Dear All
What a month May is this year! The timing of Easter gives us three major feasts days this month (Ascension, Pentecost and Trinity), we have two Bank Holidays (and the town’s Meet Weekend to look forward to) the weather is warming up, and ‘No mow May’ takes the pressure off gardeners (not least the Vicar) What’s not to like?
As we move our way through the 50 days of Easter and look forward into the summer months, we turn from celebrating the historic moments associated with our faith and are asked ‘so what?’ How will we live in the light of what God in Christ has done for us? What difference does being a Christian make to daily living?
Somewhere in the mix of responses to that question there must be a recognition of the dignity of every individual as being made in the image of the God who took our humanity to Himself in Jesus. The first Christians lived at a time where slavery was accepted, gladiators fought to the death in the arena and infanticide or child abandonment was common. Respect for life – every human life- was an outworking of Christian faith. We still have a part to play in affirming that all lives are worthy of dignity and respect. This affirmation must include the unborn, the frail and aged and those living with disabilities. It will impact how we live alongside our neighbours and friends but also shape our attitude towards those who are not like us, those with whom we disagree passionately and those from different cultures who challenge and perhaps disturb us.
The casual acceptance of violence and warfare, the destruction of property and civilian infrastructure in the current conflicts across the world show that a once accepted Christian morality is being pushed aside by those who know no restraint upon their worst impulses. Perhaps the defining characteristic of 21st century Christians in our troubled world must again become our affirmation of life itself: God given, redeemed at great cost and of immeasurable value. The forces of Death are great but resurrection people in word and deed must always ‘Choose Life’.
St Cyprian of Carthage wrote ‘We do not speak great things…we live them.’ There’s a challenge.
Every Blessing,
Alec