Burundi first day

Travelling as a group is always an interesting experience in itself. You spend a lot of time waiting around to check in, waiting to board, waiting for connecting flights. It is a mixture of chat in light mode and in serious mode. It is a time for being quiet, and even attempting to sleep – largely unsuccessfully. But it bonds the group together. I have great company on this trip. We are staying the first night in Bujumbura Diocesan Centre. Perfectly comfortable, and good food at lunch time. Then there is the fun of changing money, getting Sim cards to work etc. But right now I am at the Provincial office where the work progressing the Faith Centre is amazing. 3 years ago I stood in this large garden having a dream explained. Today it is well on its way to completion. It is a great facility being developed. I love the contrast with Health & Safety compared with our new diocesan office. There it is a bright jacket, booked time, hard hat, gloves and only stand where I am told. Here we wander around under the soon scaffolding watching men at work (actually women learning to be brickies too.
Faith Centre is the right name. Born in faith and being developed in faith. These sisters and brothers inspire me with their faith and vision for the future.
It is delightfully hot too.

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Burundi Bound

Burundi is a wonderful country. It is one of the 5 poorest nations on earth (indeed latest UN figures make it the poorest of all). It had an horrendous 15 years of civil war in which hundreds of thousands died. It continues to have moments of sporadic instability and certainly along the border with Congo life is very uncertain (though less uncertain than with Uganda & Rwanda given today’s reported news).
Yet it is a beautiful country; the glories of Lake Tanganyka, the wonder of the rolling hills and mountains with their terracing and crops; the resilience of the people, and their friendliness and welcome.
This was the land in which early this century I was taken into a displaced persons camp and had explained to me that within hours of arriving in such a place, anywhere in the world you will find people already engaging in trade, prostitution, gambling and prayer/worship. I saw them all in action.
Many hard and difficult things happen in this land; that is the way of extreme poverty, uncertainty and seeing violence as the only route out at times. But I have experienced such warmth, such hospitality and friendship, such joy, such outstanding examples of community work that it is a nation I love to visit. I have experienced and shared in vibrant worship and exciting church growth. I have learned enormous amounts from these dear sisters and brothers in Christ. I am thrilled to be able to introduce 9 others to it in the coming days.
The Internet does operate of course but it isn’t always reliable and far from universally available so I can make no promises about producing updates or reflections on this visit; but if and when I can I will do so.

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Walking the Community

Each year I have been a bishopI have spent 5 days walking through a Deanery (an area covering a number of parishes). Tomorrow morning I begin this year’s walk. It will take me through Holme Pierrepont, LadyBay, West Bridgford, Wilford, Gamston, Clifton and a host of villages in south Nottinghamshire. As I walk I will be accompanied by a varying number of others; some walking a lot, some just a short distance. We will meet and talk with all kinds of people in their places of study, relaxation, work, play etc. As we go we will pray; pray for people and for communities. It is a way of discovering more about communities; walking them is the best way to discover them. It is a way of seeking to bless the people and communities; not that I can bring blessing but I am convinced God can and does – prayer is about asking for and pronouncing God’s blessing on people and communities.

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Angels of Mersey

TV it appears remains genuinely interested in the life and work of the church. The BBCs latest offering follows a range of chaplains in Liverpool; U for and with peopleniversity Chaplain in Freshers week and the chaplaincy team in Alder Hey hospital were the featured people in the first episode. Street Pastors and the Jewish Chaplain feature next week.

Chaplains do an amazing work in their various settings. They are there to engage with people, listen to them, encourage them to think about life in allits variety; consider God (or at least the possibility of God), offer support in times of trial, pray for and with people.

The programme was the usual fly on the wall style; it showed the different chaplains being creative, energetic, thoughtful and caring. It resembled all that I see and hear happening in chaplaincy across Nottinghamshire. Worth a watch to see what the great work of chaplains is about

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On making an apology

No one particularly likes having to say sorry, or apologise. When such an apology has to be public on behalf of the Church of England for past mistakes relating to priests who abused children it becomes very uncomfortable. But this had to be done. Safeguarding in the Church of England has been carried out jointly with the Methodist Church for the last few years; we share a national officer and through a liaison group seek to ensure that best practices are followed. I co-chair this group. So when the two reports by Roger Meekings and Lady Butler-Sloss into specific matters in Chichester Diocese revealed serious failures in the selection and ordination of a priest in the late 1960s and his subsequent ministry in more than one diocese then an apology from the national church was necessary. Revd Roy Cotton (deceased) should never have been ordained, and once ordained should not have been allowed close access to children and young people. Revd Colin Pritchard who collaborated with Cotton in abusing boys has served a term in prison for his crimes; in his case too the church failed to heed warnings soon enough.

