Bishop of London calls for “human compassion” at Thatcher funeral

The death of Margaret Thatcher on April 8 provoked reaction from people across the globe.

Some recalled the strength and fervour of the UK’s first female prime minister, while others focused on her perceived failings and injustices. 

However, at her funeral on April 17, she was remembered as a wife, mother and friend as well as a politician.

The Bishop of London, Right Rev Richard Chartres, said: “Today the remains of the real Margaret Hilda Thatcher are here at her funeral service. Lying here, she is one of us, subject to the common destiny of all human beings.

“There is an important place for debating policies and legacy; for assessing the impact of political decisions on the everyday lives of individuals and communities. “Parliament held a frank debate last week. But here and today is neither the time nor the place. This, at Lady Thatcher's personal request, is a funeral service, not a memorial service with the customary eulogies.

“At such a time, the parson should not aspire to the judgements which are proper to the politician; instead, this is a place for ordinary human compassion of the kind that is reconciling. It is also the place for the simple truths which transcend political debate. Above all it is the place for hope.

“But it must be difficult for those members of her family and close associates to recognise the wife, mother and grandmother in the mythological figure. Our hearts go out to Mark and Carol and their families, and also to those who cared for Lady Thatcher with such devotion in her last years.”

Bishop Chartres recalled Baroness Thatcher’s attitudes to the people she worked with during her political career. “The letter from a young boy early on in her time as prime minister is a typical example,” he said. 

“Nine-year-old David wrote to say: Last night when we were saying prayers, my daddy said everyone has done wrong things except Jesus. I said I don't think you have done bad things because you are the prime minister. Am I right or is my daddy?

“Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that the PM replied in her own hand, in a very straightforward letter, which took the question seriously: However good we try to be, we can never be as kind, gentle and wise as Jesus. There will be times when we do or say something we wish we hadn't done and we shall be sorry and try not to do it again… 

If you and I were to paint a picture, it wouldn't be as good as the picture of great artists. So our lives can't be as good as the life of Jesus.”

The Bishop also reflected on Margaret Thatcher’s incredible rise to power: “It is easy to forget the immense hurdles she had to climb. Beginning in the upper floors of her father's grocer's shop in Grantham, through Oxford as a scientist and, later, as part of the team that invented Mr Whippy ice cream, she embarked upon a political career.

“By the time she entered parliament in 1959 she was part of a cohort of only 4% of women in the House of Commons. She had experienced many rebuffs along the way, often on the shortlist for candidates only to be disqualified by prejudice against a woman; and, worse, a woman with children.

“She applied herself to her work with formidable energy and passion. But she continued to reflect on how faith and politics related to one another.

“In the Lawrence Jewry lecture, she said that ‘Christianity offers no easy solutions to political and economic issues. It teaches us that there is some evil in everyone and that it cannot be banished by sound policies and institutional reforms…

'We cannot achieve a compassionate society simply by passing new laws and appointing more staff to administer them.’

“She was very aware that there are prior dispositions which are needed to make market economics and democratic institutions function well: the habits of truth-telling, mutual sympathy, and the capacity to co-operate.”

You can read the full funeral address from Bishop Chartres here. 

Girls who run the world

In an interview for the May issue of British Vogue, Beyoncé Knowles described herself as a "modern-day feminist". This got me thinking about what the term ‘feminism’ means today and whether it is a positive or a negative thing. (As a disclaimer, this is not a deep, philosophical debate, just a few personal thoughts.)

For some women it is about being able to do all of the things men can do… and more. Whether that means doing the DIY, playing football, entering the political sphere or preaching in a church, it is about proving that the ‘weaker sex’ is actually no such thing.

For some people, feminism is almost militant stance, a championing of the ‘Independent Women’ and ‘Single Ladies’ against the rest of the world. It is the overcoming of prejudice and criticism of women as meek, powerless housewives, and raises the question: do women need men to get on in life?

Others think of feminism as a more collective idea. It’s about encouraging all women to achieve their potential regardless of their age, ethnic background and social outlook. It’s about equal rights for women and deals with issues such as voting, maternity leave, workplace equality and domestic violence.

For others it is about sexual liberty; the pursuit of bedroom equality. An environment where women can sleep with who they want, when they want without being referred to as sluts; to be able to live a Sex and the City lifestyle and read 50 Shades of Grey on the bus without criticism.

Whatever it means to you, feminists are often criticised because the concept is perceived as an anti-male stance. Some women do appear to act as though men are an inconvenient ‘other’ as they take on the world. Other women are seen to present a double standard because they want to dress in a super sexy way like Beyoncé or Rihanna without being treated like sex objects.

Head of Family Law at Slater & Gordon, Amanda McAlister has even blamed the Sex and the City lifestyle for an increase in alcoholism and, as a direct result, higher divorce rates.

