Christian – Page 7 – Stephen Thorp

The Dilemma Of Voting For The Right Kind Of Leader

This week the Labour Party will start to elect its new leader and many will breathe a huge sigh of relief to think that at long last it’s nearly over. Whatever one’s political view, it’s hard to pretend that this particular Labour Contest hasn’t thrown up a few surprises. Who would have thought that Jeremy Corbyn’s candidacy would have proved so popular? It’s even been dubbed Corbynmania by the press as this most left-wing of the four leadership candidates throws the election contest wide open to the astonishment of the Labour party’s political elite and former leaders. With 610,753 people registered to vote, many see Jeremy Corbyn as the new fresh voice of traditional, socialist Labour values; whereas others warn that his leadership will be a disastrous move for the Labour Party, rendering it practically unelectable as its moves away from the centre ground which proved so popular under Tony Blair and ‘New Labour’. I guess we shall just have to wait and see which of these political perspectives comes out on top, but surely Gordon Brown was right when he argued that the main thing all political parties needed to offer the electorate is hope!

One of the privileges of living in a democracy is the fact that we get a chance to say who we would like to represent us. Sometimes this process can be quite challenging, daunting and uncomfortable – ‘I would like to vote for you but I most certainly wouldn’t want to vote for you’. How do we cope when we feel that our trust has been misplaced or the person representing us doesn’t adequately share our vision? We want leaders, but only when they agree with us! It was precisely this sort of dilemma that faced people when Jesus first burst on to the scene. At first he was taken as a radical, someone who would challenge the authorities, kick against the establishment, and give power to the people. He spoke about a kingdom that was ‘breaking in’, being established before their very eyes, but not just any kingdom this was ‘the kingdom of God’! It all sounded very revolutionary, but was Jesus the king? Was he the long awaited and eagerly anticipated Messiah? “Who do people say I am?” Jesus once asked his disciples. “Some say John the Baptist; others Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets” was the general reply. Only Peter had the courage to voice what no doubt many of the others were thinking – “You are the Messiah” he said. There it was, out in the open, the Messiah was here! Well done Peter! But almost immediately hopes and dreams were turned upside down as Jesus explained that he was required to go to Jerusalem, face suffering and rejection and even death, culminating three days later in his resurrection. This was astonishingly dismal! What about all those hopes and dreams about the cleansing and restoration of the Jewish Temple; defeating the enemy (namely the Romans) who threatened and oppressed God’s people; and the long awaited longing for justice and freedom – were all these hopes and dreams to be horribly broken and terribly smashed? Surely Jesus was mistaken and Peter rebukes him. It was unthinkable that the long awaited Messiah and King should face suffering, rejection and death. The problem was then (as it is today) that so many people want a leader, but not a leader like that! Not one who was so completely at odds with their long held vision, dreams and values. Now, I’m not remotely suggesting that Jeremy Corbyn is the ‘saviour’ of the Labour Party, but it is this clash of perspectives and ideals which I find most fascinating.

Peter was in turn rebuked by Jesus who accused him of not having in mind ‘the things of God, but the things of men’. His vision was simply too mundane and too small to comprehend all that God had in store. I don’t know what lies in store for our nation or the Labour Party, but biblically speaking, the ministry of Jesus achieved something way beyond our human imagination, for it provides us all with the possibility of a new start, a new and restored relationship with God which provides us with new possibilities and encourages us to work towards a more loving, fair and just society, with rewards not just for the present moment but for all eternity. That’s what Jesus the Messiah meant when he spoke about the Kingdom of God breaking in and this is a cause of much joy, celebration and hope. Naturally, he wins my vote – what about yours?

‘but what about you? He asked. “who do you say I am?”’ Mark 8.29

In Praise Of Church Bells

This month, I am very much looking forward to our “Summer Concert & Abseiling from the Church Tower” weekend (Fri 3^rd & Saturday 4^th July) as we try to raise some money towards the restoration of our church bells. I know perfectly well that in the grand scheme of things there are many other things that are much more important and significant to people’s immediate welfare than church bells and I wouldn’t for one moment want to pretend otherwise – but equally, we in Britain have a great and grand tradition of ‘English’ church bell ringing (which is completely different to that done across Europe), not just for church services but at times of national significance and joyful celebration. Recently bells have been rung to celebrate various Royal occasions, the Olympics, and commemorate various anniversaries pertaining to both the first and second world wars. Not only are they our bells rung for Sunday services but they are also rung to celebrate weddings and other joyful events of people from our community. The bells therefore add another colour and facet to our daily life bringing us all together – and it would be such a shame if they were to fall silent just because we couldn’t afford to maintain them. So if you are one of those ‘brave souls’ who is prepared to jump off the tower and raise some funds for us on Saturday – thank you very much indeed! Or can I encourage you to sponsor those who are? I would also like to invite you to come to our ‘Summer Concert’ on Friday evening (7.30pm). It would be lovely to see you and your attendance really would be very much appreciated.

