Fear NotWhen you grow up to be an adult, it is easy to forget how frightening lifecan be at times as a child. For a start there is the question of scale; try and imagine how big a large dog is to a three-year-old or what amountain a staircase must seem. As we get a little older we get to be a little braver, but many children areafraid of school bullies and phobias become more prevalent as we get to adulthood. We are all frightened of something, however brave we might appear, and the greatest fear of all is death. Spike Milligan famously said, “I’m not afraid of dying, I just don’t want to be there when it happens,”, and when he died in 2002, he had the Gaelic inscription: “Duirt me leat go raibh me breoite” (“I told you I was ill”) inscribed on his tombstone.When “Crimewatch” used to be on television we were always reassured by the presenter that such violent incidents are rare and we should not be afraid, but I know people who had nightmares after watching. Although fear is a very natural emotion which helps to protect us, fear can ruin our lives and stop us from being the people that God wants us to be. Frankin D. Roosevelt in his Inaugural Address as President of the U.S.A. in 1933 said, “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. Life today is racked with fear of people and religions we do not understand, or the economic uncertainties of the future; if we are not careful we can get ourselves into a really nervous state.Some of you may have had near death experiences and sometimes life can get very frightening. My motorcycling days as a young man brought about a couple of occasions which still bring me out in a cold sweat when I recall them, and then there was the time that I got trapped inside a humidity chamber at work (50ºC and 100% humidity) which was literally a big hot sweat. However, the thing that perhaps frightened me most was suffering a severe atrial fibrillation episode 10 years ago when my heart went into overdrive and it would not go back to normal. After nearly 24 hours in hospital they told me that they were going to do Cardioversion, which meant absolutely nothing to me. It transpired that they stick a large metal plate to your back and one on your chest before administering large electric shocks – luckily they give a general anaesthetic prior to the procedure. I woke up about an hour later with Sue at my side, and an hour or so after that I was able to go home. Isn't science marvellous, I wonder who worked out how to do that for the first time. I then went for a heart scan a couple of weeks later and was amazed to see my heart throbbing away on a large TV screen, which also was a bit scary, but contrary to what some people might say it proved I had one.Today we have the fear of Covid 19, a virus that we cannot see and have no idea who might pass it on to us. As a country we do not seem to be doing to well in defeating it, and the world we live in with with so much travel between countries and within our country makes containment almost impossible. Messages from our Government also seem to change every day and working out what you can or can't do is a minefield. Being frightened is part of being careful and we all need to be doing that at the moment. Wearing face masks, washing our hands, being careful to socially distance and of course isolating ourselves if we feel ill should now be habitual, as well as remembering to get ourselves tested as soon as possible. Was Jesus frightened? I suspect that he was very frightened as he neared Jerusalem for the last time. He would have been very aware of the cruelty and pain inflicted on those who were crucified and the vindictive nature of the Scribes and Pharisees who could not accept his messiahship. The Passion was as terrifying as anyone could imagine, and his disciples deserted him as he had predicted, but although frightened of what was happening, Jesus did not let fear control him. What overcame fear was total love of humankind and the knowledge that his Heavenly Father was with him through all his suffering. When Jesus was dying one of the criminals crucified next to him taunted him, but the other said he was a sinner and deserved to die. He then came out with that incredible statement which sometimes makes me cry, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom”, and Jesus replies, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise”. (Luke 23, v 42&43) For Christians fear of death is finally vanquished by the resurrection of our Lord. Paradise awaits us if we hold to our faith and live a Christian life as best we can. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12 v32).Fr. Terry
Thoughts for Today From the real world, sublime and challenging Peru to PanamaWednesday 18th February saw us drawing close to Lima before our four day onward sailing to the Panama Canal.Early in the morning we awoke to the sight and sound of hundreds of birds flying low outside our porthole. They were mainly Guanay Cormorants and Peruvian Boobies hunting for their anchovie breakfast. As we approached the Peruvian port of Callao and our own breakfast, marmalade sandwiches came to mind in anticipation of seeing Paddington Bear. Callao is just 9 miles west of the capital city of Lima dominated by grand colonial buildings. The fine Cathedral, Archbishop’s House and Government House in the huge Plaza Mayor are guarded by armed police.Callao became a port of significance in 1537. It was hit heavily by earthquake and tsunami in 1746. In 1949 it was most famous for its export of cocoa and cocaine.We disembarked to the district of Miraflores and on our shuttle coach journey there we saw the huge beach side developments and sporting facilities being built. Miraflores is a modern seaside suburb of Lima. The US Embassy is at the top of the Marriott Hotel which gave us a very good internet connection back home. Hang