An amazingly graceful reformation of manners…

“God Almighty has set before me two great objects: the suppression of the Slave Trade and the reformation of manners.”

The immortal words of a fellow Yorkshireman,William Wilberforce.

By all accounts, the 2006, Michael Apted film, ‘Amazing Grace’‘, has had a profound effect upon many viewers. It tells the story behind the famous hymn of the same title, (one of my personal favourites incidentally), it’s writer, John Newton, and his relationship with the great reformer and abolitionist, William Wilberforce, who gave his entire life to ending the slave trade.

At the time of the films release, reviewers were quite cynical about it. One reviewer for that iniquitous, left wing, atheist rag, ‘the Guardian’, declared that it was a ‘white man’s movie’,  while others called it genteel and dull.

I would hazard a  guess that this dislike has  more to do with a perverse and foolish generation being incapable of understanding anything beyond the most vacuous of story lines padded out with exciting car chases and fake dismembered body parts replete with gore and gristle.

For those who appreciate the living force and awesome power of the Holy Spirit at work in people’s lives though, the gratuitous portrayal of tortured slaves is not necessary to tell us of the sin that is the wanton exploitation of our brothers and sisters.  A more mature and intelligent audience is more likely to be moved by the portrayal of those who believe and who put their beliefs into action.

Having received glowing recommendations from learned and much respected people, and having seen some of the film thanks to the wonders of youtube, I intend to get the full copy and watch it!

 

Just about everyone is aware of Wilberforce as the man who ended slavery. The fight to end slavery was however, only half of his mission in life. Unfortunately, he died before he could move on to his other great struggle in life- the reformation of manners.

The only dictionary I truly trust these days- the original Noah Webster’s Dictionary of American English, defines ‘manners’ in a different sense from the one we would consider to be accurate today, and is the same definition that Wilberforce understood:

MAN'NERS, n. plu. Deportment; carriage; behavior; conduct; course of life; in a moral sense.

Wilberforce believed that the very problems underpinning the slave trade and many other evils in the country at the time, had its roots in a lack of real, life changing Christian faith. Equally today, Wilberforce’s appeal to change the ‘manners’ of the country, should not be easily overlooked. We find ourselves in what is at one time, a very different world, and in another way, a very similar world to that of Wilberforce: Although the way of life has changed drastically, there are still underlying problems that have not gone away. Many of the unbelievably wealthy and powerful minority that rule, exercise little no justice and righteousness in their actions. Immoral and Godless men steal the meagre wealth of those living on the poverty line for no good reason beyond their own greed. Power hungry politicians lie and cheat to reach positions of authority, only to steal from the very people who entrusted them with such power in the first place. Our justice system is not based on justice, but on the avarice, lies and corruption of a few overly privileged men with a wealth of intelligence and learning, but an abject poverty of wisdom...

The litany of corruption and evil could go on. Characters like John Newton and William Wilberforce, just like modern conservative Christians, evangelicals, pentecostals, baptists, and other spirit filled followers of Christ, suffered persecution for their beliefs. When abolitionists suggested that the abuse of our equals: our brothers and sisters, could not be justified simply by the argument of economic necessity, they were laughed down. But in the end, through a hard struggle, the slave trade was ended, and then slavery itself, entirely abolished. Humanity and Godliness crushed economic arguments and mindless greed. Equally today, for anyone to suggest to the Banks that for the sake of simple human goodness and love, they stop pressing for foreclosures of the homes of the destitute and poverty-stricken, you would be laughed down. But maybe we too, evangelists, with that same life changing fire of the Holy Spirit that Wilberforce had, burning in us, can make change for the better.

It seemed far too easy for the politicians and slave traders of the late 18th century to go to church on a Sunday, only to resume amassing ill gotten wealth again on the Monday morning. The only difference between then and today, is that many of our modern business leaders and politicians don’t even bother to pay a hypocritical lip service to Christian belief  any more.

It is so much easier today to simply dispense entirely with that system of beliefs that may nag our sense of moral right and wrong.