I’m sure that most of you will appreciate that for me as a clergyman, and as Rector of All Saints Necton, the bells are immensely symbolic, for they remind us that despite our busy and increasingly secular lives, there is still a place for God, both at the heart of our community and at significant times in our lives. God is there. He is always there, as represented by his church – not just in the bricks and mortar of our buildings, but in the hearts and minds of those who put their faith and trust in him. The bells are a call to worship, but they are also rung in celebration of his presence amongst us, even at the most difficult times in our lives. We may not always feel his presence, but fortunately faith is not based upon feeling, but upon our simple knowledge and understanding of him. The bells go on to remind us that God’s love for us both as individuals and as a community is not fickle, ‘here one moment and gone the next’, but like them, is constant, steadfast and enduring – and that has to be not only a comfort to many, but a cause for celebration.

Yours as ever,

Stephen Thorp

‘and surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ Matthew 28.20

(If you would like to know more about All Saints Necton just click the link in the ‘Link List),

Floods, Chaos And A Bewildered Hippopotamus

It would be comical if it wasn’t so sad! The sight of a heavily sedated hippopotamus being herded along the streets of Tbilisi by a group of civilians in the wake of a major flood that has devastated the Georgian capital and smashed its city’s zoo, is extraordinary. Sadly thirteen people are known to have tragically lost their lives in the flooding, and the city’s police have subsequently come under intense scrutiny for appearing to cavalierly shoot the escaped animals rather than see them be recaptured. A wolf that was shot by police even though it had been safely sedated appears to undermine the official police reports that their only desire was to protect civilians. Between the flooding and police shootings, the zoo has lost over half its animals, with its owners begging that animals are only shot if there is direct evidence that they are a danger to people (like the white tiger which sadly killed a man). ‘Begi’, the Hippopotamus, having been safely returned to an elephant cage high above the flood waters appears to be one of the lucky ones.

This devastating loss of human and animal life, combined with all the mud, water and chaos, is reminiscent of the biblical story of Noah. Now, many will immediately dismiss this ‘fanciful story’ as myth and legend, treating it as either a lovely bedtime story for little children or as the inspiration for the latest fantasy movie. Most will not be aware that there are many other ‘flood story’ accounts (such as the Gilgamesh Epic) springing out of the Middle East which give credence to the possibility that an actual flood occurrence might be part of that region’s collective memory. Regardless of its cultural background, not many will consider the story as it actually is – as theology, considering what it might have to say to us about our human condition or the nature of God! The sombre beginning to the Noah story sets the scene; “The earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence” (Genesis 6.11). The situation is far removed from the state of perfection found in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1 & 2). The mere fact that God was prepared to ‘wipe the slate clean’ with such a catastrophic flood and start again shows just how devastating it was to him that the earth should be so painfully wicked. It’s an extreme situation requiring an extreme response. God’s own holiness demanded that he acted, but his love and mercy required that he should also save the penitent. So, in steps Noah, a righteous man is given the task of building an Ark. But it’s not just his faith which is on display – it’s his obedience! Noah’s faith, trust and obedient actions lead him to produce the means by which a faithful remnant can be saved. The world is given a second chance through him. The hero of the Gilgamesh Epic closes the door upon his own boat, but in the story of Noah we are specifically told that it was God who ‘shut him in’, looking after, caring for and protecting Noah and his family. The seeds of salvation which ultimately come to fruition in the story of Jesus and his death upon the cross, are first sown for us here in the story of Noah.

Upon reflection, I’m not remotely saying that the situation in Georgia is a result of the people’s sin, but sometimes when we look at the state of the world and see how violent it can be at times – it’s not only ‘Begi’ the hippo who’s left utterly bewildered. But in the fight against wickedness, violence and corruption, we like God need to be prepared to see sin for the dreadful evil that it truly is, trusting that with God’s help the loving and faithful actions of a few can make all the difference.

