TRINITY CHURCH HONLEY Newsletter July 2016 October 6, 1774 “I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them 1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy 2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against, and 3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side.” The Journal of John Wesley
‘All You need is Love’ ‘On June 16th my wife and I drove through Birstall and Batley, passing hundreds of people going about their lives , totally unaware of the horrific murder of the local MP Jo Cox, just streets away. These are people of all ages and ethnic group and faith living together in peace, a great witness to successful multicultural community. This is the community in which Jo Cox grew up, the community she promoted, defended, and worked tirelessly for. Her vision for a just and peaceful world was lived out in her work with Oxfam, and her support for refugees and the marginalised across the world. Locals will tell of her equal commitment for all her constituents. Jo Cox is a rare politician- to return from university and career in order to represent her home town in Parliament. Politicians of all parties have recognised her as great fighter for a better society and a better world. Wherever those in the public eye proclaim and live out a message of love and hope they become vulnerable to attack. She has been described as “our future”. As Jo Cox has been so cruelly and brutally taken from us, then we need to honour her life by taking up the fight and showing that ‘our future’ is a richly diverse, just and peaceful world. We pray or Jo Cox’s family, col'Who is my neighbour?' by Rev Helen Roberts leagues and friends, the many in the Batley constituency but also around the world, and we saw at ‘What is the law of God?’ ‘To love God and love your neighbour as the evening vigil our need as human beings toyourself.’ …… ‘But who is my neighbour?’ Jesus answered with a gether, to light a candle to show that darkness can- story… “An immigrant was set upon by a gang and left lying in an alley. not overcome the brightness of a life lived in love, The church minister passed by but was in a hurry, ‘I will be late for and a community bound by love’ In Christ's love, Kevin Watson, Synod Modera- the vigil for Jo Cox if I stop, someone will have called for an ambulance tor, United Reformed Church I’m sure.’ The community campaigner passed by, ‘I’m off to a Save the HRI rally, its important or there won’t be a local A&E for him or anyone else, We live on a small planet in the vast solar I must get there on time.’ system. so let’s make the most of it and live in peace After a while another man passed by, still wearing his antiimmigration T-shirt, on his way home from a Britain First march, He stops by the bleeding immigrant, tears his St George’s cross flag and uses it to stem the bleeding, and calls 999. Paramedics would later say he had saved the beaten man’s life. Jesus told his story and asked ‘who was a neighbour to the man in need?’ ‘The one who helped him’ ‘Go then and do likewise’ Today we are too familiar with the story and too unfamiliar with the level of shock value that a Samaritan, despised and avoided by the good Earthrise seen from the moon Jewish folk of the day, would be the hero. Do we need to be shocked (NASA photo) and shocking about ‘who is my neighbour’? Messy church on Saturday 25th June was based on this story of the Good Samaritan - ‘Love my neighbour, the unexpected, the feared the 'not like us'. From September Messy Church will be in school holidays only– next one October half-term. www.trinitychurchinhonley.org.uk
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