 

There is no denying that the work of Wilberforce is still only half done. Maybe the easiest part is already done too. Maybe it is the hard part that is still before us. God alone knows, but it seems that the Amazing Grace which John Newton so sublimely encapsulated in that haunting hymn has not yet been heeded in the hearts of the British people, and the reformation of manners is a work still afoot.

Before great campaigns such as ‘Make Poverty History’ can really help to end the blight of poverty in the world, I earnestly believe that there does need to be a reformation within people’s hearts. Business leaders, politicians, lawyers, bankers, stockbrokers, and all other manner of powerful and wealthy persons need to have a change of heart; to recognise themselves as servants of God’s people, not Lords. They may do well to heed the voice of Jesus in Luke 16:19-31, when he warned of the rich man in hell calling up to the glory crowned beggar Lazarus in the arms of Abraham to come and help him.

The earth shall be the inheritance of the poor. That is a biblical prophecy, just like any other, and biblical prophecy consistently and reliably comes true. Maybe some people need to heed those words more closely…

 

My faith assures me that judgment will come one way or another from the Lord, and that through Him, all things shall be made new (Rev 21:5).

At the moment, these are only words to muse upon. I hope that they might just speak to you and encourage you all who read this to think earnestly about what Wilberforce tried to do in the reformation of manners. Every single man woman and child in this country could honestly improve their morals. I am one of those, guiltier than most. We all have a lot of work to do to make the world a better place.

So here’s to our beginning to work towards an amazingly graceful reformation of manners…

 

God bless you all, and thank you for your time.

Thomas J Cooke

 

P.S. I am always grateful for comments and feedback. Let me know about what you think, feel free to disagree, and comment on anything from the layout to the style of writing. Thank you to all of you who read my blog still. It is still moving forward, and like me, is still trying to find a voice and an identity, but with time all shall be made clear. x

In His Steps...

Most of us are familiar with the little bands on many young Christians’ wrists with the acronym, WWJD. Wearers of this band are meant to ask one simple question before making any decision, before passing judgement, before saying or dong anything. It is the question: What would Jesus do?

Where does this particular custom spring from. I used to think it was a very modern and silly thing to do- just a fad. It has roots however, in a work of literature a little older than most may at first think...

In 1896, Charles M Sheldon wrote a book that has changed countless lives. It is the story of a community that seek to always ask the question, 'What would Jesus do?' before committing to any course of action. Such radical action of course leads to much suffering on their part, the local newspaper printer ending up with a massive loss of income, other’s losing business and personal wealth, risking violence on their persons and even in one case, death.

At the same time though, through this violent turmoil, a new community comes forth, tried and tested in the flames of persecution, ridicule and intolerance, and coming out on the other side, so much stronger for it.

I myself begin to realise what discipleship can mean. If I am going to honestly try to make my way down the road of finding my home in a church, in following Christ more nearly, and becoming a better person, I am going to have to ask myself similar, troubling questions, that have every chance of shaking up my world, changing pre-conceived notions, and challenging a lot of generally accepted wisdom.

I feel a calling, small but insistent, in a direction most of my friends could not have anticipated me going in. I am moving away from the glamour of Catholicism, away from the prestige and power that is so alluring in much of mainstream Christianity, away from the safety of convention and into dangerous territory. For too long I have used dry, empty religion as a vehicle for my own pride. That is already out the window, but now I need a new, vibrant faith that is a vehicle for love, godliness and witness to the Gospel. As I say, I can already feel the call of the Spirit, and I already have a feeling I know where this path leads.

I can see the road before me, and it almost certainly contains a lot of misunderstanding, prejudice, and ridicule.

At the moment I am reading Wilberforce’s “A Practical View of Christianity”. It is one of those books that I believe will be one of the defining works in my life. We shall have to see. Wilberforce did however know the price of discipleship. Materially, socially, and physically it took a heavy price, but in terms of the intransitory, he gained so very much.

Christianity without the moving influence of the Holy Spirit is no faith at all. Academics can sit around idly philosophising upon the nature of the Holy Spirit, and making grand suppositions about the nature of that Spirit within the Trinity, but that is very far removed from the actual Spirit. The Holy Spirit lifts people up, conferring massive, miraculous powers on many people, it heals the body and mind, it speaks both in the fire and tempest, and in the deep calm of the evening or dawn. It transforms people completely, bringing many to ask the most important question:

“What would Jesus do?”