gliders came close to the tall buidings. A walk along the front took us by a shrine to Our Lady, and to a sculpture in Lima’s Love Park (opened February 14th 1993) called ‘El Biso’ which means ‘The Kiss’. It depicts the Peruvian sculptor Victor Delfin kissing his wife and was inspired by Gaudi’s ‘Park Guell’ in Barcelona with mosaics and undulating walls and benches. In the photo I love the pigeon looking on…the walls also have loving quotes from the Peruvian poets like – ‘My dream is a lost island’…’Also loving we know the pain’…and ‘Love, great labyrinth.’Back on Miraflores main front we became reacquainted with Paddington Bear (the sculpture) ready with his suitcase full of marmalade sandwiches for his great adventure sailing to England from Callao. Back to the ship we had an evening performance with the loudest and most colourful dancing display of all things Lima. It was a rich tapestry of cultural extremes of threatening devils and joyful movement backed by so many enthusiastic drummers. Lima actually means ‘threaded cords’ and that evening brought them all together. The following day we said farewell to Lima with a service of Holy Communion reflecting on all the sights and experiences of Peru and South America so far, through the story of the healing of Blind Bartimaeus. He experienced more than just new sight as he received the transforming living touch of Jesus. This latest port of call in South America brought to mind the variety of so many colourful experiences of sight, sound and taste. Vivid life and exuberances of so many kinds, from rainbows to mountains, lakes, overwhelming waterfalls, glaciers and wildlife beyond description. We held our breath for the next part of our voyage to the Caribbean.The communication of the world in terms of trade and sustenance is a story of transformation. During this looking through a lens of pandemic it has made us even more aware of food production chains and transportation systems. Also in this green ‘Creationtide’ of August, September and October of Trinity highlights our inter-connectedness.The Panama Canal transformed the trading of the world linking the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. Opened in August 1914 it is 51 miles of waterway. Today it takes over 8 hours to sail through (pre booked). In this decade it has seen on average 815,000 vessels a year sail through. As recently as 2016 they added a wider lock to accommodate the ever-growing number of super large container ships. Their cargo is diverse and includes automobiles, grain, soya beans, natural gas and all energy renewable and otherwise.Panama who took over the administration of the canal zone in 1977, control the charges to traverse the canal. For our cruise ship (710 cabins) it was charged 138 U.S.Dollars per cabin to go through. The locks (as seen in the photo) are 14,000 feet long, 180 feet wide and 60 feet deep. The French began the project in 1871 and lost so many workers from mosquito related illness. The USA took over its management in 1904 until opening in 1914. Today the UK has £3.3 billion in holdings in Panama and exports from the UK there exceed £149 million a year. They include whisky, organics, chemicals, medicinals, pharmaceuticals, machinery and transport equipment including expertise in green sustainable technology. Panama City is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, and is quite a sight.Next stop, Puerto Limon and the delight of Costa Rica…Blessings, Edward and Jane
Could 2020 be our Annus Horribilis (horrible year) or perhaps it could our Annus Mirabilis (wonderful year). Sorry to appear to be showing off by spouting Latin to you, I can assure you my Latin is virtually non-existent – as Peter Cook said “I didn't have the Latin for the Judging”.The first 2½ months of this year were fine for Sue and I. We were going about our lives as usual and had holiday plans and had already had a short break in Yorkshire to see family and friends. Talk of a nasty virus in China had already hit the headlines, but it was 7,000 miles away and was not considered a problem for us, then it was in Italy, then we were suddenly in a pandemic and told to lock-down (probably more than a week after we should have been). Suddenly our world was a different place, it was quiet and one of the first things I noticed was the absence of aircraft. You have probably noticed that we live under a main East/West air route with a few North/South planes as well and even if they are too high to hear, their vapour trails give them away. We had some beautiful clear blue skies in April and May, the like of which I find it hard to remember. In 2010 you might remember that a volcano erupted in Iceland that cause absolute chaos with air travel due to volcanic dust in the upper atmosphere. The volcano was called Eyjafjallajoekull if you can pronounce it. The skies were free of aircraft but there was a dust haze that meant that the sky colour was a sort of bluish-pink, but after a few weeks flying was back to normal. Whilst we still do not see the number of aircraft crossing our skies as we did in in February they are coming back.We are so used to being able to travel anywhere in the world in 24 hours, that we forget the great distances involved and that without aircraft we are at a loss. Before I was ordained I had to travel around Britain for my job and could put 35,000+ miles on the odometer of a company car each year - the thought now makes me cringe, but I was a lot younger then. Without our cars or good public transport, life is very difficult today. “The world is a small place today”, is a popular saying. However, a tiny virus or a small volcano in Iceland can make us realise that it is still quite large if we are not flying around it at 500 mph.It seems to me that the human race is so greatly reliant on technology that we forget how dependent we all