The unlovables

I
usually go to our local Methodist Church on Sunday mornings. Last Sunday the
service was led by a retired Deacon for whom I have much respect and whose
ministry continues in various ways. It was a helpful but traditional service,
at least until the last moment. During the sign-off or benediction her prayer
embraced ‘all those we love’ and then she added ‘and all those we find it
difficult to love’.
In
a small East End of London church for which I had some responsibility, we often
held an afternoon service for the sake of an elderly person who couldn’t manage
to get there in the morning. There were just a few of us, almost fulfilling the
words of Jesus ‘when two or three who gather in my name’; sitting in a circle.
I was talking about loving neighbours. ‘You should meet my neighbour’, said Sylvia,
and for the next few minutes she told us about the tyranny of the occupant in
the flat above her.

There
is controversy just now about the use of twitter. Caroline Priado-Perez has
been successful in arguing that the picture of a well-known woman instead of
the inevitable famous man should be on the next printing of the £10 bank note.
For this she has been threatened on twitter with rape.  A man has subsequently been arrested. Twitter
claims that it provides a mere platform but, because of this and other such cases,
there is increasing pressure on them to balance commercial interest with moral
duty.
I
don’t use twitter, partly because if I did it would be yet another internet
invader, partly because these blogs are sufficiently public to satisfy any need
I have to communicate thoughts and ideas, but mainly because anonymity is
cowardly.

It’s a crime to hit someone in the street, but some of the twittering
that goes on is equally violent. There has been massive response to the case
mentioned above, with people (men) joining the ugly game of abusing women.

My
wife and I are finding it increasingly difficult to read or listen to the news,
these days, populated as it is by exceedingly unlovely people who exercise
power over others but without responsibility for the consequences. This is true
of individuals such as this incidence of a man threatening to rape a woman he
disagrees with. It’s also true of employers who rob their workers of basic
rights and of huge multi-nationals who hide from public scrutiny by claiming
commercial confidentiality.

I
believe in the solidarity of human nature and can just about think of everyone
as ‘neighbours’. But loving them is not so easy.

Añadir Comentario