Yesterday, in his inauguration speech, 78-year-old President Trump stated that the golden age of America was beginning. There is much that could be said about that speech and the theology reflected within it, but those confident words in the present moment about the certainty of the future seemed in such contrast to the scenes of people wandering along pathways through mountains of rubble in Gaza. Earlier this week as I watched poignant scenes of Israeli hostages reunited with families, and crowds greeting the release of Palestinian prisoners, there was no sense of a bright new future.
It is poignant that next week there will be numerous events to mark Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD). The theme this year is ‘For a Better Future’. 80 years on from the day of liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the shocking events of the Holocaust continue to impact lives and shape people’s views of the world. The horrific attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 and the detestable anti-Jewish actions on people and property, not least in this country, are seen and experienced against the history of the Holocaust. At the same time, Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank live the present in the context of the events of 1948.
That question of how we perceive, live and shape ‘a better future’ carrying the realities of the past, is such a pertinent one, not only for individuals, communities, nations and peoples but also for us as a Church. What might the holding together of deep repentance, thanksgiving and hope truly look like as we play our part in shaping the future, rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ through whom there will break ‘a yet more glorious day’, even golden, as the kingdom of God is one day brought to completion.
I am delighted that in the coming days there will be a diocesan focus on the role of the grandparent generation in relation to children and young people. How can the older generation actively nurture and support faith and hope in children and young people in the present which will profoundly impact the future?
The ‘Faithful Generations’ event at the Cathedral on Saturday 1 February takes place on the eve of Candlemas when we focus on two old and faithful servants of God (Luke 2:22-38). When Simeon holds the young Christ child in his arms, his words stand in stark contrast to those of the new President of America. Simeon’s words in the present moment deeply acknowledge his confidence in God’s unchanging faithfulness in the past as he recognises Jesus Christ as the fulfilment of God’s past promises and humbly proclaims the baby as the light for all people. Here in Christ is God’s generosity and love for the world, which offers us a sure and lasting hope as we engage with the pain and joy of the present, facing the reality of the past with both thanksgiving and repentance, and as we play our part in shaping the future locally, nationally and globally.
This week, particularly as we mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, I am praying my favourite collect with an ever-greater sense of thanksgiving, sorrow and hope:
Almighty God,
in Christ you make all things new:
transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen
Dear Bishop Rachel,
Sitting here in Sydney in 34 degrees,I just want to thank you for your words just read….distance certainly affords perspective, and you struck a chord…..somehow that will make the homecoming a tad easier…I am most grateful to you!
And I can see why that collect is your favourite!
Every blessing, and thank you again, Chris
Dear Bishop Rachel , Thankyou for your extremely thoughtful and helpful message this week in the light of the news from the States ,the Middle East and at home. I too am particularly inspired by that collect.