Before moving to CBC we lived in a part of north west London where there was a large Jewish community and a number of synagogues. Today, in that part of London, and in many other parts of the world, you would have seen smartly dressed men and women walking along the road wearing trainers. I remember thinking that this was a bit strange the first time I saw it. It's not even like they were black trainers. Where were all the smart shoes to match the clothes?
Today (11-12 October 2016) is the most holy and solemn day within the Jewish year - Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement. It is a day of fasting and prayer, a day of asking for forgiveness for sin. It is a solemn day - a day of personal sacrifice. (Which is where the shoes come in - amongst other things Jews are not to wear leather on this most holy day.)
Regular visitors to this blog will know that last year we looked at the passages in Leviticus that dealt with God giving Moses the instructions for the Day of Atonement. You'll find these posts here and here.
Two Sundays ago at CBC we were looking at the story of Achan - see here. A story which reminds us of the seriousness of sin. The Day of Atonement speaks of that seriousness and God's provision for dealing with those consequences - a festival that ultimately points to Jesus' death on the cross. Putting things right between us and God once and for all.
