Rector's Letter

Rector’s Letter

What is Truth?  A question posed by Pilate back when Jesus was arrested and tried 2000 years ago.  I don’t think he wanted a debate, expediency was what mattered to him.  But the question is centre stage today.  Fact checking for online content giving way to free speech, equal wait given to each proclamation and look out if you challenge the right of someone to believe and express whatever they feel.

The trusted institutions have always been flawed and have misused information for their own good, covering up times when things have gone wrong, relying on reputation to get away with things.  I include the Church, police, social services, NHS, Royalty, science, politics – everyone now has to justify their position.  Past actions are now judged within a new revision of history.

The trouble is the truth that we accept alters the way we live.  If we don’t believe the science we may not be vaccinated; if we believe we will live to an old age we will invest in pensions; if we fear the future we may be careful with what we have and do.  And whatever views we take onboard about refugees will colour our actions.

I guess I’m making a distinction between Fact and Truth – both can be manipulated.  It is a fact that 100 pennies make £1.00.  But that says nothing about its worth or what it would buy today.  Let’s take the statement ‘God is love’.  Does a majority vote on it make it a fact, no because it can’t be proved by the scientific method, and yet billions of people live with this as the undergirding fact of their life.

I believe Truth is found in relationship; it is in the interaction of one person with another that we discover who we are.  Am I loveable? we discover that in relationships; am I worth anything, who am I, is the world a safe place, all found in relationship.  And that works two ways as we inform others’ beliefs about themselves.

More than ever we need to understand the foundations of our life as individuals, families, and communities.  These have been set unconsciously from childhood but can change.  What are we to judge things against?  We don’t have time to fact check every piece of information but we should check the filters we use, the assumptions we make, have our own answer to ‘What is truth?’.

Nick Law

Rector

Youth 2 Youth

The young people are back to school and starting exams; things move on very quickly.  We have some changes as well.  Kenny has gone to new work and we wish him well and thank him for all he did for Y2Y.  We have appointed Ellie as the new worker.  She volunteered for some weeks before Christmas and started her new role on 6th January.  Like Melissa, Ellie is also studying for a youth work degree, so both will be full of good ideas and best practice.

If anyone wants to find out more about Y2Y and what goes on in The Hut, please get in touch (and we are always open to financial support!).

Nick Law

Chair