Official reports are one thing, listening to the story of those who have survived the abuse is quite another. I have wept over stories I have heard. I have felt physically sick at the thought that anyone, but particularly priests, should do such things to vulnerable, innocent children.

I am confident that the processes we have had in place since the mid 1990s mean that anyone with a past offence like Cotton would be very unlikely to make it to ordination in recent years. But the church has to remain vigilant. For many reasons churches can be vulnerable to being targeted by paedophiles (and indeed those wishing to harm vulnerable adults). Our safeguarding procedures have to be robust.

We are also concerned to respond better than we have done previously to those who have survived being abused by clergy (or indeed lay leaders). Last year we published the first policy on supporting survivors. It is called ‘Responding Well’. Every diocese is now engaged in working through putting this policy into practice. There is no doubt that alongside robust safeguarding practices the church must respond well to those who have been abused, and have survived such horrendous mistreatment from those whom they should have been able to trust.

This piece appearred first in Nottingham Post 6/3/11 

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REFLECTIONS ON LAW

This was the sermon delivered at the Annual High Sheriff’s Legal Service – St Mary’s, Nottingham on Sunday 22^nd January 2012

 

INTRODUCTION

It is a great privilege to be asked to preach at this service in this Jubilee year. In just two weeks time Her Majesty will have been Queen for 60 years following her accession to the throne on February 6^th, 1952. She has given a magnificent example of service to the nation and the commonwealth throughout these 60 years. She has been sustained by support from her late mother, Prince Philip, her wider family, loyal staff but, above all, by the prayers of God’s people and her own clear personal faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. This she made plain again in her Christmas broadcast.

It is the privilege of those who serve as Judges, Lord Lieutenants, High Sheriffs and indeed as magistrates, chief constables and police officers, alongside bishops and clergy of the Church of England to have a special relationship and responsibility towards Her Majesty as monarch. This is expressed in the oaths we take on entering office.

In our service today we thank God for this calling and privilege. We are also reminded of our responsibilities which, whilst bounded by Parliament, are ultimately God given. We are responsible to answer to human authorities but ultimately to a much higher and greater authority, God himself.

 IMPARTIALITY

You all know that around the world there are many sculptures, statues and pictures of the Goddess of Justice. You also know that classically she is blindfolded. Yet above the Old Bailey justice with sword in one hand and scales in the other is not blindfolded. This was clearly a deliberate statement by E.W. Mountford, the designer of the modern building which was opened in 1907.

So too was the carving of the inscription “defend the children of the poor and punish the wrongdoer” over the main entrance.

Now our reading from James is addressed to church members and leaders about how they must avoid treating rich and poor differently in the context of church worship and gathering. There must be impartiality because both in creation and salvation all people are equal in God’s eyes. ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ must apply to all people not simply those with whom we find it easy to get on, or with whom we think there might be advantage in getting on.

In his famous parable of the Samaritan (described by Jesus as compassionate rather than ‘good’) Jesus made it plain that anyone in need is our neighbour.

However the principles from James equally apply to how we treat people in society as a whole, and how they are treated in law. Impartiality is an important principle to be upheld.

The rich must never be allowed to get away with seeking to sway politicians or the courts in their favour because they are rich and powerful. In particular their wealth and power should never be used at the expense of the poor. This has always been and remains, a temptation. It must be resisted, and when it is not, recognised and dealt with firmly. Impartiality is a key principle in the exercise of the law.

MERCY

But then so too is mercy. The exercise of mercy, as exemplified by the Samaritan, is a reflection of God’s character. God’s mercy is undeserved by us all but in Christ he offers us mercy.

‘Mercy’, as someone has said, ‘is compassion in action’. Or in longer terms, Portia’s great words to Shylock, in the Merchant of Venice:

“The quality of mercy is not strain’d;

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes

The throned monarch better than his crown;

His sceptre shows, the force of temporal power,

The attribute to awe and majesty,

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;

But mercy is above this sceptred sway,

It is enthroned in the heart of kings,

It is an attribute of God himself;

And earthly power doth then show likest God’s

When mercy seasons justice.

Therefore, Jew,

Though justice be thy plea, consider this –

That in the course of justice none of us

Should see salvation; we do pray for mercy.

And that same prayer doth teach us all to render

The deeds of mercy.

