Life can sometimes be a right rum ‘un
5 Sep 2024 • Articles
Life can sometimes be a right rum ‘un but at other times it can be a wonderful ‘un.
Take this evening, for example. This evening I am going with my father-in-law and son-in-law to watch Chesterfield play Derby County at Pride Park Stadium. The only thing that could make it better would be if the game was at Chesterfield’s ground instead. Or, if the Holy Spirit suddenly appeared to the entire crowd, converted everyone to believe in God, and starting singing ‘Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer’ at the top of their lungs. THAT would be an evening.
On the other hand, the UK has seen some awful events recently, starting with the stabbings and murders in Southport, followed by violent disorder across the country. As for Sudan, Ukraine, Palestine …. In sunny Alton it can be easy to feel detached and protected from all such grimness but, for a few moments in August, the possibility of it came close, when one of the towns targetted for far-right protests was supposed to be Cheadle, in the Staffordshire Moorlands. Yes, I even had to double-take and check that it wasn’t the Cheadle near Manchester. In the end nothing happened - as far as I am aware - but no doubt in some way Wednesday 7th August was a rum ‘un for someone in Cheadle, Staffordshire, as well as hopefully a wonderful ‘un for someone else.
Where was God in all this?
One of the most striking images I saw were the residents of Southport clearing up afterwards and rebuilding the walls of the mosque that had been attacked. Another was people from one of the mosques in Liverpool offering cold drinks, burgers and chips to protestors who turned up. Adam Kelwick, the mosque Chaplain said,
“Bring your concerns, let’s have a discussion about the issues affecting our communities and work together to solve them. Let’s get rid of ignorance. Let’s get rid of hatred and let’s sit down together.”
Jesus’ teaching of “Love you enemies” (Matthew 5:44) has rarely felt so real. Was that God at work or just good citizenship and decency? I suspect it was both. Would Alton or Cheadle people and churches have responded in the same way? I hope so.
The next verse in Matthew puts all these rum ‘uns and wonderful ‘uns, and all these events into some kind of context:
“your Father in heaven … makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45).
In the end we are all in the same boat, all on the same earth and all smell the same roses or the same pile of horse dung. Some of us get it sweeter than others, and some far smellier than others. I believe that a huge part of Jesus’ mission on Earth was to get us to live better together, so that at least the rum ‘uns aren’t self-inflicted and we can enjoy more wonderful ‘uns together.
God be with you in both.
Peace and prayers, Rev. Joe Cant