the beauty of creation, for the kindness of those around us, for all that brings us laughter and joy and above all by the hope we have through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Rev’d Brenda