The whole of the biblical record encourages us to ensure that the poor are not exploited, abused or oppressed. It calls on us to be merciful and compassionate. This is not to excuse wrong doing but it is to be aware of the grinding nature of poverty and its impact on people. It is to be conscious of the reasons some find themselves in poverty and what this can lead some people to do in seeking the welfare of their family. This may well then encourage us to act with mercy and compassion.

This is why, I think, lady justice is not blindfolded above the Old Bailey. In exercising judgement eyes need to be open to the sword and the scales, and above all to the person in front of us. What judgement is appropriate? What mercy and compassion might be required in the exercise of the law?

JUBILEE

But let me return, finally, to the fact that this is a Jubilee year. The Mosaic Law has a Jubilee in it. Every 50^th year Israel was supposed to hold a Jubilee which included provision for Land Return, the Release of Slaves and the Cancellation of Debts.

It is this vision of release that underlies our first reading today from Isaiah 61. Here God is announcing his intention to establish the jubilee for Israel once again. It is an inspiring vision. It is the one that Jesus himself used at the very beginning of his ministry as he read this passage in his home synagogue in Nazareth. He came to bring in God’s year of release – freedom and the cancellation of all our debts towards God.

In all the difficulties we currently face nationally and globally I think some reflections on the principles of Jubilee – re-establishing equity and equality for all are worth considering.

It is still the eschatological vision of the church – that there is coming a day and a time when God’s Kingdom will be established in all its fullness. A day, may I dare to say, when the need for police, magistrates and judges will be no more.

But we are not there yet! So in holding on to this vision of jubilee today we give thanks to God for the privilege of serving our monarch, our nation and our people in the ways we have been called to serve.

We also recognise afresh our responsibilities. May we exercise them well, with our eyes open to ensure we do so with impartiality. May we also know when and how to exercise mercy which reflects God himself. He has shown us his great mercy in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ; and in his final analysis “Mercy triumphs over judgement.”

The Rt Revd Paul Butler

Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham

22^nd January 2012

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Special Education

It was my joy to spend 2 hours at Oak Field School & Sports College yesterday morning. I had been told that their annual show was a treat – this was an understatement; it was amazing. As the outstanding headteacher David Stewart noted at 1 point, “some of you are looking at the programme to see if their is a plot – as if”. Ship Ahoy trotted from Portsmouth to Penzance but took in Japan, Venice, Africa, America, Scotland, London and other places en route. There were great dance scenes where wheelchairs and beds moved gracefully in time and concert; there were musical items with solos and choir; there were lines coming from mouths and machines. Wheelchairs were turned into many undersea creatures, London buses, fairy princesses and so much more. The smiles were broad. The dedication to achievement very clear. The co-operation a delight. The sense of pride and joy and sheer fun was almost overwhelming.

This was an extraordinary testimony to the skills, dedication, professionalism, expertise and sheer loving care of a staff team that obviously wants the best for every child, however severely limited their capacity.

It was a privilege to see and share in it. Special education has much to inspire all education, and all of life

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CHILDREN & BIG SOCIETY – FINAL PART

ADOPTION & FOSTERING

 There has been lots of recent comment and concern around both following on from the controversies earlier in the year about Christian couples and fostering. There is no doubt that there is work to be done in all areas to try and ensure children who are to be adopted move through the system more rapidly, without losing clear safeguards for the well-being of the child. There has been little reference in these comments to the place of the courts in the process though there are now proposals on the table to tackle this. It is they who are often slowing the adoption process in particular down by anything up to 18 months. All agencies concerned will need to work hard with one another at seeking to ensure that the child’s best interests are served. Given the importance of permanent, stable, loving care from 2 parents wherever possible it must be the case that moving more children into adoption as speedily as is wise and feasible should be society’s priority.

In relation to the concern about ‘exclusion of’ or ‘discrimination against’ Christians I want to note that running a very negative response to a small number of difficult cases has not been helpful. As a diocese we work with a County and a City authority of 2 different political hues and have found them entirely positive about us encouraging church members to put themselves forward for fostering and adoption roles.

So I believe the best response to any perceived negativity is a proactive response in raising up fostering and adoption as a possible vocation for Christian parents – whether as singles or couples. Let us be more on the front foot showing how Christians can offer wonderful homes for children who deserve a loving family home environment in which to grow and develop. We are working on such a positive campaign in our area with the full cooperation of the local authorities who believe that the churches, and indeed the mosques, temples, synagogues and gurdwaras, do have many people who would be excellent foster carers and adoptive parents.

We are after all a people who believe in ‘being adopted into God’s family’. Adoption is something we all experience with God so why not mirror it in our lives by fostering and adopting children?

PLAY & SPACE                                           

 Play England, and others, have done a wonderful job in recent years of highlighting the importance for children of play, and of space in which to play.