Charles Sheldon had an idea, and I think I agree with him.

Yours, being transformed in the Spirit

Thomas J Cooke

Spotlight on the Mennonites

This Sunday, I would like to focus on a little known Anabaptist 'denomination'. Most of us have probably heard of the Amish people of America. Maybe the first time you heard of them was when a community school was attacked last October, or maybe you knew of them before as objects of ridicule and satire or simply general interest in popular culture. They are though, as I see, a people greatly misunderstood. The Amish are a subgroup of the Mennonites. Today, I would like to share some of my knowledge of these people with you.

Recently I spent some time in America. During my time in Boston, MA, I came across a group of Mennonites on the street corner, a choir of them singing, while others were handing out bible tracts. The most obvious things to be noticed about this group of people, was that they dressed in a very modest and in the women's case, outmoded fashion. The next most obvious thing to be noticed was the wonderful sound they were making as they sang. The singing of these simple country folk easily brought a tear to my eye. They sang to His glory alone, and they sang straight from the heart. Speaking with one of their elders about their faith, I felt inspired there and then to tell people about them.

This therefore friends is hopefully a brief but informative look at a very traditional, protestant group.

 

To fully understand the Mennonites, it is necessary to understand a little of Anabaptism. During the reformation, many issues were addressed concerning the Roman Catholic Church. One such issue was that of infant baptism. It was argued that a personal choice of Jesus Christ as one's personal Saviour was the key to salvation. In addition to this, their core, identifying feature, they also believed in complete pacifism, fair wages for all, universal religious liberty. As with all groups, there were exceptions, such as the fanatical Anabaptist murderers responsible for carnage in the city of Munster in 1534.

It could be argued that the Anabaptists were well ahead of their time. Many of their beliefs, regarded as extreme and dangerous in their own time are now cornerstone doctrines for many protestant churches of our times.

It was at a time that the Anabaptists were being severely persecuted, that a Roman Catholic priest from Holland, Menno Simons converted to the Anabaptist creed, and valiantly gathered their scattered flock together as one. It was his intention to create a community of well organised, industrious and pious people together. To begin with, they suffered massive persecutions, going into hiding regularly, and when not being actively hunted, being ostracised from mainstream society. Under William of Orange, they gained tolerance and were accepted, first in 1572, finally gaining their full liberty in 1626. They spread then throughout Europe, still suffering persecution. Because of America's true liberty and religious freedom, many moved over there to escape the religious persecutions and wars of Europe. As time went by though, even in Europe, rulers came to value the Mennonites because of their peaceful, simple, obedient lives, and their honest attitude to work and labour.

Much like the Quakers, they create small, industrious and deeply moral communities. Because of their privations and lack of material wealth, both home life and church life are noticeably simpler than most other peoples. Because of their Germanic roots and lack of wealth, a rich heritage of a cappella singing has spring up, a little taste of which I had a few weeks ago on a street corner in Cambridge, Boston.

 

 

Time and other constraints mean I should be drawing to a close here.

I do however strongly advise you to read more about the Mennonites. Wikipedia has a passable page on them:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mennonite

Equally, if you can get your hands on a copy, Philip Schaff's 'The Creeds of Christendom', has a wealth of information.

Thank you for your time this week.

God bless you all.

Thomas J Cooke

New Beginnings

A blank page is an opportunity too often squandered.

I myself have been blessed with maybe too many blank pages. Regardless, I start yet another new one, but this time I trust that if it is God's work, it will endure.

"One man in his time plays many parts..." I believe William Shakespeare said those words, and they are certainly true of me as much, if not more than the next man. I have tried to follow every code, every creed, and every lifestyle conceivable, and in many ways, such an approach to life can be hugely beneficial. However, it can also carry with it, inherent dangers. I have at different times, believed in far too much hooey and nonsense as readily as evident truths. Being a Catholic in its own way is not a problem, but being an extremist, right wing bigot is not such a good thing. I have been there and done that, and although I learnt much from the experience, it is one not to be repeated.

