I personally think our story changes all the time, so this is what I shared at church today, but next week I might say something totally different!
Have you ever felt a feeling where you know you need to speak up and say something even though it’s not going to be popular? For me it starts in my chest and I can feel my heart get faster. I know that whether I like it or not, something needs to be pointed out. It happened to me the other day in a meeting where it looked as if lots of folk were in agreement about something, but I could see there was an angle that hadn’t been mentioned, an unfairness that God was nudging me to encourage everyone to pay attention to.Inspired by love and anger is a Wild Goose hymn by John Bell, (link below) and sums up what I’d like to share today - part of my story and my song.I am inspired by Love - God’s love is what I cling to when I doubt if I’m good enough. There’s another song, a Celtic prayer, with the line “may God hold you in the hollow of God’s hand” and for me when things have been tough in my life I imagine myself curled up safe in Her huge hands.
I want all my actions to be inspired by love. Another song popped into my head from Mike Scott and the Waterboys with its line “what do you want me to do Lord” and so that’s what I am always asking, what is it God that I can do right now that would be the most loving response.God’s love means I know every single one of us is made in God’s image so how wonderfully diverse God is and we are. And that we’re all totally through and through loveable and called to love each other. God’s unconditional love is what appealed to me when I first started going regularly to church at 15 years old - encouraged by a geography teacher (she’s a Methodist too), and it’s what appeals to me still.
I am also inspired by Anger - the first verse goes: Inspired by love and anger, disturbed by need and pain,Informed of God's own bias, we ask our God again:
"How long must some folk suffer? How long can few folk mind?
How long dare vain self-interest turn prayer and pity blind?"Some of us might have been raised to think anger is a bad thing. But I think God wants us to get angry about injustice, and to speak up and challenge it. Whether that’s injustice caused by our greed, by racism or homophobia, by people taking more than their fair share of power, or because of the impact of climate change.In another verse we sing “God asks who will go for me “So I think that’s me. And it’s you.“And who when few bid welcome will offer all they know”. I believe God wants me to challenge the status quo, disturb where we are comfortable in our privilege, even if that challenge is not always welcome.Our minister Michaela has asked us all to reflect on how we see God calling us to the new. So the love and anger have long, and hopefully will long, inspired me. New to me now is the role of our circuit EDI officer, offering many ways for me and us all to show our love in action by ensuring our churches and groups and worship are as accessible and inclusive as possible. And maybe irritating a few folk along the way as I encourage us all to look at what we might need to change or give up in order to make that happen.
we then sang the song together - here it is:
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