‘JESUS COMMANDED THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT TO COME OUT OF THE MAN’ (Luke 8: 29)

The Gospel reading for the Church of England this Sunday concerns the expulsion of unclean spirits from a man possessed. This past week has highlighted the way we are so easily dominated by the ‘unclean spirits’ - of anger, hatred and violence.  From the killings of LGBT people in Orlando to that of Jo Cox in Birstall and the disgusting pictures of English football fans taunting refugee children in Lille, it suddenly becomes apparent that we are at the mercy of ‘unclean spirits’.  Britain has its own Donald Trump's who have unleashed so many demons.

I do not have the privilege of preaching this Sunday but I hope those who do will not shirk from naming the evil that has erupted in our midst. And to name the fact that there are those who fan the flames, even though they may deny it. The massacre of scores of LGBT people because of one man’s hatred, a hatred supported by religious faith (and both Muslims and Christians are guilty of not addressing the subject); the murder of a wonderful young politician, possibly out of hatred of foreigners fermented by right-wing politics, and pictures of hundreds of football fans chanting “f..k off Europe, we’re all voting out” between violent clashes with police and shown across the globe – all show, with terrible consequences, the power of bigotry and hatred. The blatant scapegoating of foreigners in a UKIP poster Nigel Farage unveiled showing a stream of Iraqi refugees in Slovakia under the heading: “Breaking point: the EU has failed us all.”  It’s as if we have forgotten the arguments of the Synod of Whitby and are still trapped by the desire of a king to rid himself of his wife, Catherine of Aragon (let the reader understand).

I hope none of those who preach will fail to name the evil that has got into our society.  But I know that those who need to think about the consequences of allowing bigotry and hatred to enter our souls will not be in the pews on Sunday for it is clear that there are many who do not ‘want to be told what to do’.  Who are not interested in the views of ‘experts’, whether economic, social, international – or spiritual.  Who do not want to be challenged.  Who do not want to have their hearts converted to the gospel of God’s compassionate love.  Who will not be interested in recalling that, in the words of Archbishop Justin: ‘At the heart of Britain’s Christian heritage are certain glorious principles. They are what make the best of our nation, whether we are Christians, of another faith or of no faith. They come from Jesus’s teaching, especially in the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. Among those principles is a vision of peace and reconciliation, of being builders of bridges, not barriers. … Sacrifice, generosity, vision beyond self-interest, suffering for others, helping the helpless, these are some of the deeply Christian principles that have shaped us.’  Who will reject the Holy Father’s reminder that we must take care not “to yield to our own selfish interests and to consider putting up fences here and there. …  The founding fathers (of Europe) were heralds of peace and prophets of the future. Today more than ever, their vision inspires us to build bridges and tear down walls.” 

Polly Toynbee, in an article for ‘The Guardian’, named the way this evil has entered mainstream debates concerning the EU Referendum by observing that: ‘This campaign has stirred up anti-migrant sentiment that used to be confined to outbursts from the far fringes of British politics. The justice minister, Michael Gove, and the leader of the house, Chris Grayling – together with former London mayor Boris Johnson – have allied themselves to divisive anti-foreigner sentiment ramped up to a level unprecedented in our lifetime.’ 

A climate of hatred has been allowed to develop unchecked and social media is showing just how ugly it is.  So many of those who seek to influence public opinion are unelected and unaccountable owners and editors of newspapers who do not have to offer a balanced perspective but who are free to pander to humanity's baser instincts.  As Archbishop Justin went on to say: 'Jesus taught us to love our neighbour, and when questioned about what that meant gave the extraordinary story of the Good Samaritan. In that story the one who turns out to be a neighbour is the one who shows respect, mercy and love to the stranger, even to an enemy.'

So I hope that those who preach on Sunday will speak out against the evil that has entered us, as it entered the man from the country of the Gerasenes.  And remind us that, as St. Ignatius Loyola discovered, the way to make choices is to hold them before God and, if we don’t know immediately what we should do, to ask ourselves this simple question – which decision will lead to an greater increase in faith and hope and love?  

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do your will.

(St. Ignatius Loyola: 1491 – 1556)

A CONTINENT DIVIDED...

It is only a matter of days since the world recalled the outbreak of the Great War one hundred years ago.  Yet peace in Europe (or anywhere else in the world) remains fragile: daily we witness Russian troops making incursions into eastern Ukraine as fighting escalates and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso stated today that: "We may see a situation where we reach the point of no return".  And if this seems far from the shores of Britain, the remembrance that the First World War began with the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne in eastern Europe should make us stop and think.

At the same time as President Barossa is calling for Europe to "stand by its principles" before the crisis reaches a "point of no return" we, in Britain, are facing two opposing political developments: the forthcoming vote on Scottish independence and the rise of anti-EU rhetoric focussed by UKIP.  The latter seems fueled by two concerns, immigration and a perceived notion that the UK needs to become a ‘democratic, self-governing country once again (which)  can only be achieved by getting our nation out of the European Union and reasserting the sovereignty of Parliament’  (statement on UKIP website).  Whilst this seems to have growing popular support, not least amongst members of the Conservative Party, it is worth recalling in light of developments concerning the security of Europe why the nations of our continent began the process of coming together after the Second World War.  The overall aim of the EEC/EU, since its foundation in 1958, has been ‘to promote peace; the values of human rights; democracy; equality; the rule of law; and the well-being of its peoples. These values are the bedrock of the EU’s work and its role in the world.’  (Irish Dept. of Foreign Affairs)  Shortly after the end of the War Robert Schumann delivered a major speech in Strasbourg in which he spoke of the way that the nations of Europe needed to come together so that 'war (between France and Germany) becomes not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible.’ http://europa.eu/about-eu/basic-information/symbols/europe-day/schuman-declaration/index_en.htm   He went on to state that: ‘The European spirit signifies being conscious of belonging to a cultural family and to have a willingness to serve that community in the spirit of total mutuality, without any hidden motives of hegemony or the selfish exploitation of others.  The 19th century saw feudal ideas being opposed and, with the rise of a national spirit, nationalities asserting themselves.  Our century, that has witnessed the catastrophes resulting in the unending clash of nationalities and nationalisms, must attempt and succeed in reconciling nations in a supranational association.  This would safeguard the diversities and aspirations of each nation while coordinating them in the same manner as the regions are coordinated within the unity of the nation.’  When measured against the petty nationalistic rhetoric of UKIP and their supporters I find Schumann’s vision inspiring – and challenging.  Of course, unity has to begin somewhere – in this case as a Coal and Steel  Community (ECSC) – there has to be a greater vision than simply materialism.  As human beings we have an urge towards a union of hearts and minds, as expressed so eloquently by Schumann.  Yet these observations and this call to unity seems forgotten and even our political journalists and commentators, when questioning the narrowly focussed oratory of Farage and his supporters, fail to direct attention to this vision and call to live in peace and security.

It is, then, with some amazement that I hear many of those calling for the UK to leave the EU also demanding that the Scots remain part of the UK.  Clearly, what’s sauce for the goose isn't sauce for the gander!  Michael Gove, for example, seems to be a passionate supporter of the Union (of Scotland and Britain) but an equally passionate opposer of the Union (European).   And, whilst I cannot find a UKIP Policy on the matter (their website lists few actual policies) I note the passion with which Farage supports the Union (ditto Gove).  Here we seem to have a case of double-think or possibly, in psychological terms, cognitive-dissonance.  And whilst F. Scott Fitzgerald observed:  ‘intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function" it seems more reasonable to assume he was referring to holding different views on the same subject rather than double-think! 

Christianity - catholic at least - has always believed that humankind belongs together and that our task is to work towards unity.  For our tendency towards separation, the pull to individualism, is strong as is the feeling that ‘I’m right – you must be wrong’.   As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: ‘… if we pray the Our Father sincerely, we leave individualism behind, because the love that we receive frees us from it.  The "our" at the beginning of the Lord's Prayer, like the "us" of the last four petitions, excludes no one.   If we are to say it truthfully, our divisions and oppositions have to be overcome. (p.2792)  It is easier to fragment than unify, live apart than together, separate than integrate.  Yet fragmentation, living alone and separation cannot satisfy our deeper human need for belonging together.  Not for nothing was it that, on the eve of His passion and death, Jesus chose to pray – extensively – for the union of his disciples (John 17) for the lure of separation has been there since Eden but the call to union is the heavenly vision. 

Perhaps that is something we need to recall.

UKIP – IF IT QUACKS LIKE A DUCK AND LOOKS LIKE A DUCK AND WALKS LIKE A DUCK THEN IT PROBABLY IS …

Having awoken this morning to the news that 25% of voters had allied themselves with UKIP I am not sure if I should worry about that fact or be thankful that 75% had not chosen to vote for them. 

I cannot see into the hearts of those who chose to vote for the policies of UKIP.  However, it is clear that the party's prime appeal is rooted in fear.  As the opening lines of their website states:

These are anxious and troubled times. As crisis follows crisis, our politicians do nothing in the face of dangers rearing up all around us. …

Another wave of uncontrolled immigration comes from the EU (this time Bulgaria and Romania). …

Whilst Nigel Farage may claim that they are not just anti-Europe I have a sense that this, coupled with nationalistic fervour, is what attracts most voters.  It is interesting that Farage seems to support Russian nationalism (no vote from Prince Charles, then!) and is allied to the European Freedom and Democracy group which includes other nationalist parties.  Whilst patriotism is good, nationalism is to be feared – have that 25% who voted for UKIP really understood the consequences of nationalism?  Clearly UKIP’ers have not considered the implications of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

As someone who grew up with the ‘European dream’ at the same time as forming as a Christian it deeply saddens me that the dreams and beliefs which I embraced are being rejected by so many.  Whilst UKIP m might not have a complete Manifesto at present, some of the things they stand for are made clear on their website:

•Ÿ Scrap all green taxes and wind turbine subsidies.

