JULY MESSAGE

JULY MESSAGE … CHOICES and PROMISES

When you receive the July Telescope magazine it will probably be less than a week before the election which is scheduled for Thu 4th July.

On that day each of us will have to make a choice as to who to vote for or we may of course choose not to vote at all. The choices that we make could be influenced by various promises that the political parties have been making in the run up to the election. How will we make our decision?

In the gospels, when asked about what the greatest commandment was, Jesus answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your souls and with all your strength … and the second is this … Love your neighbour as yourself.”

So perhaps, when deciding who to vote for, we should be thinking which government is going to care for everyone and not which government is going to care for me? … Even with that attitude the choice is still difficult as we are often uncertain whether we can trust the promises that the various parties put in their manifestos. So it could be a hard decision … but nevertheless democracy gives each of us the chance to influence the result of the election.

God has given us all free will so each of us can choose whether we want to follow him in our lives or not and in the bible there are numerous promises God makes that might encourage us to decide to follow him.

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; …”

“I am sure that neither death nor life, … nor things present nor things to come, … nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God …”

Do we trust in God’s promises more than those of the politicians

… and if so are we ready to choose to follow him?

"Draw near to God and he will draw near to you”.

Brian Turner … Churchwarden St Mary’s Knockin