are on services that are provided. I believe that most people in the world (7 billion current population) now live in cities or large metropolitan areas, with their food transported to them, and in the richer countries it is conveniently packaged. Our electricity is produced in remote power stations and our gas comes from who knows where: our water is pumped to us and our sewage taken away through unseen pipework: our entertainment relies on electricity, together increasingly also our communications. We also forget about all the mess leave behind that has to be disposed of or recycled.Science has brought us many blessings and will continue to do so, but we must never think that we are in control. Christians believe that whatever happens God is there with us. We may not understand the workings of God, but through faith we can see the magnificence of the world and allow God to be God. A wonderful story in the Bible is that of Job, who when things go really wrong for him, questions the fairness of God. God answers him by asking about his understanding. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” God asks, and Job has to admit his folly. When you see the beauty of this glorious summer give thanks to God and enjoy.Fr. Terry
In our calendar of prayer for today we are asked to remember and commemorate the British politician, MP, Christian, philanthropist and social reformer William Wilberforce (1759-1833) who campaigned to abolish the slave trade in Britain and across the British Empire. He worked with others to try to completely abolish the slave trade and by doing so enabled legislation to be passed by Parliament that led to the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. However, while the nature of slavery has changed at least in some forms since the time of Wilberforce it continues to plague our cities, towns and rural areas, even across Leicestershire. Today, forms of slavery include forced labour on farms and construction sites. Forms of slavery are to be found in manufacturing and in services such as nail bars and car washes. Other forms include bonded labour and debt bondage that can be passed down to family members. Also, domestic servitude, drugs, human trafficking, organ harvesting, sexual exploitation and child marriage are other forms of slavery which is described by Leicestershire Police as “The illegal exploitation of people for personal or commercial gain”. The most common forms of slavery today in the UK are forced labour fuelled by a drive for cheap products and services and trafficking people into crime. People who do this prey on the vulnerable and disadvantaged, both young and old, and they have little or no regard for the well-fare of others. When I began to dig into the issue of Slavery, especially in Leicester, I was shocked to discover that while about 10,000 are currently working in slave-like conditions, mostly in textile factories, the real number trapped in or affected by slavery according to one official source is believed to be much higher. Many who work in factories or businesses are paid little. The current UK national hourly wage is £8.72 for those aged 25 and over, £8.20 for those aged 21-24, £6.45 for those aged 18-20 and £4.55 for those aged under 18. One national newspaper recently reported that a crime crackdown investigation is being launched in Leicester into sweatshop conditions where workers are being paid £2.50 an hour. There are dark corners in all societies and slavery inhabits them. Slavery in every form continues to be a reality across the UK and it is important to do what we can to eradicate it not least by voicing our concerns and reporting questionable practices. We need to be vigilant making shopping choices. With regard to purchasing food one thing we can do is buy Fairtrade marked products. Fairtrade promotes decent working conditions, helps address the injustices of conventional trade, and provides decent wages for people. As for clothing or shoes and other items it is difficult to know whether or not products are manufactured by companies that oppose slave labour but often retail outlets, even reputable ones, may purchase goods not direct from manufactures but through a chain of agencies that in turn supply retail outlets. We may feel reassured knowing what we buy is ‘Made in the UK’ but some product labels tell us little. So we need to be careful what we buy. Some months ago, prior to lockdown, I noticed that one local store was selling T-shirts for £3.00 and two for £5.00. That made me question how much some workers are being paid given all the costs of running factories, the cost of raw materials, the time taken to cut and sew garments, agency commissions, and the end of line % mark-up that retailers need to price-tag items at in order to make a profit. With regard to the issue of poor and overcrowded working conditions this is certainly a worrying issue that needs to be urgently addressed to help clamp down on the number of Coronavirus cases. One worker recently highlighted the problem in a national newspaper by saying, “It’s crazy what is happening in these factories. These men and women are decent, hard-working people but they are risking their lives to produce clothes for big fashion brands in the UK”. One of Jesus’ commandments is to ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself’ (Mathew 22.39). If everyone did this then it would go a very long way to completely eradicating slavery in all its forms. While that remains a consummation devoutly to be wished it would certainly encourage a way of living and working that William Wilberforce and others would have supported and applauded. Let us give thanks for the mission of those who in the past have worked to oppose slavery and pray for all who are currently campaigning to do the same and bring to light all forms of human injustice.Fr Graham
