Jonny Raine, Cwmbran

I actually have a secret desire to visit a desert island. In fact, specifically, I’d like to make a trip to the south pacific to visit some of the atolls – ring shaped islands with a lagoon in the centre. I’m not sure I’d like to be isolated from civilisation for all that long though, so a short trip would about do it for me.

Which verses would you take to the island?

…Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine. Ezekiel 47:1-12

If I may make a slight break with the pattern, I’d take a passage rather than a smattering of isolated verses. Since preaching through the book of Ezekiel four years ago, my favourite passage has been Ezekiel 47:1-12.

This passage is wonderfully poetic and rich in imagery. Ezekiel has had a vision of the newly rebuilt temple and he’s looking around. Then he’s shown this trickling stream coming from out of the temple. He walks through it and the river gets deeper and deeper until he cannot stand in its depths. As he looks to the banks of the river which are littered with trees on either side. Fruit trees abound bearing fruit every month and with leaves that heal. And he’s told it flows into the Dead Sea, where it turns the salty water into fresh water and brings it to life, teeming with fish.

It’s so profound in describing how all the richness of life and abundance flows out of Jesus, both now and especially in all that we receive in the new heavens and earth. It’s likely picked up by Jesus when he speaks of living waters flowing out of the believer (John 7:38) and in Revelation 22 when it speaks of the river flowing through the eternal city with the tree of life on either side, bringing fruit each month and with leaves that heal.

I love the picture language in the Ezekiel passage, given those allusions. But I still don’t feel like I’ve plumbed its depths, so I’d like to spend time meditating on it more. It conveys so much of the delights of the gospel and of all we have in Jesus.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

Having broken with tradition, let me just choose one other verse that powerfully struck me thirteen years ago in my own Bible reading times and that has remained with me ever since. God’s love is generously extravagant and poured out upon us to the point that we are called his children. How brilliant is that! And that is what we are!

Who would you like to find on the island for company?

I think one obvious candidate for company would be the recently deceased, Eugene Peterson. I found his book ‘The Pastor’ so helpful, as well as some of his other books, and would love to spend more time chatting things through with him. I’m sure he would have a wealth of wisdom to share. Another person that would be good to have on the island is Johnny Cash, so long as he can bring his guitar. He’d be good to have around for his music and stories.

But perhaps my top choice would be Andreas Bodenstein of Karlstadt. He was around at the same time as Martin Luther and made advances more quickly than Luther did. Some would say he moved too quickly on things (Luther included), but I’m not convinced.

When he was left in charge of the church at Wittenberg, because Luther was in hiding, he made some important changes. For example, he opened up the Lord’s Supper to all believers rather than just the minister and he conducted the service in the common language of the people rather than in Latin. As time went on, he stopped wearing Priests clothing and wore the clothing of peasants, as he had a particular burden to reach them. I’m sure he didn’t get everything right, but he would certainly be an interesting person to talk through and to get a different kind of insight into the reformation than what we’re more familiar with.

Which song would you take to the island?

Well, if I were taking something that wasn’t a Christian song, an all-time favourite album is Nimrod by Greenday. If it had to be one track from that album, then it would predictably be Good Riddance (Time of your Life). More recently I’ve been enjoying listening to Youth Lagoon. And if I had to choose one track from his three albums, it’d probably be 17.

But, being a bit more spiritual, my choice at the moment would be Man of Sorrows, Lamb of God. It expresses so wonderfully the narrative and meaning of the crucifixion in its verses and our joy in the chorus; but the bridge is the high point for me, brilliant biblical truth there!

Man of sorrows Lamb of God
By His own betrayed
The sin of man and wrath of God
Has been on Jesus laid

Silent as He stood accused
Beaten mocked and scorned
Bowing to the Father's will
He took a crown of thorns

Oh that rugged cross
My salvation
Where Your love poured out over me
Now my soul cries out
Hallelujah
Praise and honour unto Thee

Sent of heaven God's own Son
To purchase and redeem
And reconcile the very ones
Who nailed Him to that tree

Now my debt is paid
It is paid in full
By the precious blood
That my Jesus spilled
Now the curse of sin
Has no hold on me
Whom the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed

See the stone is rolled away
Behold the empty tomb
Hallelujah God be praised
He's risen from the grave