Dear Friends

I am told that History can teach us a lot about the present. Recently I have been reading books concerning the great upheaval between the Catholics and Protestants and how it divided our country. Henry Vlll wanted to break away from Europe which included the power of Rome. The Bible was printed in English. Ordinary people, perhaps for the first time began to question the moral compass of the authorities of the day. The whole debate of what Jesus did, and said, was held up to the light
of how the Church and State were exercising power and authority. Fast forward to today. The old joke about putting ten priests or politicians in a room to debate anything you will get over thirty opinions. I am thinking of the way Brexit has been debated recently in the House of Commons.

I see the old certainties being taken apart or at least undermined. It is hard to find genuine meaning as we debate our future survival in this increasingly fragmented world.

Are there any certainties left? I wonder what God thinks of it all? The Good Book says something about “A house divided against itself”. Whatever you may think what God in Jesus did, he came out with
some pretty radical sayings, such as: Love your enemy, deny yourself and embrace doubt and pain, forgive someone who has wronged you
by 70 times 7, Love your neighbour. What stops us doing all this – fear, selfishness, pride? Or is it simply that we don’t care? Perhaps it is easier to judge the traits in others rather than ourselves?

However, as it says in the Good Book, “be of good cheer for God through Jesus has overcome the World”. You may think that this is a glib answer to the messes we see in the world today. However unless we start really listening and respecting one another, even loving one another, what hope is there? A house divided against itself will………………………….I hope you get the picture?

Yours Kevin