Dear Friends,

As I write, the football World Cup is well underway. For football fans like me, this is a festival of the beautiful game: a chance to marvel at the skills of some of the best players, and best teams, in the world. For others, who do not enjoy watching 22 people kicking a ball around, the day after the final on July 19 can’t come soon enough. Whatever your opinion, the opposite view can be difficult to understand; this is true for far more important things than football. God gave us free will, the ability to think, and decide, for ourselves. Inevitably this means that we will each hold different views about a whole host of subjects. This is a great blessing because if everyone thought and acted alike the world would be rather dull. The problem arises when people think their thoughts, their decisions and their actions are more valid, more important or, in some way, superior. This way of thinking often results in conflict; verbal, emotional or physical, and scripture cautions against it:

‘Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.’ (Philippians 2:3,4)

That is not to say that all views are equally valid. Whilst we most often recall Jesus’ love and care, there were times when He became angry, but His anger was reserved for those who mistreated others: exploiting worshippers in the Temple (Luke 19:45,46), using scripture to oppress others (Mark 3:1-5), hypocritical religious leaders (Matthew 23) and even His own disciples when they tried to stop children approaching Jesus (Mark 19:13-16). As followers of Jesus, Christians should be equally angry when people are badly treated.

‘As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience’ (Colossians 3:12)

I began this letter with an example of how people can have different views about the football World Cup and, while there may be disagreements in some families about whether to watch the football or not, these are unlikely to cause any lasting hurt, they are the sort of differences that can be respected. But when people act, or speak, in ways that have a detrimental effect on others, especially when those affected are exploited, ostracised, or demonised with little, or no, way of defending themselves, then we are commanded to defend them against persecution. Jesus said,

‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.’ (Matthew 7:12)

I am confident that you, like me, would look for others to help if we were being unfairly treated; therefore we are obliged to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

Many blessings,

Carl