My dear parishioners

We are in the midst of Autumn, with its colours and abundance of apples. This season has its own way of reminding us to be thankful for both the harvest of land and sea, but also all those who have risked so much for our freedoms. A Bible reading sometimes read at Harvest services is the parable of the ten lepers. The sting in the tail is that having been certified clean by the priests, only one of those lepers returns to Jesus to thank him.

How good are any of us at remembering to give thanks? How much of my prayer is focussed on problems and needs — our own needs, other people we know, the needs of the world? Yes, it's right to bring our concerns to God — but he has given us so many good things already, it's also right that we should give him thanks and praise. We have just celebrated the harvest in Annahilt. We look forward to doing so in Magherahamlet later this month.

Sadly, war has been a feature of history since records began. The First World War was supposed to be ‘…the war to end all wars…’ I recently came across a statistic that since 3600 BC the world has known only 292 years of peace. There have been 14,351 wars since then. As the book containing this statistic was published 14 years ago, that figure is still increasing!

What shines through the darkness of statistics like this are the stories of courage and the example of those who are willing to bring the light of Christ into seemingly hopeless situations. It is in hearing stories that we can remember them with thankful hearts, but also strengthen our resolve to work and to pray for peace for future generations.

“Love one another as Jesus first loved us. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for ones friends” Following the Armistice this quotation began to appear on war memorials, commemorating those who had died. Many had indeed given their lives in battle in the hope that others might be saved.

A century later, these verses can be reclaimed so that we too might be able to live out Jesus’s words, but in peace, rather than war. Instead of dying in battle for others, we might live our lives in service that emulates Christ’s life. Our call is to live a life of love, loving one another as Christ first loved us and to pray for lasting peace.

Amidst all the troubles of this world let us pray that God’s inner peace will be present in all those who believe in Him. Let us pray especially that those currently living in strife will experience peace and seek comfort in the confident hope God inspires for the future.

Your sincere friend and Rector

Robert Howard