Category Faith

Have you taken down your Christmas decorations too soon?

Stephen Thorp Leave a comment

One of the things that saddens and surprises me most about Christmas is how quickly some people seem to be pleased to see the back of it. With the help of their Advent calendars, children have been joyfully counting down the days to Christmas for weeks (and parents no doubt the shopping days as they struggle to get ready) but as soon as the big day has come and gone, they move on to the next ‘big thing’, usually the Boxing Day sales or the New Year celebrations. After all that sense of increasing anticipation, Christmas has come and gone in an instant; shops and supermarkets surgically remove any trace of Christmas and people swiftly take down their decorations and remove the lights from their houses.

And yet as the Christmas Carol helpfully reminds us, there are ‘twelve days of Christmas’, and the Christmas season theoretically continues until ‘twelfth night’ on the 6th January, when we move into Epiphany. This is the time when the church traditionally marks the arrival of the wise men or Magi (‘the three kings’) who bowed down and worshipped the infant Christ as they presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

There was nothing instantaneous about their journey, as travelling from Babylon (modern day Iraq) it would have taken them 4-5 months to travel by camel the long and arduous route to Bethlehem. Yet it was worth it – because they understood that this was a moment of huge and profound significance, because in keeping with ancient prophecy, the God who had created both the heavens and the earth was going to send a great king to rule over his people. This is why they turned up at Herod’s palace asking “where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2.2). The Nativity and Epiphany stories remind us that the child who was born at Christmas as the Son of God was warmly received by shepherds and kings alike; Jews and Gentiles coming together to worship and acknowledge the birth of the long-awaited Messiah, the one who would not only “save the people from their sins” (Matthew 1.21) but the one whose kingdom would last for ever.

At the start of a new year many people take stock of their lives and hopefully wish for a better future, but Christians know that Christmas and Epiphany are not only wonderful occasions to celebrate the birth of Christ, but great opportunities to reflect upon their own personal present and future lives ‘in him’. Knowing that God is prepared to step into human history on your behalf as your Lord and Saviour, dying upon the cross, really brings home how much he loves, cares and values you. It changes your perspective of who you are ‘in Christ’ and gives your life a greater sense of meaning and purpose, deepening the way you see yourself and your appreciation of others. In some parts of the world, love, joy and peace are in short supply and yet they lie at the heart of a Christian Christmas. Therefore, it seems to me that it’s certainly worth celebrating the ‘twelve days of Christmas’ and leaving the decorations up longer than we seem to, so that together we might pause and allow the season to nourish us a little longer.

For to us a child is born…and he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9.6

What are YOU celebrating this Christmas?

Stephen Thorp 2 Comments

What are you celebrating this Christmas – and what do you hope for?

For many, Christmas is simply an opportunity to take a break from work and spend time with the family; an opportunity to rest and relax after the giving of presents and the eating of Christmas dinner. For others it’s an opportunity to ‘catch up’, and perhaps visit distant relatives and friends. However, as nice as these things may be, the deeply Christian nature of Christmas is lost on many who don’t really know, understand or appreciate it. Which is such a shame, because it’s the significance of Christmas, which gives it so much of its meaning, magic and sparkle!  A few years ago, it was reported that one third of children between the ages of 10 and 13 did not know that Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ and I doubt if that figure has gone down (although I’m discounting Necton School from this comment as I know they do a terrific job teaching the children about Jesus). But the point remains, Christmas tinsel and wrapping paper may be very pretty but they become rather useless without the present, and celebrating Christmas without Christ is rather similar! Most adults will have some recollection from school Nativity plays that Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem on the back of a donkey, so that she could ultimately give birth to the baby Jesus in a stable – but even so, do they truly understand the significance of the baby?

The Bible tells us that apart from the baby being called Jesus he is also called Immanuel – which means ‘God with us’ – and this is the first most amazing point of Christmas, that God does not remain abstract or aloof, an idea or philosophy hovering somewhere out in space or the ether, but becomes intimately involved with our world, by stepping into it by becoming a baby, a child, a human person just like us – and so God really does understand us from the inside out as it were.  

