Weekly Thoughts

The party conference season has now come to an end with last of the mainstream parties the Conservative party finishing on 7 October. For the past month we have

been regaled by each party’s plans for the future. The aim of each conference is to put before the public the party’s aims for the coming year, to criticise their opponents

and to secure the loyalty of the party faithful. Being an active party member must be a thankless task, there are various local meetings to attend and, if an election of any

sort is pending, canvassing, which entails knocking on doors in all weathers in an attempt to bring out the maximum vote for your party. No wonder they need an

annual bash to encourage them! To outsiders, these events seem full of conjecture, wishful thinking and speculation. Although they claim to be practical party conference are in fact an exercise in fantasy politics. The outside world is not the outside world as it actually is but as the speakers would like it to be.

Next week parliament will resume and MPs will have to get down to the real world business of governing. That is the essential difference between the party conferences which are all about politics and the work of parliament which is about governing. This is a challenge particularly faced by the party which happens to be in government. They will no doubt have ideas and aspirations but to make any progress with them they will have to contend with opposition, and various practicalities: if the proposals cost money, where is that going to come from, if legislation is required that means getting a Bill through both houses and obtaining Royal assent. None of this easy and the pathway is strewn with all sorts of

difficulties, ambushes and elephant traps. And the outside world is always going spring various surprises which have the potential to derail the whole process.

Sometimes it seems a miracle that anything gets done. It’s a far cry from the party conferences where politicians can promise the earth with impunity.

Christianity is also concerned with the real world. Our aim as Christians should not be to escape from the world but to transform it. The world as it is deformed,

deformed by human sin and it is our duty to change all that into a kingdom of love and joy and peace. That is far more difficult than bringing in political reform, it will

take courage and commitment and above all self -sacrifice. We must follow the example of our Lord Jesus who confronted the religious and civic authorities of his

own day at the cost of his life. No less may be required of us. Compared with that politics is a soft option.

READINGS AND PRAYERS

11 OCTOBER – NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY – Matthew 22.1-14 – invite every one you find to the wedding banquet – the evangelistic work of the Church

12 OCTOBER - Wilfred of Ripon, Bishop, Missionary, 709 – 1 Corinthians 1.18-25 – the appointment of a new Bishop of Southwark

13 OCTOBER – Edward the Confessor, King of England,1066 - 2 Samuel 23.1-5 – the last words of King David – King Charles III

14 OCTOBER – Wednesday – Galatians 5.18-end – the fruit of the Spirit – that the Holy Spirit may direct and fill our lives

15 OCTOBER – Terea of Avila, Teacher of the Faith, 1582 – Romans 8.22-27 – God, who searches the heart – those engaged in the ministry of spiritual direction

16 OCTOBER – Friday – Luke 12.1-7 – you are of more value than many sparrows – that we may value all whom we meet as children of God and made in God’s image

17 OCTOBER – Ignatius of Antioch, Martyr, c.107 – John 6.52-58 – the one who eats this bread will live forever – all suffer for the Faith today