Church letter

December 2023

Click for the church letter from November 2023

Compassion and tolerance, whether you believe or not

Thank you for the feedback from some people to my letter in last month’s magazine. The feeling of powerlessness regarding war and the suffering of innocent men, women and children continues. Watching babies and young children suffering is heartbreaking. Watching people trying to care for their elderly relatives who are suffering is heartbreaking. Those who were already in hospital, suffering even more. Those who are trying to get away from the war but can’t. Those whose only option is to return from where they came as an army advances and the bombing continues. The fear of not knowing what your day (or night) will hold for you. All these things we see relayed on our televisions - and I feel powerless about it all.

As I said last month, there are only two things that I feel I can do: the first is to remember to treat everyone I meet with compassion, love, justice and equality; seeing what we have in common rather than looking for the differences between us. The second is that I can pray for the situation. Some of you reading this will believe in prayer, and some will not. If you do believe in prayer, then I offer you these prayers that were given to me and ask that you would use them in your daily prayer time. If you do not believe in prayer or in God, I trust you value human life and can have compassion for those who are suffering.

Take time to read the meaning within these words; take the ‘God bit’ out if you wish, focus on the message for humanity and seek to work for these things in your community.

Almighty Father, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of all: govern the hearts and minds of those in authority, and bring the families of the nations, divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin, to be subject to his just and gentle rule; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

God, our refuge and strength, bring near the day when wars shall cease and poverty and pain shall end, that earth may know the peace of heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God of peace, whose Son Jesus Christ proclaimed the kingdom and restored the broken to wholeness of life: look with compassion on the anguish of the world, and by your healing power make whole both people and nations; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Most of us may not be able to change things in Ukraine or in Gaza, but whether you believe in God, whether you believe in prayer, or not, we can all work for peace; we can all have compassion for those around us. We can all show tolerance, love and care at this Advent and Christmas time.

Revd David Commander, Rector and Area Dean