A Time to Reflect on Changing the World

‘I wouldn’t change my children for the world

But I would change the world for my children’

 

‘ The earth belongs to the Lord’ -Psalm 24 

What a time we have been living through, a time of immense uncertainty.

Uncertain of what on earth is going on in our once familiar world around us.

The mutual empathy from so many people from so many countries, who share with us that same strange daily reality.

What on earth lies ahead for us all? Even yet more uncertainty?

What is certain, We all have had similar experiences, some are still shielding.  

At the beginning of the Pandemic we seemed shell shocked, completely and utterly stunned into a dramatic change in our lives.

Realising with a bang, just how big a part our daily routine plays in our normality.

Circumstances forced us to stop seeing our children, our Grandchildren, wider family members and friends.  Even old Jimmy along the road had gone missing out of the picture. Even stopped going to mass.

Having been born twelve years after the Second World War, it’s the stories from my parents that taught me about the six year period of living through terrible fear, uncertainty and separation. But how it led to a camaraderie that grew and lasted a lifetime.

But a great added by product of those times was that ability to take a fresh look at life and recognise the need to change, to make everybody life better. The gaps and inequalities needed to be tackled, to give people a more equal chance, to have health care no matter their income.  Out of that in 1948 the NHS our National Health Service was born and was available free at the point of need to every person living in the U.K.

A massive change in attitudes came about. People seemed to care more about others than before and in many ways, a consensus, leading onto a tremendous turning point seemed to have been reached. There was still a long way to go but it was a starting point.

But over the past 20 years or so, it feels like we have somehow turned around and headed back the way, unravelling many of the good parts that were hard fought for and a long time coming.

On an intimate level I can only go by the UK standard and my experience of how that political stance has made an impact.

To my way of thinking that means it could be possible to make drastic changes again. The only thing we is to be willing.

The beautiful song Imagine spoke of that in so many ways, but for me, this line stands out

‘Imagine all the people sharing all the world’

And yes, as the songs says. You might think that I’m a little bit crazy or even a big bit crazy, but, we are all human beings, we share similar needs to survive, we think similar thoughts and feel the very same  feelings, to varying degrees.

 

And so I ask these questions!

Why can’t we stop the destruction of our planet?

Why can’t we redesign our values?

Why can’t we put our hands out to each other?

Why can’t we just radiate love?

What if we take this time together - person to person, country to country - to enter into one of the most important discussion that’s ever taken place in the history of the world. Show some love and mutual respect. Isn’t that what Jesus teaches us?

We could stop dismissing our children and young adults , give them some credit for the fresh eager minds they have. Encourage people like Greta and co to put forward some of their agenda for the world.

 
Words of the chorus of a song written by a friend a few years ago come to my mind.

The sentiment was about having peace for one day each year, it was called

‘ Peace One Day’

‘How about that table we all sit around

with a new set of rules that the children have found

The innocence we had, that was lost with old hate

Would shine through the fog

It would  change all our fate

To a world where we felt free from hatred and fear

And that peace for one day would last right through the year ‘

When I look around I can see, its the adults who complicate the world,

put money before life, bombs before bairns , as we say in Scotland.

This might sound like a utopia, a dream that could never come true

But we do have freedom of choice, we can make changes, little by little.

That’s happening anyway, right under our noses , but not in a good or

productive way.

 
We have an opportunity at this time , to make a difference, to change course from the destructive path we are on and I so hope and pray we do that. 

That is the kind of forward thinking world that I want to be part of and help to shape for our future generations. 

Our Lord Jesus teaches us in scripture

‘ A New commandment I give unto you, is to love one another as I have loved you’

If we could only get that message taken seriously, we could save our world.

’ Ask and it will be given ‘ Mathew 7 -8 

Let us Pray and give Praise to Jesus!