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Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues
No favourites here
The Grenfell Report reminds us of the need to listen to everyone without fear or favour. (James 2:1-10)
Context
Seven years, two months and twenty days after a fire that engulfed the Grenfell Tower in London killing 72 people, the final public inquiry report into the disaster has been published (BBC; The Guardian).
And it is quite a report. Within the 1700 pages not many parties escape the forensic spotlight and not many parties come out of the inquiry without serious criticism of the part they played or mistakes they made.
One of the important features of the report is the fact that the chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, and his panel had such wide-ranging access to the multiple groups and people involved: politicians, builders, cladding manufacturers, the fire brigade and many others. Reports of this magnitude are always powerful. Nobody is given preferable treatment; no one is favoured, all are subject to the same questions, same analysis, the same scrutiny. Reports like this can feel like rare moments when the social, class and educational structures that often divide us are levelled in the quest for truth. Power, wealth and social might are held to account.
For the victims' families and residents who escaped the fire the report allows them a moment when their voices are truly heard. The voices of the least are, for once, louder than the noise of power.
And it can be hard to hear the voices of the least. Those with wealth and power command attention in a way that is hard to resist. The recipients of James’ letter clearly had the same issues that beset society today. Those with ‘gold rings’ and ‘fine clothes’ were attended to, whist a ‘poor person in dirty clothes’ ignored. As the letter of James so emphatically puts it ‘if you show partiality you commit sin’.
Whist the publication of the Grenfell report creates a moment where favouritism is forbidden, the real question will be whether social change results; whether those who have been held to account take account of their actions and seek transformation; or whether they hide again behind their gold rings and fine clothes and rebuild the social structures that elevate their voices and quiet the sound of others.
But we know that God has chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and, in his kingdom, all are seen, all are heard and all are held to account.
Ideas for sermons or interactive talks
- There is a powerful moment, at the end of the inquiry press conference, when the names of the victims of Grenfell are read out in full by Sir Martin Moore-Bick. Read James 2:1-10 and then play the BBC iplayer recording of the names being read. You may wish to also show an image of Grenfell Tower. Invite people to reflect on the way God views people who find themselves at the bottom of our society and His regard for justice in our world.
- Similarly, use images of current world issues where power imbalances are present/some people are favoured over others. Play YouTube tracks such as: Light of the world by We the Kingdom or God of the poor by Graham Kendrick and use the music and images to pray for God’s favour on the downtrodden and dispossessed.
- Ask people to rank the 4 richest people in the world as defined by the Forbes rich list. This is the current order:
- Elon Musk (TESLA, Space X)
- Jeff Bezos (Amazon)
- Bernard Arnault (French owner of LVMH – Louis Vuitton, Moet Hennesay – luxury goods)
- Mark Zuckerberg (Meta)
Invite people to think about how you are treated when you are this wealthy.
Although we may not know people who are in this bracket, who do we favour in our lives? Who gets a bigger say over what we do and how we think. Invite some refection/discussion around the idea of favour/showing favouritism.
- The act of listening to people, whoever they are, is a step towards a society that doesn’t show favour towards one group over another. Listening is a skill we can practise and get better at!
Invite people to do some active listening - see tips from MindTools. Ask people to get into pairs and spend a couple of minutes each talking about their week.
Questions for discussion
- What does the word ‘favouritism’ mean to you?
- Do you have good or bad experiences of favouritism?
- When did you last encounter a situation which showed favour given to one person and not another?
Fiona is a freelance leadership consultant and mediator.
Check-in
Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
It’s not just young children who ask challenging questions.
My daughter who teaches high school maths came up with a pearler for me recently. I think she was just making conversation when she asked me, “Of all the churches where you’ve been minister which is your favourite?”
However, it served as a conversation starter as I listed the various places and churches where I have served. I also listed some of the highlights and some of what might be politely termed the challenges. There were fewer challenges but then I like to think of myself as a glass-half-full type of person and maybe that is the key to why I found the question impossible to answer.
Each of the churches has had good points (one or two have done their best to conceal them) and all of them have had their challenges. Each has given me something and I hope I have been able to offer something to each one. The giving and receiving has been of different qualities but I hope it has been wholehearted on both sides in all cases. (Glass half full!)
Chapter 2 of the letter of James contains a warning against partiality. Another way of putting that is “don’t have favourites”. As I consider the churches that I have known I remember different people with different gifts and different needs but all with one thing in common. They are all made in the image of God. Maybe we should treat them differently but, if we honour God’s image, we will treat them all with equal love and respect.
Rev Stuart Wild is a methodist minister with three daughters and no favourites.
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