Double Standards or Simple Privilege?

The UK government has had a bad week. Losing ground in the polls is one thing, but weakening their grasp on the public health message is something altogether more dangerous. It could cost lives. And in case your isolation has meant that you have not been aware of the row at the centre of all this - the right hand advisor to the British Prime Minister, one Dominic Cummings, has been heavily criticised after allegations that he allegedly broke lockdown rules early in the pandemic - rules that he had helped to draw up. Some polls have shown a majority of people in favour of his removal from his post or resignation, but there are still a large number who wish the whole story would just go away. Among them is Boris Johnson, who seems indifferent to criticism on this matter and is renowned for standing by his officers when they err (perhaps due to his own experiences of being fired and shamed following mistakes in the past).

In my opinion, though, what we are seeing here is the typical British expression of the worldwide phenomenon known as 'privilege' - a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group. It is not unique to the UK though it often expresses itself in very different and sometimes extreme ways, like the Indian caste system, or the American worship of riches and success in business. It causes untold harm wherever it becomes the norm, and can lead to situations where people lose respect for their leaders and confidence in their ability to guide and direct others.

Privilege also leads to a drawbridge mentality where members of a particular social class or grouping become extra protective of one another and closed to the needs of those outside the group. In the case of the UK government as a whole I am sure that is not so, but that impression could be gained from what has been going on. Hopefully, lessons will be learnt, and the media agenda will move on, but possibly not before significant harm may be done to the government's public health agenda.

As a Christian I don't like the concept of privilege. Unfairness adds a load of  discouragement to the burden of lockdown and isolation. The potential for discrimination and superiority is real, and the danger for looking down our noses at others is anathema to the Jesus we follow and serve. He saw the needs of the dispossessed and marginalised, calling them to Himself. He touched the lepers and elevated them to social acceptance. He challenged the privileged attitude of the Jewish leaders, urging them to take care, in case their actions put burdens onto people's backs that they were unable to bear.

In short, He created a new world order where those who are called to rule are firstly those who learn to humble themselves and serve.

This is Mental Health Awareness week (declared by the World Health Organisation) and this year they have chosen the theme 'kindness'. They did so long before the lockdown, but they have really hit the nail on the head. Being kind to one another is a fundamental part of our humanity. When asked why they had chosen this theme, Mark Rowland the Chief Executive of the UK's Mental Health Foundation said 'We have chosen kindness because of its singular ability to unlock our shared humanity. Kindness strengthens relationships, develops community and deepens solidarity. It is a cornerstone of our individual and collective mental health. Wisdom from every culture across history recognises that kindness is something that all human beings need to experience and practise to be fully alive'.

Random acts of kindness can transform the drab, humdrum experience of lockdown. Those who are shielding because of some illness, or due to age, are being helped by strangers who have offered themselves by the hundreds of thousands to get involved. Food-banks are operating, often without PPE, in order to make gifts to those who are struggling economically during these tough times. Churches are organising donations of 'goody bags' for NHS staff in hospitals and care home staff.

Kindness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22, along with virtues like love, joy and peace. So, being kind and mental well-being are closely linked. We need the courage to reach out in kindness towards people we may not even know. We discovered in Zimbabwe that when we could not yet even speak the local language, there is a language of love and kindness that breaks all barriers down.

And we need to be kind to ourselves too. I talk about this in my book Through the Storms; a manual for when life hurts. In the chapter 'How Much am I Worth?' I share how hard we can be on ourselves because we don't feel worthy of the love and service from others, especially in chronic conditions. May we learn that God is kind, and God is love, and that He longs for us to be kind also - and charity begins at home! Go easy on yourself in this lockdown, and receive the grace of God in its fulness.

Can God point to us as examples of His kindness? He should be able to. Ephesians 2:7 (Living Bible) says: 'And now God can always point to us as examples of how very, very rich his kindness is, as shown in all he has done for us through Jesus Christ'. So, in this mental health awareness week, let's choose to be kind to ourselves and to one another as an expression of our humanity, and our faith in Christ.

Pulling out too Quickly? How does the road ahead look?

The speed of emerging out of lockdown is a major issue in Britain now. In our island of Guernsey the goal of our leaders has changed. Whereas it was 'flatten the curve' a few weeks ago, it is now 'eliminate the virus'. After 15 days without a new case or infection of Covid-19 being reported, the local Chief Minister and his team seem confident that elimination can be achieved. That will only last, of course, until the borders are opened and flights and ferries return to service, but it does mean that lockdown can be undone with a little more pace than was planned.

But over in the UK there is widespread concern and disagreement about the pace at which the lockdown measures can be released. Clearly there is a balance to be struck and no step taken to undo the restrictions will be risk free - not even here in our lovely island. Yet the story from elsewhere around the world, even in Wuhan itself, gives grounds for hope.

What I do feel that God is saying to me in all this is that we all need to patient and accept the slowness of the process without fear or recriminations. Political leaders have a tough balancing act to perform. In one sense, they can't win, due to pressure both to protect lives and restart the economy. We should pray for those in authority over us that God will give them wisdom beyond themselves and courage to lead well.

