A Place To Call Home

Can anybody tell me why “apartments” have become so fashionable? Everywhere you look they are springing up. Its not that they are less expensive than the town house, its not that the Housing Executive has decided to take them as a model for low cost housing that those on low incomes can afford. What is fairly obvious is that a developer can build many more on a piece of land than he could the traditional terrace or town house.

The vast majority of us want to see developers helping to rebuild the community and we all rejoice to see the trappings of the building trade providing housing, shops and other businesses which are creating wealth and employment for many people. In the Old Testament we have the story of Nehemiah who wept and prayed to God when he heard the bad news that his homeland was in such great distress. He was a go-getter. He was not content to attend talking shops or just to complain about the poor politicians or church and community people: he wanted action and so he pleaded with the king to give him a leave of absence and some resources to enable the rebuilding of the city. We need all the resources we can get our hands on to rebuild the Greater Shankill community. In the last four or five years the Crumlin Road, to take one example, has been transformed with good quality housing and we hope to have, very soon even some shops that will bring the people back to spend their money here. No one has any complaint about this. What I wonder about ,and I know this is the concern of so many others ,is about who is making all the money? I wonder, is it possible that all these apartments are fashionable because they are making money for those who are taking it out of the local economy? Could that be the case?

It’s not that we don’t want any middle class people coming to live here and bring with them their experience and support: all we want to ensure is that there is an economy which welcomes all those who want to love and contribute to the area. All we really want is that the young people who want to stay or even return to the area are given the financial opportunity to do so. We want to see an end to the drain out of the community.

What is your dream for this community? What I pray for is the return of those people who call themselves “Christians”; what I pray for is the decision of the Jesus followers who really have a heart for Him and for the people He has created to settle down and live and work in this community. I pray for an end to the raiding parties that come each Sunday and then go back to the suburbs. What I pray for is the development of a vibrant community of all ages, where people have the choice to buy or to rent their homes at affordable prices. Which developer is going to rise to that challenge? Where are the Christian developers who can and will invest in this community just because they want to do what is right?

What are you praying for?

Well Done!

Well, well, the Guards, as in the Garda Schiaconna [spelling??], have been questioning the people in the border areas of south Armagh to see what light can be shed on the murder of Paul Quinn. In many other countries that would not be all that unusual [given that the correct channels have been attended to]. In many other countries the important issue would be the capture of the culprits so that we could live in a safer place but not here: we are so messed up with thinking more about proving ourselves and more about the "other side" that we loose sight of what is the main issue and the big picture.

We need to develop a more creative way of dealing with difference. This morning I was amused by the "Thought for the day" on the radio. It was by Professor Nevon who originated from the Shankill Community in West Belfast. He told the story of two frogs [he had a rhyme to go with it but I cannot re-tell that now] who found themselves swimming in some cream. One frog had enough and decided there was nothing for it but to curl up and die; the other was not giving in by a long shot, he had a "never say die" temperament so he just kept swimming. Eventually one died but the other churned up the cream so that it became butter and he was able to walk out of the trouble. How do we respond to trouble? Who was it, exactly, who taught us the inevitability of success? When did Jesus ever tell us that we could expect the good life all the time? The answer, of course, is that he taught no such thing-the very opposite in fact. he taught us that just as the enemies persecuted him so they would persecute us.

The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 5 that troubles and suffering bring about character and character leads to hope. No one needs hope when all is well;its only when we are in trouble that we need hope. The only alternative is to curl up and die and do the enemies work for him. I'm not ready to die yet, are you?

It is natural to want to see the churches full, especially when you are the preacher: it makes you, or tricks you into thinking you are some preacher! it is natural to want the easy life but if that is what yopu want yopu will be dissappointed. We need a new definition of success and we need the power to be faithful to our master who ended His life in agony and ignaminy. Lets not grow weary in doing good. Ever onward, ever upward