The second point is that God did not step into the world because the world was so good, but precisely because it is not! This is why Jesus is often called the ‘light of the world’ because his presence shines a light into the darkness of our surroundings and even our own hearts. Yes, the world is beautiful, but the wars in Ukraine and Gaza / Israel demonstrate only too well that our world isn’t perfect, and neither are our own lives, for we all carry imperfections and have sometimes suffered misfortunes in consequence either directly because of our own actions, or those of others – and occasionally just because ‘life has been unkind to us’. These things break our heart, but they also break God’s heart too, which is why knowing that ‘God is with us’ can be so joyful and comforting, because we know that we are not alone. God cares for us in our bleakest moments as well as our happiest.

Jesus spent most of his life teaching his disciples and therefore us, not only about God but a better way of being, how to live a better life. His life and ministry was therefore through his teaching, and the power of the Holy Spirit about transformation making us more ‘Christlike’ when we recognise precisely who he is and put our faith and trust in him. Yet, the consequences of our broken world still had to be dealt with, which is why Jesus’ ministry ultimately took him to the cross, where he performs the most gracious act of loving self-sacrifice, dying for us upon the cross and taking upon himself the consequences of our sin. This is an act of atonement which pardons us and frees us from all guilt, sin and shame when we personally appreciate, trust and believe that he died for us, each one of us – because he loved us. This transforms our sense of identity, self-worth and purpose as we look out into the world and our place within it. It fills our hearts with life, ‘eternal life’ and peace – which is everlasting.

Merely summarising these things means nothing without personal thought and contemplation, but genuine appreciation and acceptance is a real cause of joy and celebration. I hope that you will know something of God’s love, joy and peace for you and your families as you accept the free gift of Christ this Christmas. So, on behalf of the parishes I represent, may I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful new year.

Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2.11

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem this Remembrance Season

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It has been heartbreaking listening to the BBC news stories coming out of Israel in recent days. Stories like that of twenty-two year old Neta Portal telling the news reporter how, despite being shot in the leg six times, she had survived with her boyfriend the terrible massacre carried out by Hamas on the Israeli kibbutz at Kfar Aza – or seeing Mariam, a young British Palestinian girl, expressing her fears of dying as she clutches her British passport in the hope that the Rafah gate might be opened, granting her safe passage into Egypt. These stories remind us that in times of conflict it is always the innocent who suffer.

Let’s be clear, what Hamas did was barbaric and Israel has every right to defend itself – and yet we pray and hope that they will have a higher regard for civilians than the terrorists. The Israeli / Palestinian conflict is complicated, but the truth is that ever since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Israel has made a number of concessions, offers and overtures to its Palestinian neighbours which would create a Palestinian state (even voluntarily giving up its worship upon the Temple Mount) all of which have ultimately been rejected by the Palestinian leadership, leading to the current unsatisfactory situation. And yet relations in the wider Middle East have been improving and things were looking better than they had been for years – all of which has now been blown away by the recent attack by Hamas, sponsored by Iran.

The irony is that the word ‘Jerusalem’ means ‘foundation of peace’ incorporating the Arab word for peace ‘salam’ as in ‘As-salamu alaykum’ meaning ‘peace be upon you’  and this is akin to the Hebrew word ‘shalom’ also meaning ‘peace’, ‘tranquillity’ and ‘wholeness’, but it’s not just a simple sort of peace but a deeply rich sort of peace that belongs to God himself. So, in a city and a part of the world which has such a high regard for peace, it’s incredibly sad that there is so much anger, hostility and hatred.

The Christian will be aware that the prophet Isaiah predicted a time when ‘every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood would be destined for burning and used as fuel for the fire’ (Isaiah 9.5) because ultimately God’s messiah would arrive and put things right, and he would be called ‘Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace (‘sar shalom’)’ (Isaiah 9.6), and that person is of course Jesus who, after his death and resurrection, met his frightened disciples in a locked room and said ‘peace be with you’ (John 20.19).

So as we approach Remembrance Sunday, let us be grateful for the peace that we currently enjoy, made possible by those who sacrificed so much to look after and protect us in past years, but may we also be wise enough to pray for Jerusalem and the peace of the world, trusting that God’s wisdom, and the loving, peaceful spirit of Christ, might touch all our hearts.

