The Pointer June 2022
Rector The Rt Rev Darren McCartney 028 4175 3497 suffragan1@gmail.com
The Magazine of the Church of Ireland Parishes of Clonallon & Warrenpoint with Kilbroney in the Diocese of Down and Dromore By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 1335 I was somewhat shocked to read of the experiences of some of the first Salvation Army workers. The historian Richard Collier writes the following concerning the experiences of the first Salvation Army workers, ‘Persecution was great from the beginning.… Gangs frequently hurled mud and stones through the windows at the preaching and the crowd. The liquor dealers worked hard to have Booth kicked out of East London. The police were no help; in fact, they often broke up outdoor meetings and accused Booth’s followers of being the cause of all the trouble.… Beatings were not uncommon: in 1889, at least 669 Salvation Army members were assaulted—some were killed and many were maimed. Even children were not immune; ruffians threw lime in the eyes of a child of a Salvation Army member. The newspapers ridiculed Booth. PUNCH referred to him as “Field Marshal von Booth.”’ The image of “lime in the eyes of a child of a Salvation Army member” is really what has lodged into my head and I have been contrasting this with the feeling that I got when looking out the bedroom window this morning. The beauty of the sight was quite something. The wind blowing across the long grass in the field, leading the eye to the rolling hills and then to the mountains in the background. The different shades of greens and browns the reflection of light, beautiful. I had thought, when I first looked out the window, that I was so blessed in being able to see such beauty. The image had remained in my mind and was amplified by the massive shock of reading “lime in the eyes of a child”. This morning as I looked through the bedroom window the thought came to me that it is so easy to take the beauty and good things around us for granted. How much more the strength of such after reading the reference to “lime in the eyes of a child”.
I still remember the feeling of being back in church and surrounded by other choir members, singing hymns after a period in my life when I was physically prevented from being there for a couple of months. What a feeling! I pray that as we look around, at those we see in church and the faces of those we don’t see, who aren’t able to be with us, that we don’t take them, or the opportunity to be in church for granted. When we speak about church, let we refrain from negativity, our words reflect on others and have a power greater that we sometime wish to consider. The enemy doesn’t need any further assistance in targeting and undermining the churches witness or the person who may be struggling. Rather let us celebrate the fact that we can come to church, that we are surrounded by others who are also journeying through life and on the road to faith. Perhaps they, or you yourself, are struggling with life and faith, perhaps we could spare a moment to sit or visit, to support, to encourage, to love one another as Christ has loved us.
Blessings, +Darren