The Funeral Of Baroness Margaret Thatcher - 17th April 2013

I was pleased - relieved - to see that the funeral of Baroness Margaret Thatcher went off without any real trouble. There were, inevitably, a few protestors lining the route of the procession from the Palace of Westminster to St Paul's, but these were very much in the minority, and barely audible above the spontaneous applause from the crowd as the coffin made it's slow progress through the streets atop the gun carriage being drawn by the King's Troop Royal Artillery.

There is no doubt that Margaret Thatcher MP was a a divisive figure whilst in Government, through I'm not going to make this post in any way a political statement. Whether you were for or against her, the one inescapable thing about death is that it brings us all to the same level. The exalted, the elite, the rich and the poor all have the same status as we depart this world. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

But the real value of life is what we leave behind. What we have achieved, how we are remembered, the imprint we may have made on the lives of our friends, family and all of those we have encountered during our - albeit brief - time in this world. Did we do all that we set out to do? Could we have done more with the resources and the skills that God gave us? Have we followed the example of our Lord, or did we fall short?

These are the values that will be discussed, evaluated and measured in the aftermath of our lives, and none more so that in the case of Baroness Thatcher. In her case, our memories, and the memories of the people that follow us, will be shaped by the historians and the archivists. There is already talk of a Memorial Library, in the mould of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. How will she be remembered? What will they have to say?

Regardless of contemporary or subjective opinion, there can surely be no doubt that she was a powerful and influential leader. It is a fact that she was the longest serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century, serving 11 years as Prime Minister and 15 years as leader of the Conservative Party. It's also a fact that she was a democratically elected leader of the UK. So regardless of anything else, these elements give her the right to respect and a place in history, and for some, a place in their hearts.

Thoughts, prayers and commiserations to her family and friends at this time of mourning.

RIP Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG OM PC FRS (née Roberts, 13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013)

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Elections: 1979, 1983, 1987

Micah Challenge Update

Friday 5th April marked 1000 days to go until the Deadline for the Millennium Development Goals - those 8 promises the world made in 2000 to halve extreme poverty by 2015. These very promises ignited the work we do at Micah Challenge - and it's been an interesting journey.

The EXPOSED global call to shine a light on corruption is now live and we need you to help us. Imagine the impact of 1 million people taking a stand against corruption which robs the poorest? Campaigning works. Join us and sign the call!

See more about the Micah challenge here.

Would Jesus have had a Twitter account (part 2)

News and information is all around us, all of the time, everywhere we go, incessant, ubiquitous, demanding. Some people talk of information anywhere, anytime, but in fact, isn’t it more a case of information everywhere, all of the time?

Social media has given us the tools and facilities to become connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And this is increasingly a way of life for many people, as a recent newspaper survey discovered. The survey asked respondents a series of questions to determine how they used social media. According to the results:

• 1 in 3 smartphone owners would rather give up sex than their mobile phone
• 90% of 18 – 29 year olds say they will sleep with their phone in or beside their bed
•  23% go on Twitter more than 10 times a day,
• 51% check social network sites at dinner,
• 62% use their phones while shopping and
• 42% will stop a conversation if their phone beeps.

One person was quoted: 

“Sometimes I wake up in the night and reach for my phone so I can do a Tweet”. 

And another “I take pictures of my food, my feet….pretty much anything and post it online”.

But let’s pause for a minute before condemning these excesses as the norm for today’s social media users. These are extreme behaviours, and hence why they were deemed newsworthy. Social media has brought enormous benefits and triggered some massive changes to society.  It’s no longer the case of injustice prevailing where there is a lone voice pleading to be heard. That lone voice can become many thousands, or even millions, when it is heard via the power of online social networks such as Twitter or Facebook.

The catalyst for what has become known as the “Arab Spring” was the self-immolation of Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi. Unable to find work and selling fruit at a roadside stand, a municipal inspector confiscated his wares. An hour later he doused himself with gasoline and set himself afire. His death on 4 January 2011 was widely reported on social media, which brought together various groups dissatisfied with the existing political system, including many unemployed, political and human rights activists, ultimately triggering the Tunisian revolution in search of equal rights and a more democratic government. As we now know, this ultimately spread to other autocratic Arab states, including Syria. This story is still unfolding, and quite where it will lead we do not know. But the significance of mass communication via social media, where just about anyone can have a voice – and be heard – cannot be underestimated as a catalyst for change.

