South Cardiff Ministry Area

‘Peace I give you’

As our JUST LENT course reaches the final session this evening (March 29), we’re exploring PEACE!

There’s a gentle smile from the face of this painting, a mural which celebrates the multicultural and inclusive Cardiff. Perhaps, in gazing at the smiling face, we smile too. St Teresa of Calcutta said that ‘Peace begins with a smile.’ Really, is that possible? Is that the seed of peace? Can a smile silence gunfire, can it render rockets and missiles speechless, can it disengage tanks and disarm soldiers? Can a smile do all that?

Peace is the cornerstone of our faith. Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) Jesus was the one who said, ‘Peace I leave you, my own peace I give, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you’ (John 14:27). It is God’s desire, as shown in the life of Jesus, for there to be peace. Scripture tells us that he ‘brought peace by his blood on the cross’ (Colossians 1:20). And so peace, the reality of peace, the need for peace is at the heart of the Christian Faith. So, how does a smile get elbowed into all of that?

Perhaps the same emotions and motives which begin war within and between nations are the emotions and motives which exist in every human heart. Jealousy, greed, anger, hatred, cynicism, the need to retaliate, to take what is not ours, to feel more powerful in the face of someone weaker than us, insecurities, the inability of being able to sit down and talk about disagreement. And yet the antidote to
war also exists in the hearts of all – the capacity to love, to empathise and sympathise, to be compassionate and forgiving, to know what is right, to want peace.

A smile, a true smile, rather than a shallow and fake smile, comes from the heart. It begins to break down barriers, brings delight to others, causes others to smile too, begins to create friendships, veers us away from anger. A smile can so easily reflect a smile in the face of another. Yes, there are challenges in the world – there is war and violence and division and so many atrocities, but how can we begin to extend that peace if it doesn’t exist in our own hearts and in our own lives? Where is the need for peace today – in the world, in our own country, in our communities, in our family, amongst our friends, in our street, in our home, in our own lives? Where do we start?

Just Lent | March 29

‘If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples, you will learn the truth and the truth will make you free.”’

(see John 8:31-42)

Martin Luther King Jr said “’Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.’ The civil rights leader Frannie Lou Hamer also said that ‘Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.’

The debate which Jesus had with the religious leaders in John’s gospel is about freedom of a specific kind—one of slavery to sin, rather than the freedom which comes from living as children of God. In recent years, we have been more alert to the terrible issue of human trafficking and slavery throughout the world—and in our own country too. Today, there are still many people enslaved by wicked regimes or abusive relationships. People are moved across borders like a product and a commodity to be used and exploited. They may be put to work in abusive conditions in forced labour to make a profit for those who enslave them. Some of these people may live in our own communities or even next door to us. As a hidden crime it often goes unnoticed. In 2018, the Global Slavery Index estimated there were 136,000 victims of human slavery in the UK.

We believe that each person is made in the image of God, and no one should be treated with disregard for their own rights or freedom to live and flourish as God intended them. How alert are we to the living conditions of others?

PRAY FOR victims of human trafficking and slavery, and for more alertness to the issue in our own communities.

Our daily reflections for Lent focus on the many injustices which exist in our world, as we seek to connect our life of prayer to social justice, the Justice of God which Christ proclaimed. More resources are available at www.southcardiffministryarea.co.uk/just-lent

Just Lent | March 28

‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? We are sick of the unsatisfying food’

(see Numbers 21:4-9)

In a report commissioned by the Trussell trust in 2021 (the largest study in hunger in the UK) it was reported that almost two in three of the people of working age who were referred to a food bank in early 2020 were disabled while single parent families were more likely to be forced to a food bank. Almost 19% of households referred during the pandemic were lone parents – more than twice the rate in the general population.

One main reason people had such low income which brought them to a Foodbank was due to social security payments failing to cover the cost of living. This was often due to weaknesses in the system, including the five-week wait for a first Universal Credit payment and low levels of payments.

Whilst in the wilderness and on the run—as people on a journey seeking asylum from slavery, and with the promise of a new land—the people of Israel suffered hunger and unsatisfying food. They grumbled against God who responded by providing them with ‘Manna from Heaven.’ Today, in the UK, there are many grumbles as people struggle to put food on the table. An immediate response to this is the growth of Foodbanks throughout the country but this just responds to the presenting need, as important as that is. There is a further need to prevent this from happening in the first place.

