We don't know what to do

The Queen has issued a statement on her official birthday which begins with these words: "Today is traditionally a day of celebration. This year, however, it is difficult to escape a very sombre national mood.  In recent months, the country has witnessed a succession of terrible tragedies.”  She rightly points out the sombre mood over our nation, as we look back and reflect on the awful events which have taken place both in London and in Manchester in recent months.  Most raw on the nation’s conscience is this week’s Grenfell Tower tragedy in which many lives were lost.

Perhaps particularly in respect of the most recent tragedy, there are all sorts of emotions in evidence.  There must be a terrible pain and anguish in the hearts of those who were touched in any way by the events at Grenfell Tower, especially the friends and relatives of those people who are still unaccounted for.  One local church leader commented, ‘People are incredibly angry, they're bewildered, they're confused.’  There is clearly a great sense of injustice, and some are seeking to point fingers at those whom they feel bear responsibility for what has happened.  In the midst of a great show of compassion and mutual support, there is also a tremendous anger and recrimination.

All this comes at a time when the family and friends of the late M.P. Jo Cox are encouraging the nation to come together in “The Great Get Together” as a way of remembering Jo’s challenge that we should concentrate far more on what we have in common than what divides us.  I thoroughly approve of and support these sentiments, yet I can’t help feeling, with a deep sadness, that as a nation we appear as divided as we have ever been.  I have commented before on the reality that so often people seem to want to identify themselves by what they are against.   Whatever the rights and wrongs in particular situations, the deeply personal and abusive attacks on those in the public eye cannot be condoned.

What a mess we are in as a nation.  A hung parliament; Brexit talks to commence within days; a nation divided and in pain.  I am reminded of a passage in the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles.  King Jehoshaphat and his people are surrounded by a mighty opposing army.  They are vastly outnumbered, and there seems no way, humanly speaking, that a terrible defeat can be avoided.   In that desperate situation, Jehoshaphat calls on the people to trust in God, ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’  He turns to God in prayer and says, ‘We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.’ (2 Chronicles 20.12)

I love that verse, and I have prayed it many times over the years when I have faced difficult and confusing times.  Our nation may be in a mess, and we may not have a clue how we can work to improve things.  But we have a God who loves us and loves this nation and its people.  It’s time for us to pray like never before, to trust that God will show us the way and help us to be the people he needs us to be in this time of great need.  'We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you.'

Seeing the value in the rejected

I was talking recently with a lady who was expressing great concern for her adult son who had lost his job a few months ago.  Despite his best efforts, he had not been able to obtain employment elsewhere.  He was beginning to feel overwhelmed with a lack of self-worth and a loss of identity.  A number of his former friends had drifted away, and he was feeling the isolation of his desperate situation.

I am aware of another situation where a young girl had been denied a place in any of the 3 schools to which she applied for high school.  I would imagine that this is not an isolated example, and the feeling of rejection in such a situation can have a seriously detrimental effect on a young person at a vulnerable and impressionable time of life.

I am reminded of my own school days, when a games teacher might choose two people to be team captains and invite them to select the members of their teams.  One by one the team members are chosen; it was hard for those who were left right to the end, and I'm sure they must have felt unwanted and embarrassed.

The sad reality is that we live in a society and a world where so many people have little or no sense of self-worth, and feel isolated and unwanted.  We live in a society were certain individuals and groups are often marginalised and looked down on.  The feeling of rejection must be really tough to take.

A few weeks ago, Sue and I spent a few days in Scarborough.  On one of those days we visited the Market Vaults (the area beneath the town indoor market, where there are a number of shops).  Outside one of the shops was an old spiral coat hanger, which presumably at one time had been used by a retailer.  It was showing signs of its age, and was obviously no longer wanted.  It had been rejected as being past the stage of being useful, and had been left outside the shop with a price tag of £5 if anyone would take it away!  To be honest, I had passed it by without giving it any attention, but Sue had spotted it and had immediately saw it as a potentially useful and valuable object.

To cut a long story short, we paid the fiver and brought it home.  It's now serving a really useful purpose in our back garden as something on which to fix our hanging baskets - a piece of contemporary garden furniture!

For most people, the hanger was worthless and unwanted.  But Sue saw in it something of value.  The message of the Bible is that when God looks at every human being he sees a person who is of immense value.  In fact we are of such worth to God that he was even willing to give us own Son for us!  However the world regards us, or even however we see ourselves, God loves us with an eternal love.  You and I are precious to God - we are never rejects in his sight!