Articles - From the Vicar

Dear Friends

I write at the end of a week of rioting in many English cities. We have all been shocked by the violence, the arson, the looting and destruction. And the sheer awfulness of the actions of those involved has also put up a mirror to our society, confronting us with the kind of society we have become: a society which has lost so much of its moral compass and much of the religious faith and social bonds that helped to shape and pass on those moral codes in the past; a society in which we have all benefited greatly from individualism and from the freedom to do what we like but where such an attitude has also come at a great price; a society where we have retreated into our private spaces and lost the sense that public space is our space, that we belong to each other and that our welfare depends upon the welfare of our community, our city, our society; a society hooked on consumerism, where we are peddled endless bits of fashion and technology - and if we can't afford them we get them on credit and if we can't get them on credit then perhaps we steal them; a society where the rich and powerful pay themselves vast bonuses and manipulate their expenses and their taxes - saying to everyone lower down that the way to go is to feather your own nest - and if you can't do that legally then do it any way you can; a society where so many families have become dysfunctional in so many ways, and where even more struggle to bring up their children as best they can in the face of the increasing pressures of work and the cost of living and the bewildering new world of information technology.

And the question remains what do we do about it? I believe that as a church and as individuals we have to start here - where we are - in our own community. On the Tuesday of the riots, the church's calendar was commemorating the life of Mary Sumner who in 1876 began an organisation called "the Mothers' Union". Mary had a deep concern for the wellbeing of her society but she started - where she was - with a small group in her local parish. She set out the principles on which her group was based. These are some of the key ones:

• The prosperity of a nation springs from the family life of the homes.
• Family life is the greatest institution in the world for the formation of the character of children.
• The tone of family life depends on the parents - their mutual love, loyalty and faithfulness to each other.
• Religion is the indispensable foundation of family life and the truths of the Christian faith should be taught at home as well as school.
• Parents are responsible for the religious teaching of their children.
• Character is formed during the first ten years of life by the example and habits of the home.
• Example is stronger than precept, and therefore parents must be themselves what they wish their children to be.
• The training of children is a profession that needs faith, love, patience, method, and self-control.

Of course much has changed about the nature of families and the range of faiths and philosophies in our society since then but those principles seem as relevant today as ever - perhaps more so. That is not to say that there aren't wider social issues that need to be addressed - but only so much can be done from the top down - far more has to be done from the bottom up. What can we do to support families under pressure? What can we take from Mary Sumner's principles? How can we reflect the love of Christ where we are in our community? Because as Mary Sumner recognised - "the prosperity of a nation springs from the family life of the homes."

With prayers and good wishes
David

© St Edmund's Church, Roundhay - Charity Number 1131904