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Thought for the Week – 28th January 2024

Just Wars, Far and Near

The war in Ukraine will soon enter its 3rd year and is currently in a stale-mate that resembles the First World War. In Gaza, in addition to 1200 or so Israeli civilians killed in the initial attack, we now have the deaths of around 25.000 Palestinians and over 250 Israeli soldiers; as far as I can tell, the military operation has rescued only a very small number of the hostages.

Traditionally the church has judged conflicts according to the criteria of the “just war”. There are some Christians who regard this phrase as a contradiction in terms and oppose any military action. I disagree, but then I have to make a whole series of moral judgements; is the action proportionate? Will it succeed? Overall, will it ultimately do more good than harm. For what it is worth, I think that the conflict in Gaza now does not meet those criteria. However, my views on that or any other international conflict will have very little influence over what actually happens and I may be wrong. But perhaps it is more useful to think of the ideas of a just war when it comes to our own personal wars; those situations where we are in conflict with others. The same set of judgements need to be made; what will be the consequences if we escalate the dispute? Is the battle worth fighting or is it better to back down? As in the international sphere,  these are not always easy to answer. However, if we do think through our own conflicts and their consequences as rationally as we can, our decisions here will influence situations we can change.

Rev David Poyner

Thought for the Week – 21st January 2024

Judge Not?

The scandal of the sub-post masters continues to unfold; as I write this, the latest revelation is that people at Fujitsu, the company that supplied the software to the post-office, were always aware that it had faults. It also seems incredible that nobody at the post-office suspected this when the number of sub-poster masters being investigated reached getting on for 1000. There are calls for repercussions for those in authority, especially at the post office.

I can understand the anger of a person wrongly convicted who wants justice and I have no problem with those who have been found to be negligent or worse having proportionate action taken against them. I do however have some unease at the way there seems to a rush to judge and condemn some individuals before due judicial process has taken place, particularly when the cheer-leaders are politicians who seem to be chasing popularity rather pursuing justice. Jesus condemned those who condemned others without first reflecting on their own shortcomings. Humility is a virtue and my personal opinion is that the court of popular opinion is not always the best forum for justice.

Rev David Poyner

Thought for the Week – 14th January 2024

Friendship

As I write this (12th January), I see that in the church’s calendar today we commemorate Aelred of Hexham, Abbot of Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire, who died in 1167. Aelred is chiefly noted for his writing on friendship; the value of a deep relationship between two people. Friendship, as a virtue, has been elevated above love; and there is something special about a bond that draws two people together, so they feel that they gain from being in each other’s company. This of course can have sexual aspects; their have been attempts to portray Aelred’s attraction to his closest friends as such, but these seem to me to be misguided. Whatever Aelred’s sexuality, he celebrates the way two people gain strength and can even find a new, mutual identity as they celebrate each other’s company. As a person not in a relationship, I am especially dependant on those who offer me friendship and  that carries me in good and bad times. Aelred saw in our human relationships a model of what he considered to be the ultimate friendship; that between Christ (or God) and the individual. As a Christian, I agree with this, but even those who do not call themselves Christians can celebrate the joys of friendship.

Rev David Poyner

Thought for the Week – 7th January 2024

Here Comes the Sun

We can apparently anticipate a new sight in the sky for the next couple of weeks; a bright orange disc. For those who have forgotten, this is called “the sun” and it seems to have been largely absent for the last month of rain and gloom. Sunlight is welcome, both for our physical and mental well-being; there is something very enlivening about a bright winter day, with the sun shining through the bare hedges and trees and the promise of better weather ahead.

The return of the sun coincides with the Christian festival of the epiphany, on January 6th. This celebrates the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus, but it is more than a chance to sing “We three kings” and the time to take down the Christmas decorations. The wise men were not Jews and yet they were called to worship the infant Jesus and the word epiphany has the meaning of a revelation of God’s light to all humanity. It is not easy to find causes for optimism in the world at the moment, but just as the days lengthen and become brighter, the sun increasingly shines throughout the day, epiphany reminds us to look out and celebrate in that whatever sustains us spiritually.

Rev David Poyner