Like many others I have found myself feeling quite conflicted during the past week, both before and since the vote in the UK Parliament on Thursday evening. How might I have voted if the responsibility was mine? At times those whom we elect to represent us in Parliament are faced with extremely difficult decisions. How they need our prayers and God's guidance in their deliberations! But simply appointing others to take the tough decisions does not relieve of from the responsibility to do our own struggling with the moral and ethical issues. It is all too easy to pass the buck.
I also find myself deeply disturbed by the commentators who state such things as Parliament reflecting the views of the people. If the people are not fully engaging with the issues and worse still, allowing ourselves to be influenced by the spin of journalists, what kind of quality does the view of the people possess? Our Members of Parliament are not delegates, there to express our opinion; they are elected to lead. This brings us back to reflect on what we understand democracy to be. I am not sure that I want a Parliament that bases all its decisions on the mood of the people. Majority decisions are not necessarily always right. Consider the majority decisions when the Children of Israel were on the verge of entering the Promised Land, or on the matter of creating the golden calf, or the decision to create a monarchy in Israel, or in Pilate's courtyard.
In times of general moral decline I hear far too often "Well, its OK because everybody does it". Is that sufficient reason for allowing standards to slip and following the crowd? On what, exactly, do we want the tough decisions to be based? Good and godly governance is clearly what everyone would want. Both abusive dictatorial or autocratic government and weak government are harmful.
Cain's feeble question to the Almighty echoes down the centuries. It finds responses in such accounts as the parable of the Good Samaritan, and in Pilate washing his hands and surrendering an innocent man to the mob. I grew up at a time when the decision as to who to vote for in the elections was based more on opinions of moral character than party policies. I regret that this seems to have been lost. But on this current issue regarding Syria I still find myself conflicted and struggling. It seems there is no easy solution. I regret that Bashar al-Assad broke the initial promise he made to reign in the oppression of certain government bodies and to move towards greater democracy. At that time he carried significant goodwill. Since then we now have some disturbing extreme elements in the bodies opposing his regime. Politically it is a mess.
But on the human level we have seen and, I fear, will continue to see horrific scenes of people suffering from chemical warfare and now incendiary weapons deliberately targeted on civilians including women and children. Whether our Government and Parliament will face again the question of taking military action in this situation is uncertain. What is certain is that we should care and at the very least we should be engaging in earnest prayer for righteousness and wisdom among world leaders and our own politicians, and for peace to come to the suffering people of the Middle East. Dare we pray, "Your kingdom come.." this Sunday without greater resolve on our own part?
God's response to Cain is surely the same to us today. "Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground". God save us from "washing our hands" and teach us to more often clasp them in earnest prayer.
From my diary
Your prayers during my activities in Sussex two weeks ago were much appreciated. It has felt that real progress is being made as we work to resolve the problem inherited from poor management by a former trustee and executive of a mission organisation of which I am now a trustee.
I have had useful meetings with church leaders regarding the research I am doing with Winchester University into attitudes and practise in evangelism in English rural churches. Over the next few weeks I anticipate meeting with supervisors at Winchester as I re-engage with this programme.
Sunday 1st - Ministry at yelvertoft Congregational Church, Northants
Monday 2nd - Planning Meeting for school assemblies in the morning. Meeting with our Children and Families Worker in the afternoon.
Tuesday 3rd - Attending an important meeting in Nottingham where my role is providing pastoral support. Please pray for honesty, clarity and wisdom for all taking part.
Wednesday 4th - Participating in a Pastoral care Board Meeting for the Congregational Federation in Nottingham. This Board is entrusted with important responsibilities and your prayers will be appreciated.
Thursday 5th - We have our Bible discussion meeting. I missed the last one and the passage we shall look at is challenging. I am also due to be back in Nottingham for a meeting for Area Workers' line managers.
Friday 6th - in the evening I will be participating in the East Midlands Area of the Congregational Federation's Finance and General Purposes Committee Meeting at Ashby de la Zouche, Leics.
Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th I will be speaking in Bradford, Yorkshire, to celebrate a special anniversary service in Tony and Sue Newnhams' ministry. Tony and Sue worked with us in Mission for Christ many years ago, following which Tony entered ministry in the Baptist Union.
