When questioned about his dining companions, Jesus tells two stories which illustrate the lengths God will go to recover the lost. Are we prepared to put ourselves out to welcome those who have been shunned? And are we able to acknowledge our own need for God’s mercy?
This week's news
There are moves to put Syria’s chemical weapons under international control.
David Cameron extols Britain's history and achievements after a Russian official dismisses it as ‘just a small island’.
300 people are arrested during an English Defence League march in Tower Hamlets, home to a large Muslim population.
It is 500 years since the Battle of Flodden between Scotland and England, in which 15,000 soldiers died, including the Scottish King James IV. Legend has it that the English nuns of Coldstream Priory reclaimed the bodies of the Scottish nobility in order to give them a Christian burial.
Police stations should stop being used as places to detain mentally ill people, says one of Britain's most senior police officers.
Andy Murray goes out of the US Open in the quarter finals; the England cricket team loses the second one day international to Australia; and in Tuesday’s international football, of the four home nations, only Scotland manages a win.
This Saturday Jews will be observing Yom Kippur.
Reflection
Who are the outcasts in our society? Monday’s Panorama programme exposed shocking treatment of people with mental health problems. A creative way forward is for mental health nurses to join police patrols in ministering to the lost.
Finding the lost and bringing them home may be a long hard road. We would so much prefer quick easy solutions, whether to personal problems or international situations. Let’s hope that the moves to control Syria’s chemical weapons bear fruit. But as the people of Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq know only too well, the costly response is to share food and other resources with the refugees. Are we prepared to open our borders?
David Cameron eulogises Britain’s proud history. Can we face up to, and repent of, the sinful aspects of our national past, such as our pivotal role in the Atlantic slave trade, or our treatment of the Mau Mau in Kenya? And what kind of society are we trying to build? One which only celebrates victory and success? Or one which supports the weak and embraces all who live here? No one can win all the time, as recent sporting results illustrate. How do we treat those whose lives are not a success?
Five hundred years ago the English were slaughtering the Scots. The EDL now stirs up resentment against the Muslim community. People from all sorts of cultural backgrounds live on these islands. Can we learn to sit down and eat together?
The Pharisees get a bad press in the Gospels – a reflection of the days when the Jesus movement was positioning itself vis-à-vis other Jewish groups. The fiercest disputes are often between those with the most in common. Now that Judaism and Christianity have separated, we can see things differently. On Saturday Jewish people will be observing Yom Kippur – a day of fasting, repentance and prayer. Rabbinic sayings on repentance spark recognition of our common insights: ‘Rabbi Abbahu said: In a place where penitent sinners stand, even the wholly righteous cannot stand, as it is said: ‘Peace, peace be to those far off and to the near’ (Is 57:19). First to those far off, then to those who are near.’ (Talmud: B. Ber. 34b) I recommend the sermon on ‘The Art of Forgiving’ by Rabbi Professor Marc Saperstein, preached on the eve of Yom Kippur two years ago.
Prayer
The intercessions this week could focus on those who are lost, either literally or metaphorically. Here are examples of possible biddings.
To each one, the intercessor adds
Lay them on your shoulders,
and the congregation responds
and bring them safely home.
O God our shepherd,
we pray for people who have lost their way in life:
Lay them on your shoulders
and bring them safely home.
For those unsure of the way ahead...
Lay them...
For politicians facing decisions with no right answer...
Lay them...
For refugees forced to live in tents...
Lay them...
For the despised and rejected in our society...
Lay them...
For those caught in the terror of mental illness...
Lay them...
For those lying, bewildered and afraid, in a hospital bed...
Lay them...
For those facing the hour of their death...
Lay them...
That we may all rejoice together.
Amen.
Questions
- Who would you find it difficult to eat with?
- Would you know how to support someone coping with mental illness?
- Has there been a time when you have lost your way in life? Who was there for you?
Action
Throw a party, and invite people who have not been to your home before.
Are there any local organisations providing support to refugees? Could you offer some help?
Young People
The new TV series Educating Yorkshire’ www.channel4.com/programmes/educating-yorkshire has filmed pupils who persistently misbehave. We also see the efforts staff make to get them back on track. What happens at your school/college to those who cause a nuisance? Does it work? What else could be done – by staff or pupils? Is anyone a lost cause?
Ann Conway-Jones is on the Advisory Board of the Council of Christians and Jews.
Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by ROOTS for Churches Ltd.