Dear Friends

As I sit and write this the sad events in our major cities have come to an end and an uneasy peace has settled over the areas affected.  The true origins are now not easy to trace.  To start with there was a peaceful protest at the shooting of a young man by the police.  Then it was said that the reason was, that these were a people without hope of a job or money.  However, when the press released the identities of some of those arrested this seemed to be in doubt as well, as one was an eleven year old boy and one a millionaires daughter, to say nothing of the teaching assistant! 

I feel that the truest assessment of the situation was that of Archbishop John Sentamu who stated, “Sadly, we have created an individualistic, disposable society, with weakened family and community structures, where the interests of me, myself and I have become paramount. In many ways, we have made a god of self and self-interest.”  These people who rioted did not care whether they were hurting anyone else.  They did not care whose house or car they set on fire, they did not care what shop they looted.  This was evident as they smashed into an Oxfam shop.  A shop where there was probably only second hand goods that were being sold to help those who are starving, have no access to medicine or often to shelter.  Surely if this was about a lack of hope due to poverty this shop would have been left alone, wouldn’t it?   The saddest event of course was the loss of the three young men who were standing up for their community, who had put themselves out for others.  Thanks go to a wise father who could have let tensions escalate but quelled them by calling for an end to this madness.

The truth is though; we can all put our hands up to putting ourselves first.  How often do we hear someone say, “You’ve got to look after number one, no-one else will.”  We have become a society where what you have is more important than what you give.  A society where you are judged by possessions, where you live and who you are seen with.  A society where “Love your neighbour as yourself” (second commandment) is the furthest thing from most people’s minds. 

But there is hope.  We can all turn and put our hope in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As a man he had nothing, he went from town to town relying on the generosity of others.  At the end he even gave up his life by suffering the cruellest of deaths, that of crucifixion.  He was an example to us about not coveting what everyone else seems to have. An example of loving others more than ourselves, and most of all he was an example of always having hope even though things may be against us.  This is a hope shared by all Christians and it can be yours also, all you have to do is believe.

Love