Prayer12

‘Dear Friends,

A song quite often sung as a solo in churches and in concerts of various kinds, used to go. ‘If I can help somebody… Then my living will not be in vain.’ It was exceptionally popular at the time, often providing a finale at concerts.

The words tie up well with the story of the Good Samaritan , and the teaching of Jesus where he says ‘By their fruits you shall know them.’ In other words; it isn’t always what people say that counts, it’s the way that they live their lives that really matters. How willing they are to help other people is of paramount importance.

The first of the Ten Commandment also re-enforces this care for others. Whilst critics may say it is a rather sentimental song , have no doubt about it: if any one claims to be a Christian, and they do not have a willingness to help others, there is something seriously wrong with their faith. The word ‘somebody’ is important too. It really means ‘anybody’ who is in need. We must be inclusive, and not have favourites whom we help.

We too of course must also be willing to receive when others want to give us their support. These things help to create cohesion and good in society, locally, and as a whole. The question that we have to ask ourselves, again and again, is how neighbourly are we- not only locally but living in the world as a ‘Global Village?’

This is something we have to ask ourselves frequently in our prayers before God.

Every blessing,

Sincerely, David.

(apologies for the 'blank period' in the intervening months- due to updating problems!)

(March 2009)

Dear Friends,

A headline appeared recently in a tabloid newspaper which complained that our culture was being destroyed by Muslims who banned 'Music, chess, Shakespeare, cricket and Harry Potter.'

 Whilst I agree that there is something very dangerous indeed in this kind of teaching in fundamentalist Muslim schools, there are far greater dangers to our cultural life than this.

The greatest danger in Britain and the Western world is a kind of secularism which attempts to write out the rich cultural traditions that come to us from our Christian history, and especially the place of the Bible in our culture.

Andrew Motion, the Poet Laureate, who has no religious axe to grind, warned us of this recently when he wrote that even ‘parents who do not believe in God should have nothing to fear from their children learning about the Bible. "If people say this is about ramming religion down people's throats, they aren't thinking about it hard enough," he said. "It is more about the power of these words to connect with deep, recurring human truths, and also the story of the influence of that language and those stories."

There are two challenges here for us all. First, we need to read the Bible more ourselves so that our knowledge of God can be enriched, and carefully look at way in which we can encourage the young to read the scriptures more.

Let us also pray that all people’s of ‘good will’ will at least see the sensibleness of allowing others to share in all the riches of spirituality that the Holy Scriptures bring.

With all good wishes, and every blessing.

David

(February 2009.)

Dear Friends,

Barack Obama's inauguration as President of the United States was a historic moment. One of our neighbours, who has no special connections with America, poured out a glass of wine to celebrate the occasion as she watched it all on TV!

 To see the crowd of around two million people in America sharing in the event, was moving in itself, and the address he gave expressed high hopes for the future for his country and for the world.

He has a seemingly impossible task to fulfil. The decisions reached under his leadership can have deep implications for the rest of the world. There were many things he said that I felt were important. There were two that I jotted down.

'Greatness is never a gift, it must be earned.' and 'God calls upon us to shape an uncertain destiny.'

The first jotting reminds us that no country, or individual, can rest upon their laurels. Once people start to do that, decay sets in. Leaving things as they are and simply expecting ' good luck' to come our way is never enough. The world needs people who are dedicated to the greatest and the best, not only leaders and politicians, but every one of us at every level of life. We have to strive for the best. This is what true greatness is all about.

However, we cannot do this on our own, and we need to remember that 'God calls upon us to shape an uncertain future.' We need God's help. He calls upon us to be involved in His creation, and all the issues that concern human beings. None of us can sit back and do nothing. We all have a role to play. Good democracy is based on this - not people and nations wanting political systems and policies to create an easy life for them.

We, especially as Christians, are called upon instead to seek something far deeper- God's will for His world, and God's will being done, as the Lord's prayer says, 'on earth as it is in heaven.' We all need to live by a dream, a vision, a hope.

At the moment, I am enjoying reading Obama's book 'The audacity of Hope.' It presents challenges to the American people well, and so much of what it says could apply to us all.

Let us pray that that we may all embrace Hope for a better future with audacity and courage.

With all good wishes, and every blessing, David.

(January 2009.)

Dear friends,

Once the decorations go down after Christmas, it's amazing how drab everything seems. It is very easy to understand why, in dark Northern Hemisphere situations at this time of the year, people can easily feel depressed. What is the solution to depression?

The answer is rarely easy. First of all it frequently helps if people can share things on their minds with others.

There are two major difficulties: may be there is no-one around who can listen, whom we feel we can trust. Secondly, we may find it hard to put into words how we feel. We might need expert advice. Needless to say, if anyone wants a listening ear, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

The other thing that we often discover however is that there are always people 'worse off' than ourselves. When we look at life from this perspective it helps, and as we bear this in mind we will certainly include many people outside our own circles of friends as well as those within them who need our careful and prayerful support I have often found that when visiting people who are going through difficult times, it is often appropriate to include in a prayer the remembrance of 'those whose need is greater than our own.'

The year 2009 does not look as if it is going to be an easy year, but I am sure that if we work on the principle of giving thanks to God every day for five simple things that have been 'good.' (It almost sounds like eating five portions of 'fruit' every day!), this can go a considerable way to removing the corrosiveness of things and states of mind that create depression.

May this year be a year of Hope for us all, and may we all seek outlooks and ways of life that build up in us a strong sense of trust in God, and may we all be used in building up this hope in others too.

With all good wishes, and every blessing,

David.