 

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! 8 For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” Psalm 122.6 (ESV)

Earthquakes, floods and famine – “There but for the grace of God go I”

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The recent tragedies in Morocco and Libya have been truly heartbreaking. With 3000 people dying as a result of the Moroccan earthquake, and the possibility of 20,000 people dying in the Libyan floods, the amount of human suffering is hard to imagine or comprehend. It’s no wonder that many traumatised victims, trying to make sense of things and come to terms with their grief, have been recorded by journalists as simply saying ‘It’s the will of God’ or ‘Allah wills it’, which leaves the rest of us safely looking on from the comfort of our homes thinking, ‘well, thank God I wasn’t caught up in that’ or ‘there but for the grace of God go I’. But now, of course, the difficult questions arise! Why aren’t buildings built to be more earthquake resilient, and why aren’t dams which are known to be faulty immediately repaired? Surely a lot more lives could have been saved if only they had been. Perhaps part of the problem is a fatalistic mindset, which encourages people to believe that certain tragedies are an ‘act of God’ and ‘what will be will be’. If this is your attitude, then why should you bother learning from your mistakes or from tragedy, because effectively all responsibility is taken out of your hands and left in the hands of the divine. But this isn’t a biblical perspective, because despite the fact that the world is imperfect (as so clearly demonstrated by recent events) God cares! “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all that he has made” (Psalm 145.9). So, instead of thinking that God is aloof, uncaring or absent, we should think of him as being deeply concerned and hands on, working through the kind and compassionate words and deeds of those who act in his name and struggle to bring assistance and relief to the needy. In a sense, this mirrors the Gospel itself, for God has always sought to step into the world rather than step out of or away from it. This is most ably demonstrated in the person of Jesus, who taught his disciples to love God and their neighbour as themselves and who by his death, demonstrated a selfless love for the world so that it might be renewed, restored and forgiven of sin. Although we might tend to think ‘there but for the grace of God go I’ when it comes to earthly tragedies, in the light of sin the Gospel message might be summed up in the words ‘there but for the grace of God, goes God’ achieving for us something that we couldn’t possibly achieve for ourselves.

So, in the face of calamity, whether it be at home or abroad, let us hold on to the fact that God’s love and compassion is with us, and echo and demonstrate it in our own thoughts, words and deeds.

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. Lamentations 3.22

Cultivating a friendship which inspires

Stephen Thorp 2 Comments

You don’t need to be a fan of Rugby League to appreciate and be inspired by the tremendous friendship between Kevin Sinfield and his former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow. When Rob Burrow was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in late 2019, Kevin stuck by his friend and was inspired to do whatever he could to raise money for MND charities. In 2020 he ran seven marathons in seven days and in 2021 he completed a run of 101 miles in 24 hours. Last year he completed an Ultra 7 in 7 Challenge when he ran seven back to back ultra-marathons (an ultra marathon being a run longer than the standard marathon length). His latest triumph was on Sunday 14th May 2023 when he completed the first inaugural Rob Burrow’s Leeds Marathon when he actually pushed Rob the 26.2 miles in a specially adapted wheelchair, lifting him out of the chair as they finally crossed the finish line together. So far Kevin Sinfield has raised well over £8 million for charity, which is not only a remarkable story about good coming out of adversity, but a wonderful celebration of their friendship.

The Bible has a lot to say about ‘running the race’ and ‘going the extra mile’, just as it does about friendship, with such examples as those of David and Jonathan, and Ruth and Naomi whose love, compassion and loyalty bound them together through ‘thick and thin’ as good friends regardless of what life and dire circumstances had brought them. The Christian will be aware that this was modelled in Jesus’ own life and taught by him when he told his disciples that they and all who put their faith in him could be his friends if they did what he commanded – and what was it that he commanded? It was that they should ‘love one another as I have loved you’ (John 15.12) in other words selflessly, sacrificially and completely, often putting the needs of the other person first, and before themselves. This was ultimately demonstrated by Jesus himself when he died upon the cross.

There is so much sadness and suffering in the world that it often weighs us down and depresses us but let us also lift up our heads and be inspired by the good examples of love and friendship that we see and be inspired to cultivate such qualities and friendships in our own life and the people we meet.  