Nick Baines, the Bishop of Bradford, recently admitted that the church had to find a better way of communicating with young people. RichardChartres, the Bishop of London, wants to recruit 100,000 Christians by 2020 to help communities and spread the gospel. In his Easter message he was reported as saying

 “…the church needed to understand social media better if it is to connect with young people”. He went on to say: “Facebook has been the most successful missionary movement of the past few years and the capacity of new media to challenge and sometime dissolve corporations and long-established institutions is huge”.

 It’s only taken 6 years, but it’s encouraging to know that, at last, the Church of England is taking social media seriously!

But let’s not think of social media purely as a tool for young people. It has as much benefit – if not more – for those of mature years (I neatly fit into this demographic!). More and more older people are finding that Facebook is a way – maybe the only way – of connecting with friends and family. Social networks can provide opportunities for learning a new skill, or joining a club or just participating in online conversations.  According to a report on social media demographics, 27% of users of social networks are aged 45 and over. 

And as if to prove that age is not a barrier to engaging with social media, Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI took to Twitter at the age of 85, quickly building up more than 1.6 million followers before signing off the social network on Feb 28th following his almost unprecedented resignation, sending a final thankful tweet:

@Pontifex “May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the centre of your lives.”

Or this from the Dalai Lama:

@Dalailama “Anger, hatred and jealousy never solve problems, only affection, concern and respect can do that.”

So, coming back to the title of this piece, “would Jesus have had a Twitter account?”. An admittedly irreverent title, but with a serious intent. Jesus was only able to deliver his message to a relatively small number of people; his disciples, followers and those who heard his sermons or witnessed his miracles, and over a relatively short time span. We have to rely on the accuracy of historical records, where his words have been transcribed, translated, interpreted, published and preached over the centuries. Would he have wanted to spread his message more widely, more quickly and in his own words if he’d had the opportunity? Or did he know that his message would achieve greater impact and persistence (but less accuracy) when told and re-told through his disciples and followers? Answers on a postcard – or better still – here on the St Michael’s Discussion Forum!

The key point is that we now live in a highly connected world, a world where we no longer have to be passive consumers of news and information. Social media has given us the tools to become active participants in this global knowledge and information society.  We’ve always had a voice, now we can make it heard. It’s never been easier to find, connect and engage with people – so it’s encouraging that the Church is now starting to take it seriously as part of its outreach strategy.

If you would like to know more about St Michael’s use of social media, or have an opinion on this article please contact me via the comments, or email Steve Dale: steve.dale@gmail.com. 

NB: See also - Is Jesus Social Media savvy?

Would Jesus have a Twitter account?

I picked up on this blog post by Natalia Angulo, who poses the question: "Is Jesus Social Media Savvy". Particularly relevant to what we are trying to do here, i.e. the gradual introduction of social media (e.g. this blogging platform) to our congregation at St Michael's Church, and the wider community through our Outreach work. I recommend reading the full post by Natalia, but I felt these abstracts were particularly relevant:

Celebrities may have more followers, but with 1.3 billion impressions every 30 days and over 16.5 million fans, Jesus Daily claims to be the most engaged Facebook page in the world. The site’s success is indicative of the way religion has moved beyond the churches and synagogues onto the web, where faith can touch us not just on the weekend but every day. ....

......Even Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI took to Twitter at age 85, quickly building up more than 1.6 million followers before signing off the social network on Feb. 28 following his almost unprecedented resignation, sending a final thankful tweet:
@Pontifex: “May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the centre of your lives.” .....

.....Another religious leader with a large following on Twitter is the Dalai Lama who on his @DalaiLama verified account has more than 6 million followers.

....Just as St. Paul was willing to travel in order to spread the message of the gospel, Morris -- who uses Twitter and Facebook, and hosts a SirusXM Catholic radio channel -- sees social media not just as an opportunity, but an obligation to reach out to people who may not be coming into his pews on Sundays, as well as a means to keep in touch with parishioners.....

