St John's Church

Macaulay Road, Broadstone, Dorset

Home History Vicar's Monthly Leader Service Times

January 2010

FROM THE VICAR : There was a feeling of expectation when the new Millennium began, that the world was going to be a better place, but now that we are entering the second Decade, there is an enormous catalogue of disasters – both man-made and natural. The Iraq War, the bombing of the World Trade Centre, bombings in London, the increase of violent crime on our streets, tsunamis, flooding, the greater-than-expected effects of global warming, banks crashing, rising unemployment, companies and businesses that have been household names going into liquidation, the MPs Expenses scandal, more than a hundred British soldiers killed this year in Afghanistan – to say nothing of the huge numbers whose lives have been ruined through physical and mental injuries. The list is endless.

I think that there is a mental attitude that has emerged over several years, and this is typified by any attempt that we may make to contact the so-called ‘customer services department’ of a company when we have a problem – those who are there supposedly, to help us.  We are made to hang on the phone for ages, listening to an endless loop of inane jangly music, until eventually, a human voice speaks.  When it does, it may belong to someone from another region of our country or even another totally different part of the world, such that we are both unable to understand each other. Even then, we may well be passed on to another department and have to go through the same tedious process over again. The mental attitude is summed up in the few words, ‘It’s not my problem mate!’

Society in general, has lost its respect for each individual and what is rightfully theirs. Those things that we share in common – our immediate town, city or village environment, as well as the coast and countryside – are littered and abused. People shout about ‘their rights’, but I believe that our rights are relatively few – to be able to live, be educated, our health cared for and one or two other things perhaps – all the rest are privileges that we earn through hard work and decent behaviour.

It is easy to be a talker and for me to join the ranks of the ‘Grumpy Old Men’ – is this a sign of advancing years, I ask? - but the sooner we realise that the state we are in is that these are ‘All our problems, mate!’ and then be prepared to do something about them – only then, will things begin to change.

I commend the New Year to your prayers, because prayer can really make a difference. The Church often prays in an apathetic way, with an attitude of resignation that things will continue to go on as before whatever we may do - but this is not our Lord’s teaching. We are told that prayer changes things and that when we pray, we must do so in the spirit that we have already received what we are asking for – and if we really think about it, can anything be too hard for God?

Martin Fredriksen.

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