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 April

Welcome to the fourth edition of the new monthly Iona Community e-bulletin. The Iona Community e-bulletin is a companion to Coracle: the magazine of the Iona Community, and like Coracle focuses on issues at the heart of the Iona Community: prayer and politics, justice and peace and the integrity of creation, hospitality and welcome, healing, the renewal of worship, the rebuilding of community … See below! … And keep in touch.

 

For the Word of God in scripture,

for the Word of God among us,

for the Word of God within us,

THANKS BE TO GOD.

 

From 'Iona Abbey Worship Book'
(Wild Goose Publications)

 

In this edition:

 

 

On 28 March 2009 the Diocese of Hallam Justice and Peace Commission held a meeting of its parish contacts in Wickersley near Rotherham. During the meeting Fr Shaun Smith, Chair of the Commission, spoke about the forthcoming European Elections on 4 June 2009 in which the British National Party (BNP) can have an elected Euro MP for Yorkshire and the Humber with as little as 9% of the vote. This would provide them with unheard-of credibility and resources. The traditional low turnout at such elections could enable the BNP to gain seats. You might imagine that the BNP would never gain a hold in your locality, and this might indeed be the case. However, in this election of 6 MEPs in the whole region, your vote could stop the BNP claiming to represent you in Europe. If the BNP wins an MEP position they will try to spread their racist position across the region. All that is necessary for the triumph of such evil is that good people do nothing.

The Commission then asked Philip Jakob, Director of Music for the Cathedral and Diocese of Hallam, to provide a Christian response to this threat. His talk was greeted with a request that it be made more widely available. Its inclusion here responds to that request.

 

 

John Prysor-Jones is a Specialist Psychotherapist in the NHS and does unpaid counselling for an inner-city counselling and training charity. In this reflection on working with Michael he writes:

 

'As he recounted his story, his first and most immediate concern was the way he had been treated by the immigration authorities on arrival in the UK. As he spoke his speech became faster and there was growing strong emotion behind his words. He was angry. It seemed that this experience was uppermost in his mind rather than what had happened to him back home.

I found myself becoming tense as Michael recounted his experience. I was in touch with anger, both his and my own. I managed to hold it in during the session. I did have a strong feeling of wanting to fix things for him. After many of these sessions, I was totally exhausted. I found myself thinking that I was ashamed of my country for the way he was treated …'

 

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