Dear Friends
As I write the credit crunch continues to burrow more deeply into our economy in a way we could not have imagined or foreseen twelve months ago. We will all be affected by it in many different ways, but as always it is the poorest and the most vulnerable who will come off the worst.
Over the last few years the gap between the richest and the poorest in our society has been growing. In response to this a new coalition of agencies is gathering together under the umbrella ?Get Fair?. The group seeks to raise the issue of poverty in the UK and take action to encourage ways in which poverty can be reduced. This form of action is similar to the Jubilee 2000 Campaign which was so successful in combining forces to mobilise governments and nations to tackle world poverty and injustice. Working together thousands of individuals had an impact and made a difference.
Unexpected change, much of which will be beyond our control, leaves us feeling unsettled and stirred up. It is a natural instinct to look out for ourselves and concentrate on our own needs out of fear and concern for our own well-being and that of our loved ones. It?s not always straight forward when we don?t always live near to one another today.
It is a simple step to realise that someone who lives in the house or flat opposite, or down the road is someone else?s mother, son, aunt, step-father, godchild and so on. Should we not treat them how we would treat our own relations or how we hope others would treat them in our absence? It?s easier to write than it is to do. Respect, value and the worth of each person is at the heart of the good news that Jesus lived in his time on earth. He was less concerned how someone looked on the outside; more interested in the motivations of their heart.
On 12 October Dr Philip Lewis, inter-faith adviser to Bishop David, will be preaching at the 10.30am service. In September the Church marked Racial Justice Sunday. How do we respond to difference as individuals and as a community? What is it that helps us to recognise our own perspective and be willing to take time to discover the perspective of another; to listen and appreciate it.
I wonder what we will learn from our current financial difficulties? What are the things which we have in common with one another, apart from the uncertainty which we can focus on to support us through this period of considerable change? Are we ready to place people at the heart of our life and work; all sorts of people, family, friends, colleagues, neighbours and strangers? Jesus placed relationship at the heart of his life and the effect was transforming. Could this be an important key to our future?
Yours in Christ,
Ruth