Recently, despite its sometimes bad language, I’ve been enjoying the Apple TV+ series ‘Slow Horses’. Based on the books by Mick Herron it stars the excellent Gary Oldman, and tells the story of a bunch of failed MI5 agents who, as a result of their inadequacies, are sent to Slough House, a fictional dead end department of the British secret service where they are expected to spend the rest of their working life engaged in dull administrative tasks.
But despite their unpromising circumstances, and their ongoing incompetence, they still manage to find themselves involved in a series of vital missions which they proceed to carry out with varying degrees of success under the watchful eye of the appalling yet brilliant Jackson Lamb, the acerbic head of the organisation who, despite his apparent callous disregard for those under his charge, does actually seem to care for them and frequently intervenes so as to ensure that things ultimately work out in at least a reasonably satisfactory manner.
With some very important caveats, the show reminds me of the true church, a similarly quirky body of people, one into which all manner of failed men and women are warmly welcomed. These flawed folk, despite their frequent ongoing incompetence, also become involved in all manner of vital activities that they too carry out with varying degrees of success under the watchful eye of their far from appalling and perfectly holy Heavenly Father.
And his love for them is one that is never in doubt as he too intervenes, albeit sometimes mysteriously, to ensure that all things work together for the good of his people and in complete accordance with the counsel of his will.
The program is, for me at least, a small reminder that our worth as Christians is not determined by our actions, but by the love in which we are held by Almighty God. And that, irrespective of what terrible things we may have done wrong in the past, not only can we be forgiven through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus’ death on the cross, but our lives can continue to have great purpose, as we are sent out into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit to both live and work to the praise of God’s glorious grace.
Or, as it is described through the always beautiful language of the Bible, though we all like lost sheep have gone astray, the Lord is our Shepherd who, having lovingly lain down his life for us, will bring home all who recognise and listen to his voice.
However slow we might sometimes have been!
Related blogs:
To read ‘Foolishness – Law and Gospel’, click here
To read ‘What becomes of the broken hearted? Sorrowful yet always rejoicing on Palm Sunday’, click here
To read ‘Why do bad things happen to good people? Sorrowful yet always rejoicing on Good Friday’, click here
To read ‘Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things? Rejoicing, though temporarily sorrowful, on Easter Day’, click here.
To read ‘Something to feast your eyes on’, click here.
To read ‘Rest Assured’, click here
To read ‘A Good Heart these days is hard to find’, click here
To read ‘True Love’, click here
To read ‘Still weeping with those who weep’, click here
To read ‘A Time To Dance’, click here
To read ‘Water from a Rock’, click here
To read ‘T.S. Eliot, Jesus and the Paradox of the Christian Life’, click here
To read “Why do bad things happen to good people – a tentative suggestion”, click here
To read “Suffering- A Personal View”, click here.
To read “Luther and the global pandemic – on becoming a theologian of the cross”, click here
To read ‘The Sacrifice of Isaac – Law or Gospel?’, click here
To read ‘Real Power’, click here
To read ‘The Promise Keeper’, click here
To read ‘The Rainbow’s End’, click here
To read, ‘But this I know’, click here
To read ‘I’ll miss this when I’m gone – extended theological version’, click here
To read ‘On being confronted by the law’, click here
To read ‘The “Already” and the “Not Yet”’, click here
Some musings 