Home >> Ministers Message (August 2006)

Dear Friends,

At the time of writing this letter the possibility of a full cessation of hostilities in the Middle East appears to have reached deadlock. The media coverage of the Hezbollah fighters/Israeli conflict is frightening as the death and casualty rates among civilians and soldiers continues to rise. Today's newspaper headlines (August 7th) speak of catastrophe on both sides.
One paper reports "Hezbollah's most lethal attack of the war kills 12 Israeli soldiers". Another headline "The elderly and frail with nowhere left to go" tells of two Lebanese women clutching small plastic bags filled with belongings pleading with a reporter "Please take us with you" and beginning to weep, crying out "Oh God, help us". International negotiations break down; extremists on both sides undermine efforts to find a peaceful solution; and innocents, again on both sides, suffer.
Many words and expressions roll easily off the tongue when . considering the root cause of the conflicts which continue to blight the world in which we live. At the moment I'm thinking about `religious fanaticism' , fundamentalism gone wild - divisiveness and intolerance. Sadly expressions like "peaceful co-existence" or "the precious nature of human life" seldom enter into conflict or war agendas.
I suppose it is part of human nature that in conflict opposing factions have preconceived opinions, sometimes unreasonable bias, and such prejudice disregards the human rights of those seen as opponents. That is certainly how it seems to me.
However, speaking of prejudice, I am reminded of a quotation attributed to Archbishop Desmond Tutu "The wounds of prejudice should be opened and cleansed to prevent them from festering". In our native Scotland, especially in the West, religious bigotry through which Protestant and Catholic have been prejudiced against each other seemed to be a way of life for many years - too many. Yet these wounds of prejudice

were opened in dialogue and debate and are being cleansed. This is obvious in the development of the ecumenical movement over the last 50 or more years.
Nevertheless prejudice has not yet been defeated. Recently it has taken new direction. At the end of July, Scotland's oldest Synagogue, in Glasgow, was the target of a graffiti attack.          And recently too, there has been evidence of anti­Muslim prejudice creeping into our society. Speaking out against such recent manifestations of rise in prejudice, Magnus Linklater said "Vigilance should always be
the first line of defence against it there is always an argument for inspecting the wounds (of prejudice) and ensuring that they continue to heal."
A lot of healing is needed in this world in which religious bigotry, hatred and conflict continue to erode efforts for peaceful co-existence. As a church and as individuals we can contribute to the search for world peace by continuing to uphold Christ's vision of love and justice. The way to do this is to live according to the instruction of Jesus "in everything do unto others as you would have them do unto you". With kind regards

Minister

Minister's Holiday Arrangements

A combination of essential Church work and annual holiday leave means that Mr Lafferty will not be available from after Evening Communion in Livingstone Church on Sunday 3rd Sept. until his return on Sunday 1St October. During that period, for the services of a Minister, please contact either:­

Rev. David Hebenton            01294 829228 or
Rev. Scott Cameron  01294 463356Minister's Holiday Arrangements

A combination of essential Church work and annual holiday leave means that Mr Lafferty will not be available from after Evening Communion in Livingstone Church on Sunday 3rd Sept. until his return on Sunday 1St October. During that period, for the services of a Minister, please contact either:­

Rev. David Hebenton            01294 829228 or