‘But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Genesis 8.1

Mediterranean Migrants – Compassion, Care And Caution

I DON’T THINK WE’VE EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT! The sight of so many poor people stranded on rickety boats, without food and water bobbing about on the Mediterranean Sea, desperate for help and longing to get to shore, is heartbreaking. Every boat seems to contain a heart wrenching story of brutal behaviour and callous mistreatment. Some people have been murdered for scraps of food, others have been thrown overboard due to religious intolerance, others have simply died from sickness and malnutrition and all have been exploited by people smugglers and cast adrift to meet an uncertain fate. The authorities are overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and those countries closest to the crisis are pleading for international help to cope with so many refugees. Apart from the numbers it’s a complex and uncomfortable problem for underneath the obvious and overwhelming humanitarian need there is also a concern that the boats might contain a ‘Trojan horse’- Islamic extremists intent on getting to Europe with a more sinister intent.

Whatever the potential dangers might be, in the first instance we always need to give people the ‘benefit of the doubt’, treating them compassionately as individuals, for the vast majority of these people are genuine refugees fleeing the violence of war torn conflicts in Lybia and Syria. Not many people (men, women and children) would undertake such a desperate and dangerous journey unless they were completely and utterly afraid. We always need to remember and try to understand what it is they are fleeing from! Sometimes in our minds we try to make a distinction between those who are genuine refugees fearful for their lives and those who are economic migrants simply travelling in search of a better life, but in reality it isn’t always quite so easy to make such a distinction. Even if you weren’t in danger of physical harm, if all the structures you knew and relied upon had been bombed out of existence so that you couldn’t even feed yourself or your family, which one of us wouldn’t try to start again elsewhere? I’m not saying that governments shouldn’t have criteria or controls, but simply pointing out that sometimes these distinctions aren’t always easy to maintain.

The Christian view point has always been that life is sacred, for we are all made in the ‘image of God’ and the Bible teaches us that we should not only love God with all of our heart, but ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ (Luke 22.29). Indeed Jesus reminds us in one of his parables that when we are generous in our care and concern of others, it’s almost as if we did it for him, blessing those who do so and judging those who don’t.

The situation may be vast and complex but we mustn’t allow ourselves to let fear and mistrust get in the way of our nation doing the right thing. Undoubtedly, nations must work together to challenge the root causes of such desperation (war, poverty and exploitation) but we must also encourage them to do their very best to provide immediate food, medicine and sanctuary to those in need. We demean ourselves if we turn a blind eye to such human want and suffering and it would be immoral if we were to simply let people – drift!

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25.40

Can We Afford Not To Vote?

ALL RIGHT I CONFESS – I DON’T KNOW WHO TO VOTE FOR!

And the truth is I suspect that I’m not alone! Like most people the present ‘coalition government’ has done some things that I completely agree with whilst others have brought me to utter despair. Indeed, there have been many times when I have felt completely disenfranchised by the current stream of politicians without any one single party capable of fairly representing me or my views. The possibility of another ‘hung parliament’ leading to yet another coalition has made things even more difficult with traditional labels no longer seeming relevant: now the Conservatives are the party of the ‘working people’ and Labour are anxious to show that they can be fiscally trusted with the economy. The political permeations are vast with the Liberal Democrats, UKIP, Greens and Scottish National Party all vying for our votes – but who has the right ideas and who can be trusted? After all, we all ‘know’, don’t we, that politicians are famous for saying one thing and doing another so why should we bother – and how is it all going to be paid for anyway? Perhaps we should all follow the Russell Brand style of doing things by simply withholding our vote and using our lack of engagement as a silent weapon of protest against the political establishment and elitist system until they see sense. Unfortunately not voting, in my opinion, far from being ‘radical and edgy’ simply translates into an abdication of rights and responsibility and becomes a lame excuse for apathy! How can we possibly influence things for the better if we can’t be bothered to engage with the process? Democracy doesn’t always achieve for us the things that we hope for as individuals, but for us as a society it’s a hard won freedom that we should each cherish, respect and observe.

The problem is of course that we don’t live in a perfect society and neither do our political parties, therefore each one is made up of a mixture of things we like and dislike, good and bad (or good and not so good) and things that we can better identify with or not. Therefore instead of absenting ourselves from the process we need to make even stronger efforts to engage with it and understand things until we come to a decision. This isn’t always easy and for many is a bit of a struggle. Appreciating that there will never be a perfect fit in any human institution, I will vote for the party that sits most comfortably with my Christian faith and looks as if it will enhance our society in the most fair, just and compassionate way – just as you will vote according to your principles and what matters most to you. Perhaps, like me at the time of writing, you don’t know which way to vote, but there is one thing upon which I hope we can all agree and that is that ‘not voting’ is not an option!

“What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6.8

REGISTER TO VOTE ON THE LINK BELOW