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17.17

Can we afford to celebrate Christmas?

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The greatest gift of all: The birth of Jesus Christ

I’m writing this letter the day before Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Chancellor Jeremy Hunt reveal their Autumn Statement, and many people are wondering about how they will be affected by their policies. The three wise men may have been able to afford their extravagant gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, but for many the ‘cost of living’ crisis currently fuelled by higher energy prices, high inflation and fewer resources has meant that Christmas is rapidly losing its sparkle. A recent survey suggests that 42% of people are worried about how they will pay for Christmas this year compared to previous years and the media is full of sad stories and advice on how people can make ends meet. Martin Lewis, the Money Savings Expert states that most people start from the wrong place; “They have a perfect Christmas pictured in their mind of everything that they want and exactly how it is going to be, and then they try and work out how they can do it. Please don’t do that. That’s likely to lead to debt and disappointment. Decide on how much you are going to spend on Christmas this year and stick to it.”

The Christian will be aware that although presents are nice, Christmas is not really about presents at all, but about a God who loved the world so much that he freely stepped out of the majesty of heaven, becoming as the ‘Son of God’ a man born in Bethlehem to poor parents. He did this, so that we ‘as poor as we are’ might get to know him in a deeper, better and more profound way, trusting that his love, (ultimately demonstrated for us by his death on the cross) might not only lead to our salvation and the forgiveness of our sins but offer us a better, brighter and more positive future, for as the Apostle Paul once said ‘for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich’ (2 Corinthians 8.9).

Yes, the wise men may have offered Jesus expensive gifts as part of their worship, but in truth Christmas is really all about God’s good gift in Christ to us – and so on his birthday, what might he want most of all? An expensive lavish present? Not at all! He simply wants to be your friend as you put your faith and trust in him.

It’s a gift that grows with the receiving, each day becoming more and more satisfying as we come to appreciate and learn just what God has done for us in the person of Christ.

It is my hope that you will all have a really lovely Christmas with your respective families and friends, but not allow the finances to get in the way of your celebrations, but simply rejoice in each other’s company as God in love and ‘in Christ’ rejoices in you.

May I on behalf of my family and all the parishes I represent wish you all a very happy Christmas and a worry free, peaceful new year.  

What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb;
if I were a wise man I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him – give my heart.

From ‘In the bleak mid winter’ by Christina Rossetti

The Queen Is Dead: God Save The King!

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By the time you get to read this letter, the period of mourning for our late Queen, HM Queen Elizabeth II will be over. The parades, The Queue, formal lying-in-State and the funeral will all have come to an end, although our heartfelt praise and gratitude for Her Majesty and her long and glorious reign will last for ever. There will always be a special place for her, both in our history and the heart of the nation – and yet now in this period after the funeral we have an opportunity for quiet thought and reflection.

Perhaps one of the most striking things that struck visiting Presidents, Prime Ministers and other Heads of State, was that despite their constant praise of Queen Elizabeth as being ‘a rock’, and a ‘constant and invaluable presence’ (considering that she had witnessed 15 different Prime Ministers and 14 US Presidents during her reign), was the instant and seamless flow from one Sovereign to another; the Sovereign may have died but the Monarchy lives on; the Queen is dead; God save the King! This is not to show any form of disrespect, but to ensure that the life of the nation is maintained even in periods of great sadness and difficulty. The fact that Prince Charles became King Charles III upon the death of his mother, even before there was any formal proclamation or act of accession feels extraordinary to foreign dignitaries (and a great relief to those of us who have just witnessed the latest Conservative leadership contest). It’s the monarchy which helps bring this sense of constancy so admired by others, and perhaps most poignantly summed up by the Queen’s own words that “I find that one of the sad things is that people don’t take on jobs for life”.

Inevitably the sad death of the Queen will bring a period of uncertainty and change to those who have known nothing else, but the new King’s dedication to follow his late mother’s sense of Christian service and duty has been both comforting and reassuring. It’s also comforting that the Christian and religious nature of much of the past proceedings has brought a comfort and consolation to many, regardless of their own religious faith or lack of it – all are welcome here. Elizabeth was our Queen and now Charles is our King.

