I am rather ashamed that only now do I seek a place on the governing body of the Church of which I am, essentially, still a member. For I feel strongly that it should be looking to reduce the average age of its membership and I would be loth, really, to add too much to it! I do seriously wonder if our failure to attract greater numbers of younger members may stem in part from our lack of belonging to and, thus, some lack of understanding of the under-forties generation?
I feel very fortunate that for all of my 43 adult years, since student days, I have been a member of a campaigning city centre church, St Thomas’ Newcastle. Throughout this time it has set a splendid ongoing example, mostly, of how the Church can and should seek to identify crucial issues, often unpopular ones, highlight these and work to address them. This, preaching and practising the fundamental gospel message should, I feel, be the prime work of any church.
What does the Christian gospel dictate? … not what vestments to wear, not the ‘mumbo jumbo’ of our liturgy, nor the colour of the paint we should use in our vestry. Issues such as these – ‘counting angels on pinheads’ as I see it – waste far too much valuable time of a body which meets only three times a year, for a total of around ten days. Essentially, the gospel entreats us to care for the underdog; those less fortunate than ourselves; those suffering hunger, poverty, homelessness, prejudice. Victims abound, not just on the world stage but here in Britain, perhaps in our own parish if only we look. If we take Christ’s call seriously, we should always be willing to give everything we can to enable others to be as happy and as well provided with essentials as we mostly are ourselves. General Synod should be urging us to challenge the financial giants and where necessary the Government of the day, whatever its complexion, publicly and strongly supporting movements such as Jubilee 2000 and calling national leaders to account for their violations of human rights…
In addition to the above, if Christ were teaching us today, he would surely urge us not just to have care for the less fortunate, crucial as this is, but also for the long-term future of our whole planet? As with others who were privileged to see, live, the first filming of Earthrise by the crew of Apollo 8, on Christmas Eve 1968, I have never forgotten that image, showing both how beautiful we look as a planet but how fragile too. I have long held a keen concern for the environment and sustainability, nurtured both by my professional experience and also as a long-term member of the Green Party.
Over the years I have gradually ceased to believe in, and so do not pray to, any supernatural God or gods. Aided and abetted in this by the SOF Network, I subscribe firmly to the view that all religions are human creations. For me, it follows from this that God is also a human creation, ‘he’ being created in our image rather than we in ‘his’. I am sure that many people, particularly the young, see life this way, not interested in a ‘pie in the sky when you die’ reward-culture but, hopefully, in creating a fair and equal world here and now. Perhaps even some already on General Synod may share my feelings on this? (At long last we have our first woman bishop – some 20 years later than we might have.) However, much as I rebel against certain orthodoxies, I still hold Christ in the highest regard as my teacher and my guide.
So, there are important things I want to urge General Synod to do to guide the Established Church, promoting Christ’s original gospel message as highlighted above, together with other practical cares and concerns of today. I am pleased by the recently published book On Rock or Sand?* in which our two Archbishops begin (not before time) to address these issues. Perhaps some of their reforming zeal will rub off on their Church, which must seem, to many, the comfortable middle class at prayer?
John Pearson is vice-chair of SOF Trustees.