At other times, I have tried to hide from God, declaring myself a freethinker, a liberal, and a humanist. Have I ceased to be these things? No, not at all, and there has always been an integral core that has never changed- my very spirit, or essence. But to be a freethinker, a liberal and a humanist does not exclude God. Jesus was a real freethinker, he was intensely liberal in his day, and he cared more about his fellow man than any other human has since. But (by his inherent nature), he was completely theocentric (being the Son of God makes it hard not to be!). In other words, he lived in, with, and for God. He was God!

I realise now, albeit slowly, that in order to be a real lover of the arts, of beauty, enjoyment and music, does not mean we need to exclude God. The more I ponder this, the more I believe that the arts have their origin and end in God. They result from our search for the divine, and from that divine spark of creativity imbued upon us, the created, by our Creator. Equally, in our enjoyment and appreciation of them, we find a deep and powerful calling to God. I encounter God in the beauty of music, singing His praise. I encounter Him in making, and seeing watercolours, or sketches of the wonders of creation.

"Our souls are restless until they find their rest in Thee."

I invite you all to come and join me on my journey of discovery, as I attempt to finally understand my faith, rather than jumping on a dogmatic bandwagon; to connect with God, to discover more about other faith traditions, and hopefully to become a stronger, better person.

Thank you for your time.

God bless.

Voting away the lives of children?

Dear All
I am writing to you with an important message this Sunday. There are many issues that are troubling in the world at present. Although this particular issue I have kept from mentioning for some time now, circumstances push me to speak out.
I am also aware that I have been attempting to avoid invective and rancour in my blog posts, so I will attempt to do this, despite the highly emotive nature of this issue.

On both sides of ‘the pond’ the lives of the unborn are in horrendous danger. In our own country, politicians in Westminster are trying to impose abortion on Northern Ireland without taking into account the overwhelming anti-abortion beliefs of the majority of Irish on both sides of the border.
For the first time in a long time, the different factions are coming together, with one common aim in mind: defeating the scourge that is abortion, and stopping it taking root in Ireland.
The pressure from London though is immense. They need our prayer and support in this, or otherwise we are looking at the whole of Ireland falling beneath the long dark shadow of the culture of death, now prevalent in our own country. Please pray, light a candle, say the rosary, go to Mass, petition your MP. Whatever you can do, please do it. This is urgent: Satan has his sights set on Ireland, in a very real and tangible way. Faith alone can prevent this tragedy.

A much bigger issue also looms there only a week or two away: the US election.
Polls indicate that Obama is in the lead, and there is strong reason to believe that he will be the next president of the United States. He is known to be ‘pro-choice’, along with a majority in the democratic party. The reason he is up in the polls, can most clearly be tied to people’s belief that he can help bring the economy back from the brink of disaster. It is a very human concern to be worried about protecting what we have gained.
Would you though, let material concerns- passing temporal goods rank higher than the life of a child?
I ask all Catholic American voters of good conscience to think about their choice of candidate again. Are you voting for a man who openly supports the killing of unborn children?
I am not interested in the other politics here. I would myself love to see the first black president come to power, and I can’t say I’m immensely keen on McCain, but I am asking all Catholic voters to think carefully about our beliefs, and whether Obama would be willing to uphold the sanctity of life.
Just a thought to bear in mind when you tick that box...

Sorry for a post such as this, but there is an urgency that compels me as a Catholic to speak out.
God bless you all, and please- remember the unborn in your prayers today- they are as human as you or me, and precious in God’s sight.

Yours in Christ
Thomas Benedict
A.M.D.G

Thanks to you all

Dear Friends
I am inspired and grateful for what you have said. I worry when I see that the only comments are negative. It also upsets me sometimes when there are no comments added my less controversial posts.
It can sometimes feel that people are only happy when they are criticising or showing indignation.
I think that the comment about me putting up more peaceful and fewer bellicose posts is probably a good idea. From time to time though, to hear about our brothers and sisters being massacred wholesale by those opposed to the Gospel truth is very upsetting.
I think of all the innocents being killed simply for their faith in God, and I feel helpless. Sometimes the most therapeutic thing to do is to have a little rant about it all. The same applies when I come across any other less violent forms of dissension against the revealed truth.
I think it’s a very human response really. It would be something I could do with changing.

