Home » Thoughts for the Week » An unexpected Discovery

An unexpected Discovery

I have recently been away, spending some time in North Wales and Belgium. I imagined that my travels might influence my thought for the week. I would write about the view from Snowdon. How the view from the mountain top allows you to experience the whole picture that God sees while the view from the ground offers only one perspective.

But of course, I did not manage to reach the top of Snowdon, and anyway, even if I had, it was cloudy which then scuppered my analogy!

Instead, I find myself reflecting on a distinct experience, something I stumbled upon quite by chance. The façade above is the Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed, the Basilica of the Holy Blood, Bruges. I did not really know the significance of this place but guessed there was something special about a large silver vessel (pictured) that visitors were drawn to. Better get the guide book out I thought, as I sat there in silence. Soon I discovered that this church takes its name from a phial supposedly containing a few drops of Christ’s blood that was brought here after the 12^th century Crusades. The flamboyant looking silver vessel hides it from public view, but apparently it does make an appearance at 2pm daily. It was at this point that I questioned the authenticity of the said blood. Could this really be Christ’s blood? If it was, was this the beginning of the next Indiana Jones film? Searching for a relic to prove God’s existence through the latest DNA technology.

It reminded me of my own journey to faith. I just really wanted to know whether God was real. I asked the question and believed that it was answered in an unmistakable way.

Matthew chapter 7 verse 7 puts it like this:

‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.’

I would encourage you this week to keep this in mind when you pray, ask, seek and knock.

As for me I did not hang around for the 2pm unveiling but I did leave that place with a reminder of what I know to be real, that when I sought God, He answered.

This week’s thought was written by Vicky Baker, Pastor for Children and Families at STBBC and EBA Trustee