Writing Letters

On Thursday I had my name in the Daily Mirror – not something I would expect, but the Daily Mirror published an open letter from forty-one church leaders about the situation within the UK in regard to foodbanks, and their proliferation, and the hunger and poverty that are the root causes for their being needed.  I was one of three United Reformed Church Synod Moderators who had signed alongside twenty-six Anglican Bishops, ten Methodist Chairs and two Quakers.  Archbishop Vincent Nichols had done the Roman Catholic bit the previous day hitting the news headlines on the same subject.  It was encouraging to see the amount of publicity and conversation this generated, featuring on radio and TV news bulletins.

I wouldn’t think of that kind of thing as something in which I frequently engage, but it’s the second time in about ten days.  I was also asked – and agreed – to be a signatory to an open letter to the Prime Minister about the Syrian refugee crisis. 

I don’t know how much difference such actions make – but I am sure they don’t do any harm.  Here is something, like sending cards at Christmas as organised by Amnesty, something I have done on other occasions, which can just do the little I can – and we can all say, and do, that and then, together, we might just make a real difference.  People power can work.  We have seen the iron curtain come down, apartheid dismantled in South Africa, the removal of dictators in various places.  What are the actions to which God is calling us right now?  What are the points where we can make a difference in our communities?