PRAY FOR those who work in our food banks, and for a situation that prevents people from slipping into poverty and need.

Just Lent | March 27

‘Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you.’

(see John 8:1-11)

Although played out in a different place and in a different time, the incident of the woman caught in adultery in the gospel according to John, has much to say to us today. We can focus on the compassion of Jesus and the power of his forgiveness. Or how Jesus treats this unnamed woman with dignity, or we can learn the lesson of not pointing the finger when we are less than squeaky clean. But we can also explore how women have been portrayed and regarded in many different cultures, including our own, even to our own day.

There is, of course, no mention of the man who was also involved in an adulterous relationship. He seems to have avoided the scrutiny and stones of the crowds even though they have been caught in the very act of adultery. Perhaps she is even half clothed or even naked. We can only imagine the scene. But it’s the woman who is portrayed as the villain and to whom violence and death is threatened. Her dignity has gone.

From 2021, police forces in Wales and England are now required by the UK government to record misogyny as a hate crime. It was announced just days after an outpouring of grief at a vigil following the murder of Sarah Everard. For many, the new requirement was hailed as a victory in the campaign to tackle violence against women. What can we do to challenge and bring change?

PRAY FOR an end to violence against women, and that all women be treated with dignity, respect and equality.

Just Lent | March 25

Nicodemus said, “Surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about.”

(see John 7:40-52)

On September 3, 1952, father of three, Mahmood Hussein Mattan was taken from his cell at Cardiff prison and executed for a murder he did not commit. He was the last person to ever be hanged in Cardiff and the final innocent person to be hanged in Wales. Born in Somalia in 1923, Mahmood Mattan was a sailor which brought him to Wales. He was convicted for the murder of Lily Volpert, a local shopkeeper. He was told by officers at the time that he would die for Miss Volpert’s murder “whether he did it or not”, and was described in court as a ‘semi-civilised savage.’

Sadly, this miscarriage of justice and discrimination is not uncommon in the UK, and there have been a number of significant cases where people have been wrongly convicted after unfair investigations by the Police. In John’s Gospel, Nicodemus stands up for Jesus who is being treated unjustly, and reminds others that they must give him a fair hearing before passing judgement.

Whilst it is difficult for institutions to accept that they may be institutionally racist or, for example, misogynistic, it is important that there is proper scrutiny acceptance and transparency, and to listen to the voices of those who have been discriminated again. This applies not just to secular organisations but also to the Church. How much do we really value and stand up for justice?

PRAY FOR a Justice system which is fair for all and free from discrimination, and for all who support both victims and the accused.

Just Lent | March 24

‘They say, with misguided reasoning, “Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life, reproaches us for our breaches of the law.”’

(see Wisdom 2:1,12-22)

The ‘News International’ phone hacking scandal was a controversy involving the now-defunct News of the World and other British newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch. Employees of the newspaper were accused of engaging in phone hacking, police bribery, and exercising improper influence in the pursuit of stories. They targeted celebrities, politicians, members of the Royal Family but also the phones of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, relatives of deceased British soldiers, and victims of the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The public outcry led to several high-profile resignations.

The media has a significant and responsible role to play in society which means that, whilst it has a duty to report news, it also needs to act in a moral and sensitive way. If the search for stories means unfairly encroaching on people’s privacy and their difficult situations, and treating them without respect and dignity then it is failing.

We too, in any narrative that we tell, and any news we pass on to others must be mindful of the effects of our words. It can be very easy to delight in the downfall of others. How can we contribute to a narrative that is good and fair, and share news that is honest?

PRAY FOR those who work in the media, and for a considered reporting, a careful use of words, and for our own responsibility in being gentle with our words.

Just Lent | March 23

‘They have made themselves a calf of molten gold and have worshipped it and offered it sacrifice.’

(see Exodus 32:7-14)

In an article published on The Guardian website (31 December 2022), addressing the Cost of Living, Rowan Williams writes: “The cost of living crisis is in fact an example of costs being transferred from the powerful to the powerless – from ambitious speculators, market fundamentalists (in and out of government), naked profiteers and, in the past horrendous 10 months of war in Ukraine, foreign dictators, to a population pushed with increasing aggressiveness into debt, housing, food and energy poverty, and insecure working conditions.”

