From the Vicarage - February

A clergy colleague of mine was recently labelled ‘a traitor’ – imagine that! Fear not, it was all a bit of fun. Each table allocated to a team at the village quiz had been given a Reality TV -themed name. She happened to find herself a member of ‘Team Traitors’. Despite immediately staking a claim for being ‘a faithful’ (which seemed reasonable) the die was cast, the name stuck – for that evening at least – and much hilarity ensued!

The name traitor may be the tv show’s headline but the day-to-day ‘game’ into which the contestants step is one in which the strategy is to work out who can be genuinely trusted and who is simply seeking your trust in order to betray you when the opportunity arises. One by one, as contestants are banished, their true identity as ‘traitor’ or ‘faithful’ is revealed.

In a society in which there is such a lack of trust and so much longing for trustworthiness it is interesting that the show gathers ever larger audiences – I confess to having recently been lured in myself! But in the real world, trust is fundamental to our being able to sustain healthy relationships with those around us – individuals and organisations. Whether it is trust in our family and friends, partners and colleagues, in our doctors and health service, world leaders and national politicians, education providers or financial advisors…without trust so much of our everyday life falters. When trust crumbles, other less than healthy realities can consume us – disappointment, anxiety, anger, bitterness, loneliness. Reality TV may appear entertaining and comedic, but the true reality of lack of trust and broken trust is often tragic.

During this month of February, the words “I believe and trust” will be significant in St Oswald’s Church. Early in February some younger members of our church and church school community are choosing to be ‘Confirmed’. They will say the promises of Baptism / Christening – “I Believe and Trust” - for themselves. By the middle of February, we are all on a journey which takes us from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday; a time when traditionally Christians prepare to renew those same promises - “I Believe and Trust” - together.

Believing in God is often thought to be about simply accepting and living by some ‘good

sense rules’ – you know, the ‘be good; be kind’ or ‘do unto others what you would have others do to you…’ ones. But it is more than that. Believing in God, for Christians, is about entering into a relationship of trust with the person we call Jesus and daring to believe that we can learn, and grow, and flourish in that relationship in a way which we cannot find or know elsewhere.

Trust, of course, asks us to take a risk or two – that’s always been the nature of trust – but faith is also an adventure. It is one which makes us ‘the faithful’ people God invites us to be… and everyone’s invited!

Love & Prayers

Carolyn

The Reverend Carolyn A James