The importance of space was also highlighted this autumn by RIBA as they reported on ensuring that new homes which we build have adequate internal space for children as they grow, and access to outdoor space for play. Their report suggested we are building new homes with too little internal space – and we are not building enough of them as well.

Yet the importance of play and the vision of it as part of childhood and evidence of a healthy, wholesome community, is nothing new. Isaiah offers a wonderful vision of a child playing with a snake (Isaiah 11.6ff). Zechariah offers a vision of children at play in the streets alongside the elderly secure and at peace.

Jesus observed children at play in the market place and saw their games as a picture of how his society was responding to hi and John the Baptist’s ministry (Matthew 11.16ff)

Then there is the Creator God making play, even at play, in the variety and hilarity of creation.

Play is God given.

So where are we engaging in debates about house/home size, open space and play space in our local and national settings?

Many of our church premises are used for toddler and playgroups, children’s and youth clubs. But might we be able to be more enterprising in creating play space on our church land and in our church premises? There are some fine examples of this already happening. Let us look to do more.

EDUCATION

 The nature of the Christian Child Care Forum means I shall only mention this in passing. But in considering the total wellbeing of children we must be fully aware of the huge changes taking place in education – Academies, Free Schools, debates about Curriculum, the changing structure for Higher Education  are all massive. It is good that we have people significantly engaged with government and local authorities

In this 200^th anniversary year of the National Society there are huge questions to be addressed. I was pleased to be a part of The Watson Symposium 2 weeks ago which sought to explore some of the debates about Christian distinctiveness and about spirituality in all schools.

YOUTH (UN)EMPLOYMENT 

The growth in youth unemployment is one of the biggest wastes in our society at present. There are a whole range of issues to be tackled including those for whom work has not been part of their family life for several generations; the help needed for them is very different from that needed for those for whom it is a new experience. Both need to be tackled. There is a huge waste in graduates who are either unemployed or in jobs that hardly stretch their capacity. The latter is often taking away work from others for whom it is stretching rewarding work. We need further work from the public sector, businesses and the voluntary sector to seek to create meaningful, rewarding employment for all young people, appropriate to their level of skill and education.

I know there are leaders in business, including banking, who are deeply concerned and not only want to take action but are beginning to be creative about doing so.

I think this will require a radical shift – those of us in work might need to think about agreeing to reduce our income to create capacity for others. We might need to work less – it does seem madness that those in work in many cases are working longer and harder to the detriment of their family life very often; whilst others who have capacity are not being engaged. Using public money to create jobs must be a better use of our corporate resources than simply paying out benefit. Perhaps churches should take some prophetic steps to create jobs locally by a greater sharing of our common wealth. We already do it through paying pastors / ministers/ youth workers etc – let us see how we might create some more. There are no easy answers but simply trotting out a mantra about the need for ‘growth’ will not lead us to think differently and act radically, which is what we need to do.

CONCLUSION

But we, as Christians, are not simply concerned with ‘education’ or ‘social work’ we are concerned with the total transformation of society. This means the spiritual change of our society.

We do believe in social capital – we are concerned about bonding, bridging and leveraging but we also believe in spiritual capital.

We believe in a world in which values are turned upside down; where the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, the hungry and thirsty for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted and the reviled are the truly blessed. We don’t believe might is right nor that it wins; we don’t believe the market is all or that the market rules; we don’t believe it is a world for adults, we believe it is a world for children and adults together; we don’t believe there is no hope, we have a God of hope; we follow a teacher, a leader, a master, a saviour who places children in the midst, blesses them, points us to them, welcomes their worship and lays down his life for them.

In all we do for Children and the Big Society we have to keep Jesus example, teaching, dying and rising ever before us. Only that way will we contribute in a truly Christian way.

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FAMILY POLICY & CHILD POVERTY

FAMILY & COMMUNITY POLICY

We are rightly concerned about family policy. It matters. But we need continually to take care with our language. When we talk of the importance of ‘family’ what ‘family’ do we have in mind? So often we sound as though family is still consistently Mum, Dad and 2.1 children when the reality with which we have to work is that family make up is so much more diverse. Some might wish it was otherwise but we are called to work with families whatever their make up, including same sex couples. We need to speak clearly about the important roles of parents and grandparents in the raising of children and the offering of a good childhood.

It is important that we are offering all children female and male role models. Girls and boys need to experience healthy examples of both.

 But family policy also has to recognise the importance of the wider community in ensuring children have a good childhood. So we have to work hard on understanding what ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ looks like in UK terms.