Some argue that the stress of ‘doing it all’ – having a successful career, raising a family and living it up at the weekends – may be taking its toll on women. I know that for me personally, being a woman can be exhausting!

Beyoncé says in the interview that “we have a way to go” before women and men are considered equal, and I would tend to agree. Until women are paid the same amount as men for doing the same job, allowed to be part of church leadership teams, respected in sporting circles and treated as valuable human beings rather than sex objects, there is still work to be done.

Proverbs 31:10-31 gives us an interesting biblical perspective on the ‘virtuous’ wife: of a woman who is successful in the home and in business; who is respected by those around her and cares for the poor. I think this is a good model for all women.

Some of Beyoncé’s song lyrics may be a little questionable, but I’ll finish with some simple words I liked from the upcoming interview: “Why do you have to choose what type of woman you are? Why do you have to label yourself anything? I’m just a woman and I love being a woman.”

Read more from Joy in the upcoming issue of Liberti magazine.

(Photo credits: Image 1 Parkwood; Image 2 Claudio Mariotto; Image 3 Hollywood Branded.)

What are you reading on World Book Day?

Today is World Book Day, and since books are one of my favouritest things (you can tell I read a lot), I thought I’d share what I’m perusing at present. I’ll admit at this point that I’m hoping you will do likewise so I can glean some new ideas!

The Holy Bible

I try to start every day with a chapter or two of the Bible so my focus is on God rather than work or anything else right from the off. I’m currently reading 1 Samuel and rolling my eyes at the fickleness of the Israelites… before realising my behaviour is probably just as errant and erratic!

Take Me to the Castle

After making contact with author FC Malby on Twitter, I was delighted to receive a copy of the book through the post. I’m only about halfway through so far, but I would describe this as an extremely well-researched book filled with interesting characters and nifty plot devices. I’ll write a proper review when I’ve read the full story, but so far, so good!

The Casual Vacancy

Having loved the Harry Potter series (controversial in some Christian circles), I was interested to see that JK Rowling had turned her hand to an adult book. As I was given a copy for Christmas, I decided to see what all the fuss was about. About 80% of the way through, I’m still not sure. It certainly lacks the magic of the Potter series (see what I did there?), and although there are some interesting characters, I expected more. It’s a little too casual… and vacant… for my liking.

Out of the Ashes

Peter Gladwin was almost killed in a house fire as a baby, and life wasn’t much easier during his teens. He had been almost stabbed to death, hooked on Class A drugs and was on the verge of suicide when he had an encounter with God. This autobiography is an uncomfortable read at times, but an extremely moving one nonetheless. Look out for my interview with Peter in Sorted magazine.

The Untapped Power in Praise 

I’m cheating a bit here, as I’ve only read the first page so far. But having read several books by Kenneth Hagin Sr, I am looking forward to delving into this praise-focused publication from Kenneth Hagin Jr. According to the younger KH, praise keeps our eyes off our problems and on our deliverer. I’m prepared to give it a go!

You might think all I do all day is sit around all day, book in one hand and cup of cocoa in the other. I wish! Actually, most of my reading occurs during delicious stolen moments – waiting for someone to arrive at a meeting, a ten-minute bus journey, or in a doctor’s waiting room. Whenever an opportunity arises, I delve into my Mary Poppins handbag, hoik out whatever’s to hand at the time and launch right in. 

I’ll soon be in possession of one of the free World Book Night (April 23) giveaways – The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde – a book I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into (that’s how you read books, right?). But I’m always on the lookout for book suggestions, so it’s over to you. Let me know what you’re reading at the moment and whether or not it gets a thumbs up or a thumbs down.

(Book links provided will take you to Amazon, but local bookshops will also stock the majority, so don't forget to support these - especially the indies!)

Read more from Joy in the next issue of Liberti magazine.

A rare hero in the rape arena

Having co-written an article on rape for the upcoming edition of Liberti, I was intrigued when I saw a BBC programme entitled The rape surgeon of DR Congo on iPlayer. The short film describes a country where women are not just raped for sexual gratification, but as a weapon of war. It was harrowing to say the least.

Gynaecologist Denis Mukwege is based in Congo and has literally risked life and limb to restore hope and bring physical healing to victims of rape in the country. “It was that year [1999] that our first rape victim was brought into the hospital. After being raped, bullets had been fired into her genitals and thighs,” Dr Mukwege recalls.

“I thought that was a barbaric act of war, but the real shock came three months later. Forty-five women came to us with the same story, they were all saying: ‘People came into my village and raped me, tortured me.’”

Since then, he and his colleagues have treated around 30,000 rape victims in DR Congo. His hospital, which has been destroyed more than once, provides around 350 beds, which are nearly full most of the time.