It seems that social media has come too late for many people at St Michael's, i.e. there is precious little engagement on this blog, and Twitter remains an enigma for the vast majority. I think that social media is viewed as a young person's environment, to be avoided at all costs by the 'older demographic', which is clearly not the case if you look at the examples of Pope Benedict and the Dalai Lama mentioned above - neither of whom are enjoying the springs of youth!

So, does social media have a role to fulfil in reaching out to the people in our Parish (and beyond), who are unlikely to ever set foot in any church, let alone St Michael's? Surely it does, and if Jesus was living amongst us - physically - today, I'm sure he would have a Twitter account!

Micah Challenge International

I thought it might be worthwhile posting details of the new "Micah Challenge International", which is aimed at corruption in politics. The campaign was prompted by the arrest of retired Anglican Bishop Zac Niringiye, who was detained whilst campaigning against corrupt practices by politician in Kampala. The following abstract is from the Micah Challenge website:

This Thursday 14 February Rev David Zac Niringiye will report to Wandegeya Police Station in Kampala and there is a chance that he could be taken to court and charged with the crime of ‘inciting violence’ and asked to report again.  But he is also hoping that the case will be dismissed on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution.
Last Monday, Anglican bishop, Niringiye, was arrested and detained in Kampala for distributing materials denouncing corruption, to students at Makerere University in Kampala.
His action was part of Black Monday, a movement of many different groups raising awareness and demanding action against the theft of public resources by politicians and public servants.  Bishop Niringiye has written that, “Corruption is stealing right out of the pockets of ordinary Ugandans. People are dying because they cannot access basic health care from trained staff.

Micah Challenge is preparing to launch a global call with 1 million signatures against corruption with EXPOSED 2013, which is call to action for Christians around the world to shed light on the corruption which robs the world's poorest.

Catholic charity seeks to block same-sex couples from its adoption service

There was a news report in the paper earlier this week about a Catholic adoption agency that was seeking to deny its services to same-sex couples. Catholic Care is asking the judge, sitting in the Upper Tribunal in London to sanction a change to its charitable objectives so that it can lawfully turn away same-sex couple as prospective adopters. However, lawyers for the Charity Commission argue that drawing a distinction between gay and heterosexual couple would amount to a breach of the Equality Act 2011 and a violation of the ban on discrimination contained in the European Convention on Human Rights.

Now I appreciate this a very sensitive issue, and there will no doubt be entrenched positions being taken on all sides. It's not the first time - and certainly not the last - that Christian traditions and beliefs have come into conflict with the minutiae of equality and human rights laws. According to a spokesperson from Catholic Care, the consequence of the court finding against it will be a cessation of its services to both gay and heterosexual couples. 

I want to make clear that, personally, I have no issue with the Catholic Church or it's traditions and beliefs. I am neither for or against same-sex couples adopting children; the key criteria for me is that the child's interests and welfare is put first and foremost. If the appropriate experts believe that a child would be better off in a safe and loving home than remaining indefinitely in the care of the local authority, then any consideration about same-sex or heterosexual couples becomes irrelevant.

I do feel quite strongly in this case that the Charity Commission's focus on the rights of same-sex couples, rather than the children in need of adoption, is tantamount to putting the interests of the helper before those of the helpless. 

I wonder what Jesus would think if He was here today?

Is the end of the collection plate nigh?

According to a recent report from JustGiving, which raises cash for charities online, donations to religious causes have increased by 128 per cent over the past five years. Older donors have led the trend and are choosing the email inbox over the collection box in ever larger numbers.

Direct religious donations by the over-60's outstripped those of any other age-group, nearly trebling over the period, according to the report.

Harnessing the internet to benefit from the generosity of the faithful muts now become a priority for churches if they are to survive, the report shows.

The Right Rev Stephen Lowe, retired Church of England bishop for urban life and faith was quoted as saying: "We have not got the gear to receive the donations. How much longer can we keep passing the plate when people have not got the cash?".

So, are we going to see the day when mobile phones will be permitted - nay - encouraged in church during services so that the congregation can donate by text? It's clear we are increasingly becoming a cashless society, so at the very least, churches need to start thinking of alternatives to the traditional collecting plate.

What do you think?