Church News Volume 7, Issue 8 (September 2006)

Dear friends,

When Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem he wept openly. He could see what was going to happen to that beautiful city. Like every faithful Jew, Jesus knew that the Holy City was the dwelling place of God in the midst of His people. But also that the city was more than a historic site, far more than a centre of religion, far more than a living symbol of faith. It was literally the Tabernacle of God amongst people.

There was nothing quite like the buildings of the temple in Jerusalem in all the ancient world. Built by Herod, they were reputed to be marvellous in white marble, with towers, colonnades, courtyards. All this filled the nation with pride.

So how bitter it was then for Jesus to see a vision of all this wonderful construction reduced to rubble, burned to the ground. This terrible vision was only in His mind's eye, but He knew that the reality could not be far off. But Jesus' sorrowful words and tears were the result not of special crystal ball gazing powers but like any other intelligent, well informed person of His time Jesus could see what was inevitable following the resistance and rebellion of the Jewish people to the harshness of Roman occupation and rule. It was obvious to jesus and no doubt to many others of His day that the immovable object (the Jewish Nation) and the irresistible force (The Roman Empire) were once again, and for a final time, on a collision course. Indeed Jesus was proved right when the Romans did ransack and destroy the Holy City in AD70, dispersing the surviving Jews all around the Mediterranean area and beyond.

Some, like Jesus could see the inevitability of what was happening. The majority of people could not or would not accept this and closed their eyes and ears to the truth.

Is it possible that although times have changed people still are blind to interpreting the events happening all around them and not heeding the voices of those who can see the inevitable?

Global warming is starting to alter our environment. Many of us are only beginning to take notice of the voices of those who have been speaking out for many years warning of the consequences of what we are doing to our world. Will it be to late, are the changes we are being warned about now inevitable because we have not acted earlier?

The way the richer countries have been treating the poorer nations of the world has been appalling in many ways. There have been those who have been warning the western nations that there would be a backlash. Only now are we seeing the resulting desperation of many to get themselves heard in resorting to violence and terrorism.

Closer to home, our villages are becoming places where only the rich and privileged can live because of the astronomical rise in house prices and the forcing out of the young with no affordable houses to buy or rent. We want shops and other facilities in our villages for our convenience and yet we choose to spend most of our money in the towns. We want the churches to remain as centres of community but unless we find it convenient to use the church for a Baptism, wedding, funeral or Carol service we do not support the upkeep of the building. Shops, pubs, schools, churches will be lost if we do not support them.

Our villages, our communities, our country, our world, and our lives, are in for some drastic changes if we do not listen to those who can see, like Jesus, into the near future and the inevitability of what will happen if we do not change our ways.

Revd Ian M. Finn

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