The sheer volume of victims crossing his threshold caused Dr Mukwege to think about what was happening: “These weren't just violent acts of war, but part of a strategy. You had situations where multiple people were raped at the same time, publicly; a whole village might be raped during the night. In doing this, they hurt not just the victims but the whole community, which they force to watch.

“The result of this strategy is that people are forced to flee their villages, abandon their fields, their resources, everything. It's very effective.”

Although there is no obvious way for him to put an end to the barbaric practice, he and his team take time to carry out psychological examinations on every victim and treat them accordingly. Operations are performed and long-term care is given where it is needed.

Thanks to funding from Unicef and other aid agencies, the care is free; an imperative seeing as some of the women turn up without even any clothes. They are fed, clothed and cared for, and are not discharged until they are properly back on their feet. Many are also offered legal support and advice.

No, not a bit of it. In fact, he was forced to flee his own home in 2011 after being held at gunpoint by five men and seeing one of his guards shot dead in front of him. It was a miracle he survived the gunfire that ensued, and that the men left with his car and nothing else. His daughters had also been threatened by the armed men, who had broken into the family home, but were unharmed.

He and the family fled to Europe but he recently returned to his homeland at the request of a group of local women who are campaigning against these atrocities and putting their lives on the line in the process. Earning practically nothing themselves, they managed to save enough to fly Dr Mukwege back to Congo and have been offering him round-the-clock protection ever since.

The women welcomed him back to the country as if he were the greatest hero of their time… and he just might be.

It inspired me to hear that one man has risked so much to help the many women who have suffered this terrible crime and, ultimately, to join with these female campaigners in working to put an end to the horrific ‘war tactic’ once and for all.

Let’s pray for his continued safety and for peace in Congo; for healing for the women who have been damaged physically and psychologically; and that justice will catch up with the perpetrators of this evil. 

Read more from Joy in the next issue of Liberti.

What’s healthier than a box of chocolates and lasts longer than a bunch of daffodils?

A bumper box of Liberti magazines, of course. We may be a little biased, but 50 copies of the UK’s best women’s magazine for just £50 is too good an offer to turn down. Especially when you know a single copy normally costs £3!

Two major events are on the horizon – Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day – and both require us to be loving; but not necessarily in the conventional way…

Maybe you know a bunch of single women who feel neglected every February 14 or a group of mums at a toddler group who would love an extra gift come March 10.

Maybe you host a ladies’ book club? Or the women you work with have become disillusioned with the ‘get thinner, be more beautiful’ magazines they normally read.

Perhaps you are hosting a Valentine’s meal and want your female guests to take something home with them. Or you’d like to hand out a copy to every woman in your church on Mother’s Day…

Whatever you’re involved in, this is a great opportunity to bless the women in your life. And if you don’t know 50 women, hand them out to some you don’t know and you’ll soon extend your friendship group!

Personally, I’m not the romantic type, but I love the idea of dishing out copies of the mag to 50 of the women in my life. The best part is, Liberti makes a great gift for young women and the slightly mature; for the single and the attached; for mothers and potential mothers.

Articles in the latest edition include:

I’ll have a pee please, Bob An interesting take on the Toilet Twinning initiative.

Hands up for Tanzania! A really insightful piece on the work of Five Talents in Tanzania and beyond.

What’s so special about Justin Bieber’s mum? An article about Pattie Mallette, who is far more than just the mother of a teen sensation.

A week in the life of a social entrepreneur A glimpse into the life of Anne-Marie Wilson, who is passionate about ending female genital mutilation.

Swapping her Manolos for flip flops The tale of former fashion editor Charlie Davies, whose new designer label is helping those in need.

Plus you'll find all the regular columnists and the latest on entertainment, fashion, health, movies and sex.

Click here to order your bumper pack today!

(PS - you can still buy chocs and daffs - they make an excellent accompaniment to a copy of the mag!)

What IF?

A number of charities including Action Aid, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Tearfund, Save the Children and Unicef, launched the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign on January 22.

The campaign video was animated by my buddy James Munro, so if you can’t be bothered reading the rest of this blog, at least watch his excellent handiwork here.

What’s it all about?

Well, here’s what campaign organisers have to say about #IF...

Nearly one billion people go to bed hungry every night and two million children die from malnutrition every year. We've made progress in other areas, but hunger is still the great scandal of our age. All around the world, even in the UK, people are struggling to feed their families.

In 2013, the government has promised to provide 0.7% of national income for aid and to host a Hunger Summit. We must make sure they keep these promises. In June, the world’s most powerful leaders will meet in the UK at the G8.

This is our best opportunity to tackle hunger. We must make IF happen.

