(Almost) a happy new year to one and all. A few more hours and off we trot into 2018. God does not turn over the calendar, but he comes with us into the next year. He is moving all things toward the final consummation, encouraging all of us to work with his purposes to add to the store of building materials. 2018 is opening for us in an interesting way. Calendar filling up, an offer on an apartment in Madrid and waiting to hear a response on January 4th. A sealed bid in with 27 other sealed bids. To get it will be a miracle, and not to get it will be back to square one, with us probably getting up to the city in the next few weeks for an extended search. Just SOOOOO feels that 2018 is the year to get in there, and before too far through the year.
As for Spain we are looking at provoking a shift in the constitution. This is something we began to pray into from 2015 when somehow we realised that there has to be loosening up of the nation to allow for an expression of diversity. A small task – apparently not (source):
So, what now? The obvious course of action would be a dialogue, but that is still not on the cards. Puigdemont would not settle for anything less than independence or a legally binding referendum. Rajoy says the constitution does not allow it, which is true. Changing the constitution, if there were the will to do so, is a daunting task.
The majorities that are needed – including an all-Spain referendum on the reform – make it almost impossible. Only a consensus among all the parties, like the one that made possible the constitution itself, could work the miracle. But not even at Christmas does that seem likely.
Since October of this year we have seen the four years of 1975 – 1978 as being very significant. Franco died in 1975, having said that ‘everything is tied up, well tied up’ with regard to the land. No doubt the shift to democracy loosened things somewhat and the working out of the constitution was probably a remarkable achievement in the context of those traumatic years, but what was a shift then is certainly proving to be problematic now. Compounded with the compromise of the judiciary (government appointments!!) it is of course no surprise that the consitutional judges ruled that any Catalan referendum is illegal – hence the charge of ‘sedition, rebellion against the state and the abuse of public funds’ has been brought against many Catalan leaders. (For the Manchester City fans, hope you get to keep Guardiola – he too is on a government watch list!)
Dialogue is necessary – no party is ‘right’. So we have a task ahead. Hence 40 years on from the constitution we would like to be established in the city of Madrid. Maybe the door opens immediately, maybe it shuts in our face with a ‘you do not have enough money’. Either way we will get it because an insufficient offer might do something crazy, or mammon will speak.
I will probably write in the new year concerning 2018, and some of what I will write of course will be shaped by where we stand. But here is a focus:
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind.