November 2024
From the Rector

The Rector writes.
November is the month when the Church remembers and gives thanks.
It is the time when we remember those who have died, who have shaped our lives and who we continue to miss. It is also the month when we remember all those who served our country, not just in the armed services, but in reserved occupations, on the land, in the mines and across a myriad of occupations. We remember their sacrifices both then and now, and as we do so, continue to pray and work towards building peace in our fractured world.

Here are some words for reflection from David Roberts, author, publisher and war poet, writing in 2003:
“There will be peace:
when attitudes change;
when self-interest is seen as part of common interest;
when old wrongs, old scores, old mistakes
are deleted from the account;
when the aim becomes co-operation and mutual benefit
rather than revenge or seizing maximum personal or group gain;
when justice and equality before the law
become the basis of government;
when basic freedoms exist;
when leaders – political, religious, educational – and the police and media
wholeheartedly embrace the concepts of justice, equality, freedom, tolerance, and reconciliation as a basis for renewal;
when parents teach their children new ways to think about people.
There will be peace:
when enemies become fellow human beings.”

So in this season of remembrance, let us continue to pray for peace, to speak up for peace, and in our lives embody those attitudes that help to establish peace.

Susan