However, the Christian will also have a sense of another constancy in their lives, one that is central and a bed-rock to all that they say and do, bringing much comfort, strength and peace, and that is of course in God whose eternal nature was most wonderfully demonstrated through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is both God incarnate, and ‘Sovereign Lord and King’. His majesty and eternal promise gives us strength in times of difficulty, peace in times of uncertainty, hope for the future and comfort even beyond the grave. So as we look to the future of our nation, may we all celebrate our new earthly monarch and put our faith in the one in whose name he serves.     

“And surely I am with you always …” Matthew 28.20

Where is the truth and does it matter?

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I think we can all agree that today (15th June) was a bad day for the Prime Minister, for not only did the EU restart its legal proceedings against the government plans to unilaterally scrap parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, but also a fiercely heated debate took place over ‘who understood what’ at the time of signing the Brexit deal and how it should be practically interpreted – with the European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic effectively accusing the British government of lying to the general public. Secondly, Lord Geidt resigned from his position as Boris Johnson’s independent ethics advisor stating that there was a legitimate question as to whether the Prime Minister broke the ministerial rules over Partygate. Once again, the whole issue of ‘who knew what’ and who was lying came to the fore.

The problem is that we live today in a postmodern world where it is fashionable to believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth; all truth is said to be relative, depending upon your own particular point of view, which in the realm of politics (and much of society at large) tends to mean that ‘the truth’ becomes whatever suits me and is the most convenient and practically expedient. In fact, in recent years,  the most expedient thing has often been to deny the truth completely. We saw this in Donald Trump’s use of the term ‘Fake News’ to dismiss anything that he didn’t agree with, and his false accusation that the US Presidential election result was rigged, which in recent days even close family members and political advisors have dismissed as nonsense. Sadly, we have seen the most serious and blatant denial of truth coming from Russia, as President Putin conducts his ‘special military operation’ within Ukraine, which most observers would have no hesitation in calling a war, which has disastrous consequences for us all.

The problem with all this political spin, ‘fake news’ and propaganda is that it erodes trust as people lose faith in their political leaders and become disillusioned and suspicious instead. What can we believe and where can truth be found?

One’s own perspective of the world is greatly determined by one’s values and what one believes, which is why for many, Christianity offers a bedrock of security in a sea of change and relativity, for in the person of Jesus, we see a man who as the ‘Son of God’ not only had a great love and compassion for the world, but also kept his promises, living a life full of integrity and truth, backing up his words with action. Jesus had described himself as ‘the way, the truth and the life’ (John 14.6), offering his disciples not only a way to his Father in heaven but ‘life in all it’s fullness’ (John 10.10) and a ‘truth that will set you free’ (John 8.32). Despite the fact that the people were living in difficult and uncertain times, because he spoke with such authority and lived with such integrity, people were willing to embrace his words ‘do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me’ (John 14.1), and many people did trust Jesus because not only were his words trustworthy and true, but also so were his actions, as ultimately demonstrated by his life, death and resurrection.

As much as I would like everyone to enjoy a firm confidence in Christ, I’m also certain that we need to step back from a world where ‘all things are relative’ but have the confidence of one’s own convictions, for paraphrasing a comment made by Jeff Myers, a Christian commentator – ‘If something is true, then it is true whether we admit it, like it or not! May we and all our politicians live in the light of such certainty, and within it foster a high regard and appreciation for the truth.

 31 Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8.31-32

Easter hope in the midst of conflict!

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Ukranian Easter Egg

I write this letter on the day that President Zelensky of Ukraine spoke to the US Congress, thanking them for their help but also appealing for them to do more, most notably the establishment of a no-fly zone, ‘closing the sky’. Whatever we may think about the prudence of such an action, the disappointment from a Ukrainian point of view is easy to understand. This war has generated a huge wave of emotion in us all, whether it be a profound shock and disbelief that it could happen in the first place; to anger and despair as we witness the appalling suffering; to quiet admiration at the courage & stoicism of the people as they resourcefully defend their country; coupled with a huge amount of sadness, pity and compassion for the people who have suffered and lost so much. Yet at the same time we admire the extraordinary acts of kindness and generosity of surrounding nations as they open their hearts and their homes to take care of refugees and provide medical and humanitarian assistance where they can.