In all of this we have to explore in what ways local church might be ‘family’.

And in what ways local church might contribute to the creation of local community.

 CHILD POVERTY

 Frank Field’s Report highlighted once again the critical importance of early years.

We have to be concerned about the impact of the proposed Benefit Cap. The Children’s Society research (12/9/11) suggests:-

More than 200,000 children to be biggest “losers” of Benefit Cap

 Children will therefore be around nine times more likely than adults to be affected.

 The cap will impact around 50,000 households, 95 per cent of which are estimated to have      children. These families will lose an average of £93 a week – the equivalent to around double the average weekly family food bill.

• Analysis of the Government’s Equality Impact Assessment of the cap shows that these 50,000 households contain around 69,000 adults and 206,000 children  – meaning that three quarters of those affected are children.

 The cap could make 82,000 children homeless

 

To this we add the Joseph Rowntree Foundation work on Children in Relative Poverty:-

 • The number of children in relative poverty is forecast to rise from 2.6 million in 2009/10 to 2.9 million in 2015/16 and 3.3 million by 2020/21 (measuring income before housing costs)

 • Relative child poverty will rise from 20 per cent currently to 24 per cent by 2020/21, the highest rate since 1999/2000 and considerably higher than the 10 per cent target in the Child Poverty Act (2010).

 • The proportion of children in absolute poverty (using the 2010/11 poverty line fixed in real terms) is forecast to rise to 23 per cent by 2020/21, compared with the 5 per cent target.

 • The direct impact of the current government’s announced reforms to personal tax and benefit policy will be to increase relative poverty among children by 200,000 in both 2015/16 and 2020/21.

 (SOURCE: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/children-adult-poverty-welfare-summary.pdf)

 

Now we have never agreed with a purely economic solution to poverty. The simple re-distribution of wealth will never suffice because people are more than their possessions; our Lord made that abundantly clear in his teaching. Yet at the same time we cannot be content with not tackling such poverty because we know it links to so many other issues, like health, life expectancy, educational opportunity etc.

So we are to be at the forefront of seeking an end to child poverty but part of our contribution must be to recognise that poverty is so much more than economic and that alongside children in real economic poverty, some of them may be socially, emotionally and spiritually rich whilst there are very wealthy children who are emotionally, socially and spiritually poor. Our commitment to the poor must embrace the full range of poverty.

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GOOD CHILDHOOD

Part 2 from last week’s Big Society and Children event

 

Debates have existed for a very long time over what constitutes a
Good Childhood. However in recent years we have had a very helpful array of
inputs into this debate for our current era. Arguably much of the current
debate was kicked off by Sue Palmer’s ‘Toxic Childhood’ in 2006 the questions
have tended to range around both what is harmful to children and childhood, and
in contrast what is helpful.

The Children’s Society ‘Good Childhood’ Report in 2009 was not
only a major contribution to the debate it has managed to deliver some ongoing
momentum through further research, the developing place of Good Childhood
conversations and the interaction with other research and reports.

 

Simply to list some of the other significant input illustrates
the amount of work being undertaken:-

The Compass ‘Commercialisation of Childhood Report’ in 2006

The UNICEF Child Well Being Report Card 7 in 2007 which placed
the UK at the bottom of the league of most developed nations. This highlighted
inequality as 1 particular issue. It has been followed up by further research
published by UNICEF UK & Ipsos Mori this autumn.

In 2010 we had the Mothers Unions’ ‘Bye Buy Childhood’ and this
year has seen the Bailey Report on the ‘Commercialisation and Sexualisation of
Childhood’ as well as that by Action for Children & ResPublica.

With all of this work being done and the very firm conviction
that the commodification of children and childhood is something that is both
real and undesirable and therefore needs to be tackled we are rightly in the
debate.

In doing so we must recognise the historical changing nature of
childhood through the centuries. Aries may not have got everything right, I’m
sure he didn’t, but his work does show along with others that childhood has not
been seen or expressed consistently or constantly. One of the key factors
affecting this is undoubtedly life expectancy, both in terms of child
mortality, and of overall life expectancy. When it is likely that a high
percentage of children born today will live to 100 compared with when I was
born an anticipation I would live to just over 70 it must affect how we view

every stage of life.

But in this real debate we will want to continually affirm that
every child, whatever her or his birth circumstances, is made in the image of
God; is loved by God; was died for by Christ and so is of immense worth. Her
value lies not in who she may become, what she may do, or what economic
contribution she may make it lies simply in being human.

But our engagement in the debate must also move into more
specific issues so in broad terms I want to look at some key areas within
current debates in the ‘Big Society’ agenda

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