Choosing

Vicar's letter
Much choosing has been taking place recently. The College of Cardinals in Rome have been choosing a new pope; the Crown Appointments Commission is in the process of choosing a new Archbishop of York, the Electors of the United Kingdom have been choosing Members of Parliament. Each system is different; each selector uses different criteria to make their own decisions. None of these methods is ideal,each has their limitations, each has their advantages. 

Throughout our lives, day to day, we make vast numbers of decisions. What is their basis, how do we see what we are doing. If each decision is made on our present whim, the result is generally chaotic. Better choices are made as they contribute to longer term goals which are often furthered by regular commitments. Regular commitments take away the need to be perpetually choosing; they are often vehicles which help us grow and develop, as well as serve other people. Carefully chosen longer term goals similarly assist both ourselves and others.

And yet we live in a world where commitment, a concern for the long term are not fashionable; it is often the immediate, the spontaneous, being free to choose on the spur of the moment that are valued. This causes real difficulties for those seeking to follow the Christian Way. We cannot ignore the movements in the wider culture around us and yet it is not easy to see how they are conducive to the growth of persons in the humanity given to us by Christ.

In a similar way, in the Christian tradition belonging to a community, allowing ourselves to be influenced by other persons, are vitally important ways of assisting growth in Christ. Yet, we live at a time when the individual is regarded as supreme; people are not to be bound by other persons.

Christians according to the best traditions both value the good in the world around us and have a healthy suspicion of those movements that do not help our Christian discipleship. Towards the end of May we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost. The opening prayer or collect set for that Sunday helps us with these matters by asking God to give us a ’right judgment in all things‘ - this is a prayer we may well use at other times in our lives when we are faced with choices.

God, who as at this time taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour. Amen.

Christopher Morgan - Jones     

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