Chaplains Chat

There are so many events in life that shape us as people. There are different events in our life that can have a big impact on the direction our life takes. In many ways, some of these events are significant events, while others sometimes seem less significant. A major medical event will typically shape our outlook on life and, indeed, could even shape our day-to-day activities for the rest of our lives. But sometimes, smaller episodes in our lives all seem to add up into shaping who we become as people. These might be hard to see at the time, but as we look back over our life, we see how these events have helped shape who we are today and what we do.  

As a PDHPE teacher by degree, I thought that my interest in sport would lead me down this path. As I finished university and applied for five PDHPE jobs as well as one classroom position, I felt that I was heading down a PDHPE path. With five negative replies and one positive reply for a classroom position many years ago, this event, in many ways, has shaped my working time. I was in the classroom!! 

In Chapel we are looking at the book of Exodus, and the nation of Israel is in slavery and under the control of a brutal Pharaoh. He even wants all the baby boys to be killed so that they don’t grow up into fighting men to overrun the Egyptians. In this desperate situation, we will see that in some seemingly small events, God is working in people’s lives to bring about his purposes. A baby called Moses is born, he actually survives the early months and ironically is brought up in Pharaoh’s household. Moses will be the person who will help bring about God’s plans in rescuing his people. God is certainly working through these events. It is sometimes only when we look back on our lives, we see God working in and through ourselves and the people around us.  

Rev. Anthony Benn 
Chaplain