Sermon-The image we all carry

The Son of a Migrant from Syria, Banksy, 2015

A sermon given during the Sung Eucharist at St George’s Bloomsbury on Sunday 7th July 2024 and St Mary Le Bow on Thursday 11th July 2024, the Sixth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 9) based on the text of Mark 6.1-13. 

The Pomegranate - Symbolism and Meaning

Dahlias and Pomegranates by Henri Matisse, 1947

We are in South Africa for the funeral of my partner’s Mum, Marie. In her garden is a large pomegranate tree. The tree was planted by Henry’s grandmother. It is now summertime here, so the tree is in full fruit, with the ripening pomegranates about to burst open. The pomegranate, or grained apple, is one of the oldest cultivated fruits in the world and has a rich symbolism and meaning.