On Saturday, between 1500 and 2000 people took part in a march through Newcastle organised by the English Defence League. The march was organised before the brutal murder of the soldier, Lee Rigby in London, but this became the focus of the march. The chant that was used was “Whose streets? Our Streets!”

Earlier in the week, I heard a Sikh man being interviewed in Woolwich after the EDL had gathered near the Woolwich barracks where the murder happened. He said “These are my streets too. I was born here.”

I was not in town to see the actual march, but earlier saw all the police in their riot gear getting ready to manage the march and an opposing demonstration organised by Newcastle Unites. The sight of so many police, ready for potential trouble, was quite alarming. It reminded me how lucky we are to live in a society where such times of tension and threat of violence are relatively rare.

How do we, as people of faith, respond to all these events? The murder, the protests, the sense of polarisation taking place in some sections of the community? Why were there up to 2000 people on the EDL march and only 400 on the Newcastle Unites protest? Prayer, education and protest come to mind.

Prayer focuses our minds and offers seemingly impossible situations to God for whom all things are possible. We need to educate ourselves, so that we are not making assumptions or judgements about people in other traditions or faiths. Recently, a Muslim group held an Open Day at the Civic Centre and sent an invitation to MCC Newcastle to attend. Vicki attended on our behalf and gave a very favourable account of all that she had experienced during the day. Where we can, we can protest. Protest comes in many forms, from marching in the streets to choosing to shop in more ethical ways. As the psalms teach us, even praying – crying out loud to God can be a protest in itself.

As the story behind the murder of Lee Rigby unfolds, I invite you to pray for peace and justice this week.

God bless,

Cecilia

On Friday it will be IDAHO – the International Day
Against Homophobia and Transphobia. MCC Newcastle will be at the Civic Centre, along with other community groups. The rainbow flag will be raised and there will be stalls and speeches to mark this important day.

In the UK, homophobic bullying, ignorance and prejudice are still issues. Internationally, thousands of LGBT people live in fear of their lives. The state either condones violence towards our sisters and brothers, or turns a blind eye when it happens. Rainbow Home, our joint project with MESMAC, offers a safe space to LGBT people who are seeking asylum in this country. They have fled where they were born and
brought up, because to remain there put their lives at risk.

This week, I was reading something written by our Moderator, Reverend Elder Nancy Wilson. She was wondering what would happen if, on one day, everyone in the world who is LGBT all turned purple. Celebrities, politicians, homophobes, footballers, children, everyone. Just imagine what that would be like. How powerful could that be, if we could all see each other? How powerful could it be
for those who wish to oppress us, to see us in strength and
number?

This is why events like IDAHO and Pride are really important.
They are an opportunity for us to gather together in strength and number. It is an opportunity for those who are still struggling with their sexuality or in the closet to see that they are not alone. It also shows those who would harm us
that they cannot pick us off one by one. There are too many of us.

In the midst of this we stand, as a faith community, offering even more. We witness to a loving and amazing God, who created and loves each of us, just as we are. This second “coming out” is as important as the first. It can also be equally challenging. It takes courage to stand on our stall and offer people a different perspective from what they generally pick up in the media. Many people are indifferent, some are hostile or curious. For a few though, we make a difference to the rest of our lives. That is an amazing gift to be able to offer someone. 

Please pray for Suzanne and her team this Friday, as they are “out and proud” for IDAHO.

God bless,

Cecilia

Today a 19 year old man is struggling in hospital to regain his strength. This is a fight he may not wish to continue. If his health improves, the trial will begin where he will be charged with offences relating to the bomb attacks at the
Boston marathon. There have been many shocking aspects to the events surrounding the marathon two weeks ago. However, it is the youth of this man that keeps coming back to trouble me. In the 80’s, there was a song that was number 1 in the charts for many weeks called “Nineteen" – the lyrics relate the fact that the average age of combat soldiers in the Vietnam war  was 19, compared with World War Two, when the average age was 26. 

