The Bishop's Letter

September, 2009

This month Bishop Steven writes:

Who do you think you are?

I’m slowly getting into the BBC television series in which famous people explore their family tree.  In most family history there is a sense of drama and a story worth telling.  Someone pointed out to me recently that nearly always the trail leads out of this country to a different land.  One of my grandfathers always claimed he was had Romany blood in his veins.  If I ever trace my family back, Arthur would be the place to begin. 

Racial Justice Sunday is on 13th September.  Our Diocesan Synod agreed in July to ask all parishes to mark Racial Justice Sunday in some way through readings and prayers in our worship.  Every parish is also asked to send representatives to the special service in Rotherham Minster that day. 

Why should we bother to engage with something like Racial Justice Sunday?  Isn’t this another example of the church trying to be political correct? Not at all. 

Jesus said that to love our neighbour as ourselves is one of the two greatest commandments.  He illustrates that commandment in Luke’s gospel with the story of the good Samaritan.  It’s a story which turns on the overcoming of racial prejudice.  Our neighbour is often the person of a different race.

As a church we can’t ignore the fact that tension between people of different racial backgrounds is growing in our communities at the present time.  That is a very bad thing for everyone.  We have to do all we can to overcome it.  That involves personal actions and decisions.  It means bearing witness together to the love of God for all people and that everyone should be treated equally and fairly.   

But there is another reason why Christians should take a lead in working for racial justice and harmony.  The Bible gives us God’s vision for human society.  According to Ephesians 2, it’s a vision of different races and peoples being forged together into one new humanity.  The nations of the earth are brought together in one body through the cross of Christ (Ephesians 2.15).  The church is a worldwide communion.  People of every race and background are our brothers and sisters in the Lord. 

The message of the Christian gospel is good news for all our world because offers all people a vision of a better way:  peace in place of strife, harmony instead of hatred, working together creatively in place of one group trying to dominate another.

So there can be no place in the Christian church for prejudice on the grounds of race.   And the church, the people who follow Jesus Christ, should aim to give a lead to the rest of our society in this area as in so many others.

Who do you think we are?  We are the church, the rainbow people of God and we take racial justice seriously.  

Bishop Steven