You will see this is going to be a very busy week of engagements and Doreen and I would especially value your prayers for safety in the travelling and for grace and wisdom in deliberations, and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on ministry.
Thank you.
I also find myself deeply disturbed by the commentators who state such things as Parliament reflecting the views of the people. If the people are not fully engaging with the issues and worse still, allowing ourselves to be influenced by the spin of journalists, what kind of quality does the view of the people possess? Our Members of Parliament are not delegates, there to express our opinion; they are elected to lead. This brings us back to reflect on what we understand democracy to be. I am not sure that I want a Parliament that bases all its decisions on the mood of the people. Majority decisions are not necessarily always right. Consider the majority decisions when the Children of Israel were on the verge of entering the Promised Land, or on the matter of creating the golden calf, or the decision to create a monarchy in Israel, or in Pilate's courtyard.
In times of general moral decline I hear far too often "Well, its OK because everybody does it". Is that sufficient reason for allowing standards to slip and following the crowd? On what, exactly, do we want the tough decisions to be based? Good and godly governance is clearly what everyone would want. Both abusive dictatorial or autocratic government and weak government are harmful.
Cain's feeble question to the Almighty echoes down the centuries. It finds responses in such accounts as the parable of the Good Samaritan, and in Pilate washing his hands and surrendering an innocent man to the mob. I grew up at a time when the decision as to who to vote for in the elections was based more on opinions of moral character than party policies. I regret that this seems to have been lost. But on this current issue regarding Syria I still find myself conflicted and struggling. It seems there is no easy solution. I regret that Bashar al-Assad broke the initial promise he made to reign in the oppression of certain government bodies and to move towards greater democracy. At that time he carried significant goodwill. Since then we now have some disturbing extreme elements in the bodies opposing his regime. Politically it is a mess.
But on the human level we have seen and, I fear, will continue to see horrific scenes of people suffering from chemical warfare and now incendiary weapons deliberately targeted on civilians including women and children. Whether our Government and Parliament will face again the question of taking military action in this situation is uncertain. What is certain is that we should care and at the very least we should be engaging in earnest prayer for righteousness and wisdom among world leaders and our own politicians, and for peace to come to the suffering people of the Middle East. Dare we pray, "Your kingdom come.." this Sunday without greater resolve on our own part?
God's response to Cain is surely the same to us today. "Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground". God save us from "washing our hands" and teach us to more often clasp them in earnest prayer.
From my diary
Your prayers during my activities in Sussex two weeks ago were much appreciated. It has felt that real progress is being made as we work to resolve the problem inherited from poor management by a former trustee and executive of a mission organisation of which I am now a trustee.
I have had useful meetings with church leaders regarding the research I am doing with Winchester University into attitudes and practise in evangelism in English rural churches. Over the next few weeks I anticipate meeting with supervisors at Winchester as I re-engage with this programme.
Sunday 1st - Ministry at yelvertoft Congregational Church, Northants
Monday 2nd - Planning Meeting for school assemblies in the morning. Meeting with our Children and Families Worker in the afternoon.
Tuesday 3rd - Attending an important meeting in Nottingham where my role is providing pastoral support. Please pray for honesty, clarity and wisdom for all taking part.
Wednesday 4th - Participating in a Pastoral care Board Meeting for the Congregational Federation in Nottingham. This Board is entrusted with important responsibilities and your prayers will be appreciated.
Thursday 5th - We have our Bible discussion meeting. I missed the last one and the passage we shall look at is challenging. I am also due to be back in Nottingham for a meeting for Area Workers' line managers.
Friday 6th - in the evening I will be participating in the East Midlands Area of the Congregational Federation's Finance and General Purposes Committee Meeting at Ashby de la Zouche, Leics.
Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th I will be speaking in Bradford, Yorkshire, to celebrate a special anniversary service in Tony and Sue Newnhams' ministry. Tony and Sue worked with us in Mission for Christ many years ago, following which Tony entered ministry in the Baptist Union.
You will see this is going to be a very busy week of engagements and Doreen and I would especially value your prayers for safety in the travelling and for grace and wisdom in deliberations, and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on ministry.
Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment