Love Deeply
In David Clarke’s regular column studying 1 Peter, he reflects on the command to “love each other deeply”. David notes that “the adverb ‘deeply’ refers to a horse at full gallop”, and he concludes: “It must be no half-hearted, lukewarm gesture.”
Loving others deeply involves sacrifice. At a time when health care provision is under enormous pressure, family members can find themselves unexpectedly making sacrifices to look after their loved ones. This month, we hear from Healthcare Christian Fellowship Ireland, an organisation seeking to support Christian family members and health care workers in their roles, as they provide for people in a holistic way – spiritually and practically.
Loving others also means caring about the difficulties they endure. This is not always easy, especially when the subject is a sensitive one. Deborah Sloan speaks to one couple who bravely share their struggles with infertility. She also talks to Rev Alistair Bates, who has completed a PhD on the subject of involuntary childlessness within a PCI context. He describes this as a “major pastoral issue” and also argues that it is a key one for the Church to grapple with, saying: “it is important to establish what a strong covenantal community looks like so that no one feels like a second-class member”.
The demographics of our churches are changing, and ensuring that no one feeling like a second-class member is a pertinent issue. Anne Graham from Cregagh Presbyterian tells her story of working with migrants. Anne and her husband Michael say one of the most rewarding aspects of their role is “encouraging troubled souls to come to Christ and know him as their Lord”.
We also feature Tullamore Presbyterian in Co Offaly where the congregation has received a ‘Church of Sanctuary’ award for its work with refugees and asylum seekers. Although much has been done, minister Rev William Hayes says “we have only scratched the surface” of the work still to do. Despite the challenges, “what better opportunity to share Christ’s message of love and redemption…on our doorstep,” he suggests.
In his big interview, Moderator-Designate Dr Sam Mawhinney shares his experiences of ministering in both rural and urban contexts. He says he is considering his theme for the year ahead as “being confident in Christ”, because “the church has a good deal to still offer this society both in terms of truth and in terms of community”.
As our churches love deeply in their communities, we can be confident that Christ will go before us, empowering and equipping us in his name.
The Presbyterian Herald is the official magazine of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It provides a forum for debate and discussion on a wide range of topics and aims to challenge and encourage Presbyterians, as well as inform them about what the wider Church is involved in. It has a readership in excess of 25,000 and is distributed throughout Ireland.
To find out more go to www.presbyterianireland.org/herald or access the digital version via Issuu.