• Develop shale gas to reduce energy bills and free us from dependence on foreign oil and gas - place the tax revenues into a British Sovereign Wealth Fund.

• ... abolish inheritance tax. Inheritance tax brings in under £4bn - less than a third of what we spend on foreign aid. The super-rich avoid it, while modest property owners get caught by it. It hits people during a time of grief and UKIP will budget in its 2015 spending plans to completely abolish this unfair death tax. 

• Make cuts to foreign aid that are real and rigorous.

Ÿ• Remove the UK from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights. 

And as if that weren't enough to set alarm bells ringing the homophobic and sexist ‘quacks’ of some of its supporters should be a deep cause for concern.

UKIP seems to provide a narrative that appeals to many people and I find myself looking for an alternative political narrative that encompasses what I understand as the Reign of God.  Early socialism, emerging from a religious narrative, did that but I do not hear clearly one for our generation.  What might one include?

Social justice; care for the vulnerable and marginalised; compassion and inclusivity; an appeal to the good in human nature; a desire for healing and wholeness; respect for the stranger; a sense that we are called beyond the margins of the self to embrace the Other.  These are some of the things that might provide an alternative vision from which a narrative might emerge. 

In his book Falling Upward – A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life Richard Rohr OFM points out that myths continue to exert enormous influence on us.  But, with the relegation of the spiritual to the realm of the private, myth is ignored.  But, being ignored, its power is far greater.  A neglected aspect of UKIP’s influence is the unconscious way in which it works out of a myth of England ‘as-it-was’.  Rohr goes on to observe:

‘In our formative years, we are so self-preoccupied that we are both overly defensive and overly offensive at the same time, with little time left for simply living, pure friendship, useless beauty, or moments of communion with nature or anything. Yet that kind of ego structuring is exactly what a young person partly needs to get through the first twenty years or so, and what tribes need to survive. Maybe it is what humanity needed to get started. ‘‘Good fences make good neighbors,’’ Robert Frost said, but he also presumed that you don’t just build fences. You eventually need to cross beyond them too, to actually meet the neighbor.’ (Ch.1. p.3)

I thought our society had matured, but maybe it hasn't.  Maybe UKIP appeals to those in the ‘first-half’ of life with its need to ‘protect your identity, defend it, prove it, or assert it.’ but ‘The very unfortunate result of this preoccupation with order, control, safety, pleasure, and certitude is that a high percentage of people never get to the contents of their own lives!’ (Ch. 1. p5/7)  Maybe a large part of UKIP’s appeal is that the ‘First Half’ of life is so dominant, its myths so enticing and its power so controlling.  So let me end with some more observations by Rohr which, I believe, speak into this social, political and, ultimately, spiritual dilemma.  For, in the end, I believe the core of this shift towards the policies of UKIP is a spiritual crisis.

Human life is about more than building boundaries, protecting identities, creating tribes, and teaching impulse control if you get mirrored well early in life, you do not have to spend the rest of your life looking in Narcissus’s mirror or begging for the attention of others. … You have already been ‘‘attended to,’’ and now feel basically good—and always will. If you were properly mirrored when you were young, you are now free to mirror others and see yourself—honestly and helpfully. I can see why a number of saints spoke of prayer itself as simply receiving the ever-benevolent gaze of God, returning it in kind, mutually gazing, and finally recognizing that it is one single gaze received and bounced back. …  If you get mirrored well early in life, you do not have to spend the rest of your life looking in Narcissus’s mirror or begging for the attention of others. You have already been ‘‘attended to,’’ and now feel basically good—and always will. If you were properly mirrored when you were young, you are now free to mirror others and see yourself—honestly and helpfully. I can see why a number of saints spoke of prayer itself as simply receiving the ever-benevolent gaze of God, returning it in kind, mutually gazing, and finally recognizing that it is one single gaze received and bounced back. (Ch.1)

Mature religions, and now some scientists, say that we are hardwired for the Big Picture, for transcendence, for ongoing growth, for union with ourselves and everything else.  (Ch.9)

If change and growth are not programmed into your spirituality, if there are not serious warnings about the blinding nature of fear and fanaticism, your religion will always end up worshiping the status quo and protecting your present ego position and personal advantage—as if it were God!  (Ch.1)