David has a busy and varied concert career having performed worldwide, on BBC Radio 3 and at The Proms. David has also been Organist and Head of Keyboard at Eton College. He has made several recordings, some of which will be available on the evening.
David Williamson writes . . .
New Year's Resolutions
So how are your New Year's Resolutions going? Often after the Christmas festivities of eating and drinking people decide the New Year is the right time to get physically fit and lose some weight, but what about our spiritual fitness? After all we are made up of mind, body and spirit.
To live truly healthy lives we need to be spiritually fit as well as physically fit. Often people think the Bible is out of touch and has nothing to say to us today. I would disagree. The Bible is full of practical advice and is a good guide to how to live and behave today.
In the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke we read of when Jesus was asked by a legal expert, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus says, "First of all Love God, second love your neighbour." When Jesus speaks about loving our neighbour he is quoting directly from the Old Testament book of Leviticus chapter 19 verse 18. "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbour as yourself."
Some people seem to love God and not their neighbour and others seem to love their neighbour but not God.
Jesus is saying we need to do both to be spiritually fit. But who is my neighbour? This is a good question with increasing globalisation where people are brought closer together. Look up Luke's gospel chapter 10 verses 25 - 37 where Jesus is asked the same question.
The Bible teaches that everyone is our neighbour. Those near and far, those we know and those we don't know. Those we like and those we find it difficult to like. Loving your neighbour means we even have to do this when they are irritable, even when they don't like us, even when they make fun of us, even when they put us down.
Why is this so important? Because God is love and He wants us to be like Him. The number one lesson in life, the number one reason God put us on this earth, is to learn how to love.
It's straightforward to love people we like, the people we find easy to get along with. So if God's going to teach us real love, realise that He's going to put us around unlovely people! Matthew chapter 7 verses 12 puts it "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you."
This means at home, at the office, at school or college, in fact wherever we are. It's easy to underestimate the power of a kind word, a friendly smile, a pat on the back, a genuine compliment, a word of encouragement, and a listening ear.
Small things done with great love will change the world. It's not too late; why not make this New Year's Resolution: I will treat others, as I would like them to treat me.