Slowing down is a personal challenge, though. It means letting go of that fretting and fear that so easily causes panic and prevents us resting, praying and laughing too. It is a process of recognising who is control - not me, nor the politicians, not the virus and definitely not the devil!

This morning I was reading in Revelation 19 the vision of Jesus riding a white horse in final victory at the end of time. 'On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords'. Let Jesus be lord and choose to slow down and rest in him. Each day, we can find peace and rest for our souls when we choose faith and not fear, trust and not terror.

In Matthew 11:28-30 in The Message, Jesus says: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Free at Last!

Whilst we celebrated with all of the UK and around Europe for VE Day yesterday, it is today, May the 9th, that is our national day in Guernsey - our Liberation Day! I was surprised that in all the coverage of yesterday's celebrations in the media, no mention was made that these British islands endured five long years of occupation by the Germans.

The final few months of the Nazi presence in Guernsey were the worst, especially after D-Day. According to one eye-witness, Mrs Irene Dunk, who was the wife of Rev Gilbert Dunk, minister of Eldad Elim Church in the island's capital St Peter Port, both the local population and the occupying forces were cut off from outside supplies in a siege situation and starving. Only the arrival of the Red Cross ship the Vega at New Year 1945, bringing food parcels from Canada and New Zealand for the local people, brought any degree of relief. In a small booklet published some years ago, Mrs Dunk, who went on to live until aged 100, tells of surviving for three weeks along with her husband and their small child, on a diet of parsnips alone before those vital supplies were received.

Finally, the Allied Force 135 arrived off St Peter Port on May 8^th, 1945, but even then, things were tense and frightening. The Commandant, a fervent Nazi named Admiral Huffmeier, had vowed that he would never surrender. There was a real possibility that the Allies might need to fight their way ashore against an opposed landing. When his deputy, a Leutnant Zimmerman, told the force to withdraw or else they would be fired upon, Brigadier Snow replied that if the Admiral fired upon them today, they would hang him tomorrow! Thankfully he was over-ruled by his subordinates and the next day British troops poured into St Peter Port to be mobbed by grateful islanders.

We should thank God for the freedom we enjoy today. When Gilbert Dunk stood cheering in the crowds at North Esplanade that first Liberation Day, a local preacher whom he knew grabbed his shoulder and yelled excitedly “this is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes!”. God had heard their anxious appeals for deliverance and had brought them through great trials to eventual liberty. Through all the long years of deprivation and loss there had remained that hope for freedom, and a heart cry of prayer for its fulfillment. Early in the Occupation an RAF plane had dropped leaflets over Guernsey containing a personal message from King George VIth promising “We will return...”, feeding the hope that would be finally fulfilled on the 9th May 1945.

Our present lockdown is hard, and the virus a deadly enemy. Let's take hope from the fact that the long and terrible ordeal of our parents did end, and ours will too. 'We'll meet again!'

Our home decked overall in flags

How Much Further?

Most parents of little children dread the phrases 'how much further?' and 'are we there yet?’ from long family car journeys. The kicking of the back of the front seats can drive you crazy! Young minds cannot yet fully grasp concepts like distance and timing and are easily bored. Thankfully, they are also easily distracted.

The media are in the grip of the same obsession. Speculation about how much longer the lockdown will continue is the publishing pandemic. It seems all the more significant because it resonates in most of our hearts. We all want to know when and how this will end.

When life’s troubles go on for a long time, like this lockdown, similar questions arise in our adult hearts too. ‘My soul is in deep anguish. How long, O Lord, how long?’ (Psalm 6:3). As we approach the 75th anniversary of Liberation from the Nazi occupation of our island, can you imagine how often our parents must have asked the same question during the five long years of restrictions, curfews, starvation and fear?

I asked that question too, many times during the 22 years of my battle with serious and chronic ill health. I longed for the trials to come to an end. There's nothing wrong or abnormal about that.

Early in my ordeal I felt that God gave me  the bible text 1 Peter 5:10 as a personal promise. ‘And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast’ (1 Peter 5:10). I held onto the ‘little while’ part of the verse like a drowning man clasping a piece of flotsam. But as the months, years and finally decades passed without an end to my problem, I started looking again at what the Bible means by the phrase. God’s ‘little while’ turns out to be quite unlike my own interpretation of those words. His timing is not my timing. It was used in scripture to represent lots of different time periods from 70 years to 3 days and nights! The important thing was that there was a time limit, set by God and known only to Him.

My own ‘little while’ appears to have ended now, although storms will not cease completely till we reach heaven. I praise Him for His sustaining grace in the trial and for bringing me out of it. As in Ecclesiastes ch3, ‘there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.’ Take courage from that assurance today. God has the timing in His hands, and He will bring you out of this season when its time is done. When Jesus calmed the wind and waves on the Galilee, the one that threatened to drown his disciples, He stilled the storm when He was finished with it, not when they were. His timing is always perfect and His sovereignty and power unlimited.