John Writes …….
As I was wondering what to write for this month’s letter, I was thinking about how important it is to be part of a community. But have you noticed how everything now has to be personalised? From personalised number plates and unique ring-tones and covers for our mobile phones to the way we have our coffee in a coffee shop; everything is tailored to the individual.
It seems to me that we have come to place more and more emphasis on personal choice and we now have the means to be distinctive and different with so much more choice available to us, especially via the internet.
In Andrew Marr’s book The History of Modern Britain he describes how, after the Second World War, people showed themselves discontent with the Government’s plans to be the provider of what they needed. They wanted more and more personal choice. That trend has certainly continued.
The Church has not been immune to these changes either: weddings and funerals are now far more personal than in the last century. Special readings or music which have personal meanings for the couple or the bereaved are now the norm.
People don’t want to be treated as if they were numbers. We want a personalised service. I find it so irritating when you have to phone a call centre only to have it answered by a recorded message offering you a menu of options – sometimes not even with the option you need? I suspect that most of us would prefer to speak to a real person.
There are plenty of examples in the New Testament of Jesus treating those he met as individuals, without preconceptions on his part. It is part of the way he taught us how God treats us. There is no doubt we are called to do the same.
However, there are dangers: we can over-emphasise the personal. Personal choices should be taken seriously, but they may not always be right.
I’ve often heard it said that faith is a matter of personal choice and to a degree I suppose it is. But if we accept that, then in effect it is saying that what we believe in is just a matter of opinion, that it has no objective reality and is not rooted in real life and history. If we accept that, where does truth come in?
Jesus’ summary of the Law is very clear and could not be more applicable. When he urged us to love our neighbours as ourselves, he meant that we should treat others as people, just as we expect them to treat us as people. This is why we are baptised and confirmed by name – as people – and sent out to treat others in the same way.
We are all aware of the recent events in Chard that have led to an outbreak of violence and arrests. And if we think about the effect that those personal choices has had on our community, now more than ever we have to pay heed to Jesus’ command to love our neighbours. And as we share the love of God by our words and actions, who knows what may happen?
With every blessing.
John