Richard Littledale

Richard Littledale's
Views on the News: October 2014

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The season is upon us

According to Keats, Autumn is the "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness". Presumably it was not the party political conference season when he was writing. If he were, perhaps the line might have been something more along the lines of "Season of obfuscation and bitter recriminations." This year, even before the conferences began they were grabbing the headlines with defections and resignations. It is important to remember when watching the televised debates that people speak with such passion because they care. Few would go into politics for the limelight alone, given the antisocial hours and intrusive press attention which goes along with it. Conviction and passion often end up sounding like anger, in my experience.

The other thing to remember is that our domestic politics are discussed in a setting where our lives are largely free from danger. A few days ago, less than 24 hours after a decision was taken in parliament to conduct bombing raids against Islamic State forces, a TV reporter stood in Parliament Square discussing a party defection and a party resignation. Unaware of the irony, he stated that the British Prime Minister was fighting a war "on two fronts". Had that other front, with real pilots and real munitions and real bloodshed been so quickly forgotten? In truth, it probably had, since our concerns are often dominated by the agenda closest to home.

One of the early movements within the Christian church was the decision to reach out and support those who were physically distant but spiritually close because they also belonged to Jesus. Thus, the Apostle Paul commended Christians in impoverished Macedonia for collecting their money to send to Christians in greater need in distant Jerusalem. He would later describe such acts as "fulfilling the Law of Christ" (strong words for a man with Rabbinical training). In other words, he said that our concern for those in distant need, as opposed to meeting our own, was a touchstone of our obedience to God.

As Christians we should always look for the hand and listen for the voice of God in the news - both at home and abroad. We should be prepared not just to look and listen, though, but to act - since sometimes He will require us to be those hands and be that voice.

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