In the face of so much suffering, it would be easy to lose heart and lose faith wondering – just where precisely, is God is in all this? But of course, God is at work in the hearts of all those who are trying to look after their loved ones and those less fortunate than themselves. He’s in the compassion of doctors and nurses, trying to save lives and bind up the wounded. He’s in the voice of Russian protesters who are trying to speak truthfully to their neighbours in the light of false propaganda. He’s in the massive effort of governments, humanitarian agencies and charities all trying to act as one to relieve suffering and promote peace. Not forgetting to mention those who literally put themselves in harm’s way while trying to protect others. Finally, he’s in all our tears and prayers as we determine together that there must be a better way of being and living life.

Indeed, the Christian will recall that it is for this better way of life that Jesus came. His message was constantly about how we should ‘love God and our neighbour as ourselves’ (Matthew 19.19). In fact, it was precisely because we were so bad at doing this, wishing to promote our own agenda and thinking that we knew better than God, that sin came into the world in the first place, resulting in pain, suffering and death. But Jesus’ death upon the cross was the start of God putting things right, for when we recognise that the death he died, he died for us, and put our faith and trust in him as our Lord and Saviour, then we are forgiven our sins and given the chance to start again. But of course, Christ’s death is not the end of the story, for Christ’s divinity is demonstrated not only by the way he died, but by the way he rose again! The resurrection is therefore the basis of our Christian Easter hope, giving us, by faith, not only the strength to meet the challenges of today, but also a sure and certain hope for all eternity. May this be a real source of peace and comfort to each of us as we continue to demonstrate the love that God has for us in the way that we live and treat one another.  

Happy Easter to you all.                 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3.15

A Prayer for Ukraine

God of peace and justice,
we pray for the people of Ukraine today.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.
We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow,
that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them.
We pray for those with power over war or peace,
for wisdom, discernment and compassion to guide their decisions.
Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear,
that you would hold and protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen

Archbishop Justin Welby
Archbishop Stephen Cottrell

When war is looming, it’s essential that we act with wisdom, integrity & prayer!

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As I write this letter, the West is becoming increasingly alarmed by the number of Russian troops gathering on the borders of Ukraine. President Putin has repeatedly said that Russia has no intention of invading Ukraine, and his government has repeatedly accused the West of ‘histrionics’. In fact, hopes raised by President Putin’s recent statement that the Kremlin has authorised a partial withdrawal of its forces were quickly dashed by NATO’s chief, Jens Stoltenberg who insisted that satellite imagery showed no evidence of such a withdrawal, in fact, strategically, quite the reverse. This was swiftly followed by Liz Truss our own foreign secretary urging the West at a press conference in Kyiv, to ‘wise up’ in its dealings with Russia.

She no doubt has a point – when war is looming, and peoples’ lives are at stake it is beholden upon all of our national leaders to act with prudence, wisdom and caution. Concerns that Russian information might be misleading or that their tacticians might be engineering a so called ‘false flag’ provocation to justify a military invasion of Ukraine are as shocking as they are deceitful. This is why the West must ensure that it acts with wisdom and integrity, powerfully speaking to those who threaten harm, and with care to those who are in harm’s way. Every nation has the right to defend itself, but the engagement of warfare should always be a last resort.

The Christian will be aware that although Jesus commanded his disciples ‘to love your neighbour as yourself’ (Matthew 19.19), he also commanded them to ‘love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’ (Matthew 5.44). This is not a soppy, sentimental, ‘wishy-washy’ sort of love, but a love that allows the individual to keep a clear head and a clear perspective, not allowing oneself to descend into a mindless anger or hatred. Let’s pray that our national leaders will continue to act with as much tact and diplomacy as they can muster to encourage peace and deter the minds of those who might be tempted to go to war out of greed and evil self-interest.    

    “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12.17-21

———-

Since writing this initial post, Russia has invaded Ukraine, we therefore continue to pray for the people of Ukraine, and trust that they will not only be able to endure this ordeal with integrity and courage, but that the Western nations will do all that they can to ease their suffering, confront aggression and promote peace.