The notion of “teenagers” is a relatively new one. For centuries, children went out to work, and in many countries today, they still do. Some are the main wage earners for their families. In the West, we aspire to protect and educate our children, to give them a chance to have a carefree childhood, before the responsibilities and realities of adult life sets in.

I think that is what saddens me about the 19 year old who is charged with designing and planting these bombs, which were specifically designed to harm and horrifically maim as many people as possible. The innocence of youth has been
swept away and replaced with a view of other people – including other young people and children - as no longer human, no longer lives of value. Three people have already died and there may be more. Violence is most easily perpetrated when the victim is no longer seen as equal or valued. Even in war, when violence against others has become legitimised, there is still horror when cruelty and torture is revealed. The most recent pronunciation by the G8 leaders condemning sexual violence within war is a good example of this.

All of this might seem a long way from our daily lives. It is very easy for us to slip into the place of not valuing others though, if we are not careful. Perhaps someone who understands scripture differently from us, or holds political views which are unpalatable.  Jesus, of course, understood this human trait. That is why the story of the Good Samaritan was so powerful in its day – it forced the listeners to re-consider how they viewed outsiders, people they did not value and so could dismiss. 

God bless,

Cecilia

Today is a day that the world changed. Just now we do not know whether this will be a change for the better. Just now, all the newsrooms around the world will be scrambling to get as much information as they can on this man, suddenly thrown into the spotlight.

Pope Francis, an Argentinean, has been elected to serve the Catholics of the world. He is the first Pope from outside Europe in over 1000 years. That alone is a huge shift. South America is the home of liberation theology - the view that
Jesus was on the side of the poor. Many Catholic priests were actively engaged in politics in South American countries, helping the poor and oppressed, often campaigning against brutal regimes.  One of the most famous quotes from this time is from Dom Helder Camara, Archbishop of Recife, Brazil: 

Like most of you, at the time of writing, I know very little about Pope Francis and his background. However, I think this powerful theological and social movement must have influenced the new Pope at some level. When one is looking at the world through the lens of a Saviour who came to free oppressed people, then it is harder to uphold structures and systems that oppress some people and not
others.

I doubt that there will be any great shifts on issues such as gay marriage or women priests. What we might start to hear more about, is the heart of the Christian message:

In local parishes around the world, from whatever Christian tradition, faithful people work to transform their local community and beyond. It is my hope for them, and for us, that Pope Francis will able to remind the wider world of all
the good that the followers of Christ do each day to bring heaven closer to earth.

God bless,

 Cecilia
 

This week is the start of Euro 2012 – a football tournament for those of you are not interested. There has been some
controversy over the choice of Ukraine as one of the host nations, and some politicians and fans have chosen to stay away in protest.

It is easy to think that such protests and boycotts do not have an impact. Or that it has to be someone important or powerful in order for anything to make a difference.

Recently, I have heard from two different people in the
congregation who are each making their own personal protests in different ways. One is refusing to take Communion in their home church, in protest at that denomination’s treatment of lesbians and gay men. Another person refuses to visit the USA or any country that still uses the death penalty for prisoners. These protests gain strength every time the person tells their story and make others think about the issue too.

You may think that one person cannot make a difference. Rosa Parks was an African American woman at a time when racial segregation was still legal and well embedded in USA. After a long hard day at work in 1955, she refused to give up her seat to a white man on the bus and was arrested. This small act of protest became the focal point for a massive bus boycott and was a key event in the civil rights movement. Now, just under 60 years later, the USA has a black President.

You are on the mailing list of MCC Newcastle today, because in 1968, one man called Troy Perry dared to
believe that it could be possible to have a Christian church that would proclaim God’s inclusive love for all people – including lesbians, gay men, bisexual folk and
transgendered women and men.

May you find one way of making your voice heard on an issue this week.

God bless,

Cecilia