It is so easy for human beings to be treated as commodities, and where profit is more important than people, when riches are more relevant than lives. Rowan Williams continues, “It is a sign that we have once again forgotten the “covenantal” character of community. It was repeated often enough during the pandemic that no one is safe unless everyone is safe: have we really not noticed that this applies to our economic as much as to our medical wellbeing?”

Through Moses, God entered into a covenant with his people which they quickly forgot, as they turned to a calf of molten gold. For Christians, Jesus established a new covenant for all, created through his death. To recognise the dignity and importance of community is important in caring for all, and ensuring that those who are poor and powerless do not pay the price for the challenges and difficulties we face.

PRAY FOR strong and resourceful communities, and for a fair distribution of wealth.

Just Lent | March 22

‘Some are on their way from afar, others from the north and west.’

‘(see Isaiah 59:8-15)

In his selection of poems ‘On the Move: Poems about Migration,’ Michael Rosen writes, “Everyone comes from somewhere | Everyone has a past | Everyone is somewhere first | Everyone is somewhere last.” There are occasions when some may criticize the welcoming of so many refugees believing that money and resources could be spent on more pressing needs. The reality is that the UK welcomes fewer refugees than some countries in Europe and around the world.

The family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took refuge in the land of Egypt to escape terror and death threats, and we can only imagine their experience of fleeing to a foreign land. Each person who leaves their home for somewhere safe, has their own story and experiences to share. Some have left behind family and friends and possessions, and many people will have experienced the death of a loved one along the way.

The recent decision by the UK Government to send refugees from here to Rwanda caused moral outrage and challenge from many areas, and reignited the debate of the passage that refugees are forced to take. Wherever we are, and whatever contact we have with refugees, may we work to create a supportive and welcoming environment, treating each person with dignity and respect, sensitive to their past, and offering a place to call home where they can be somewhere at last.

PRAY FOR those who work wo welcome and support refugees and asylum seekers, and for a compassionate government here and around the world.

Just Lent | March 21

‘Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails.’

(see Ezekiel 47:1-9,12)

Forests still cover about 30 percent of the world’s land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Since 1990, the world has lost 420 million hectares or about a billion acres of forest, mainly in Africa and South America. About 17 percent of the Amazonian rainforest has been destroyed over the past 50 years, and losses recently have been on the rise. It was reported that the Amazonian destruction rose by 21 percent in 2020, a loss the size of Israel.

The coming of God’s kingdom offers us a new vision. Through Christ, we see a new world. He opens our eyes to all that God is doing, which should fill us with a joy that cannot be contained. The prophecy of Isaiah uses the familiar image of creation as a means of expressing the life God gives, as we imagine a world of health and healing, with trees restored, bringing life.

With such mass deforestation of our planet, human beings are ransacking the diversity and sustainability of the planet, destroying habitats, and ripping out the lungs of the earth. How can our choices make a difference? What can we do to increase a gratitude and appreciation of the created order, and care for the earth to which we belong.

PRAY FOR a more responsible care of the planet, and for leaders, governments and businesses to live and work in a more environmentally sustainable way.

Just Lent | March 20

‘Now I create a new heaven and a new earth, and the past will not be remembered.’

(see Isaiah 65:17-21)

‘There is no Planet B’ say many placards on environmental demonstrations organised by groups such as Extinction Rebellion and so many others. The words were also waved in the air when school children from all over the world walked out in demonstration, following the example of Greta Thurnberg, to campaign for a more robust and realistic political response to the environmental crisis.

The damage that has been done to the planet is obvious, and each of us has played our own part in this through the way we live, shop and work. But there is also an urgent requirement for countries around the world to take the urgent call seriously.

As Christians, we have a particular view of the natural world. St Charles Foucauld prayed “Give me the grace to see nothing else but you, nothing but you in all created things; never to be arrested by them, never to see the natural or spiritual beauty that is in them as being born of themselves, but only as being part of you.” If we believe that the world is not simply created by God, but reveals something of God, and is part of God, then how does that change the way we treat the beautiful gift of God’s Creation.

PRAY FOR a true care for God’s Creation, that we may live responsible lives, and that leaders and governments may respond effectively and quickly to the environmental crisis.