Reading this makes me want to do something. How can we sit around stuffing our faces when we know two million children are DYING each year from malnutrition each year?

Imagine you had nothing to feed your children! Imagine even going one day without food yourself!

The campaign is split into four segments covering aid, land, tax and transparency; urging the government to keep its promises and step up to the plate on eradicating hunger. As president of G8 this year, the UK has a key role in bringing about the changes needed to stop people suffering from, and dying of, hunger.

What can you do?

1. Join the campaign here.
2. Share the message. Post the campaign video to your Facebook or Twitter account and get 
people talking about it.
3. Take note of upcoming events here.
4. Buy Fairtrade food and only buy what you will eat!
5. If you are aged 18-25, get along to one of the youth meals Christian Aid Collective is hosting. Not only will you get a free dinner, you’ll join the debate about eradicating global poverty. They’re happening imminently so check dates here!

Read more from Joy in the next issue of Liberti magazine.

Keep your bathroom clean!

I couldn't think what to blog on when I sat down to write this morning, so I cleaned the bathroom instead. And in doing so, I found the perfect topic to cover. Because to me, cleaning the bathroom and the Christian walk have a lot in common.

I don’t know about you, but I put off cleaning the bathroom. I tell myself I’ll ‘do it tomorrow’; that old chestnut. The more gunk that builds up, the less I want to clean it and the more unpleasant each shower or toilet visit becomes.

A similar thing can happen in our lives. Often when we let sin and worry take over, we inadvertently shut God out of our lives. If we don’t deal with it quickly, the effects can build up and make us feel as though He is far away. This becomes a cycle, because we now feel it will be more difficult to put things right.

So here are a few pointers to encourage and motivate you, both to keep your bathroom clean and to examine any unwanted ‘build-up’ in your heart.

1)    The process is often messy, but the results are satisfying. I can’t pretend I enjoy pulling clumps of hair out of the plug hole or scrubbing the toilet bowl, but when you’re done and you survey your handiwork, there’s a real sense of achievement. Likewise, facing up to the things in your life that you’d rather not have to deal with can be unpleasant, and even painful. But when you allow God to cleanse you of anger, unforgiveness or whatever else is clogging up your heart, the relief is palpable.

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

2)    The more frequently you do it, the easier it becomes. If you don’t clean your bathroom for six months, you’re in for some serious grossness! Dirt and dust soon pile up and you’ll scrub for hours just to see what colour your bathroom suite once was if you don’t clean it regularly. Likewise, failure to deal with our issues promptly tends to lead us into further difficulties and away from the help God is offering us. Deal with sin straight away and keep a short account with God – He will wipe the slate clean every day if you ask him to. And please clean your bathroom more than biannually!

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

3)    The cleaner it is, the more it will bless others. Have you ever been to someone’s house and found their bathroom to be dirty, lacking in soap and abundant in odours? Public toilets, of course, are the worst offenders. Cleaning your bathroom may seem like a thankless task (your family will never notice), but guests you invite round will notice you’ve made an effort. In the same way, staying close to God will bless the people around you because you are able to demonstrate His love without any obstacles getting in the way. The Bible says that when we walk in the Spirit, we bear fruit. Fruit isn’t meant to be eaten by us (have you ever seen a tree eat its fruit?); it’s there to be enjoyed by others.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4).

4)    Deep cleaning reveals dirt we’re not even aware of. We can all see the obvious dirt that collects in a bathroom, but you might not immediately see the mould in the corner behind the bin or the dirt that collects between the toilet seat and seat cover (isn’t that the most irritating thing to clean?!). Similarly, when we start to put things right with God, He reveals things that are harbouring in the recesses of our hearts; things we thought we had dealt with or didn’t realise were there in the first place. Be encouraged that the Holy Spirit can reach even the most difficult nooks and crannies of our hearts, leaving us spotlessly clean and ready to bask in God’s presence.

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:22-23).

5)    The right resources can make all the difference. Cleaning your bathroom with a dirty, moth-eaten sponge is going to lengthen the process at best, and lead to a botch job at worst. Investing in a few bits and bobs, for example a mildew-removing spray and a decent mop, can make light work of it. As Christians, there are thousands of resources out there. The first of course is the Bible, so if you don’t have one, get one – and read it every day. It’s also worth getting hold of some decent books/DVDs/podcasts to inspire, challenge and encourage you in your Christian walk. If you don’t know where to start, ask someone you trust to recommend a few.

Finally, remember how beautiful it feels to have a shower in a freshly cleaned bathroom? That’s how we can feel spiritually every day when we walk closely with God. Jesus has already paid for our sins and our sickness, so we are free to live a free and fulfilled life each and every day. Don’t put it off!

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). 

Read more from Joy in the upcoming issue of Liberti magazine.