I was pondering today on the nature of grace, love and the sacraments as I copied work files on to my USB drive to take to the printers... The sacraments are all a lot like sharing files on a computer. (Bear with me- this is a bizarre analogy), but like pictures and documents, they can be copied and shared an infinite number of times, (In theory I believe- I don’t know that much about computers!) and the brilliance of the original is not changed, nor altered, one jot. It can be given to so many people, and they can have that same quality that the original had- indeed, in one sense, they do have the original! This is I believe a helpful way of looking at the sacrament of say- the Eucharist. Its core and essence have not changed one bit since the Last Supper. Golden, shiny bits have been added on at different stages, but at the very core, the same grace shines out. I believe this is also the case with the other sacraments and with the love of God for each and every one of us.
That is quite a powerful thought it seems to me.

At the moment, I am trying to make some very heavy decisions in my life. I am trying to get my thoughts together and to work out what God requires of me. The truth is, I know what I want as a human, but the more important question, is surely what God wants of me. Anyone living in the will of God is a happy man indeed. I just want to do the right thing. It’s not always easy though to know what that is. It is so very hard, but the good Christian has a duty to be asking at all times whether they are living in according with the divine will. We can do this by examining our consciences, not acting until we are sure the intended act is in compliance with God’s will, and by praying much.
I fail to do all of these, but of late, the sheer burden of decisions and worry have forced me to do all these things. The Church advises getting into the habit of examining the conscience regularly, (on a daily basis is a good idea really), instead of a half hearted job before we go to confession. Equally, prayer is the crucial element in our lives that, like talking to friends and family, is what ensures a strong bond with those we speak to.
God is indeed no exception. I feel the need to pray often. Sometimes though it is hard to put what we have to say into words, and in my case, about 90% of my prayer time is spent in silent reflection.
The sheer wealth of possibilities open to us in prayer is staggering. We have the rosary and the thousands of chaplets in existence. We have Lectio Divina. We have the prayers of the Raccolta, with all their associated indulgences. And that’s without starting on the hundreds of variations on the hours- in English, Latin or whatever else, hours of the Blessed Virgin, hours as used in various monastic communities. We can select just morning and evening prayer, or plough through all seven during the course of the day. The list goes on.
Countless other opportunities present themselves in prayer. Ours is a diverse and exciting faith with so much going on. Sometimes the simplicity of silence can be good enough to excite in us real holiness.

I want to thank everyone who has provided helpful and constructive criticism. I thank you for your support and I would ask for all your prayers as I begin to enter more deeply into my faith. May these writings mirror the wonderful things that God is doing in my life.
With all my love, your brother in Christ

Thomas Benedict
A.M.D.G

Confession, Latin Primers and the Koran...

Well, here I am again, writing on the blog. So much goes on in between my infrequent posts, and then I have too much to write upon my return.
Today I went out to Westminster as is my wont from time to time. I haven't been in for far too long. The place was covered in scaffolding, so that the usual brooding darkness of the roof space was not visible, and instead it looked alarmingly like an aircraft hangar. I believe they are in the first stages of renovating the roof structure itself, before putting up the new mosaics, which will undoubtedly change the entire atmosphere of the place. It won't be complete for several years yet though.

My main reason for going was confession though,
The priest was Fr Edwards I think, and may I say now, that my confession was heard by a true man of God today. His holiness, learning and humility were palpable through the confessional. I left that box feeling truly forgiven. The slate was tangibly cleaner and fresher than it has felt in a long time. I felt encouraged in my endeavour, hopeful in my service to God for the future, and assured that there is nothing that cannot be put right in my life. I know that I can, with the grace of God, break free from so many of the horrible parts of my life, from my selfishness, to my stubborn laziness, taking in so much of my vile nastiness to other people on the way. I felt that my confessor had been a man who, although not a saint, tried to live as one, and it gave me hope that my life's ambition to live like a saint will one day come true. I should probably explain- I have no silly notions of being canonised- I simply want to live like my heroes- St Francis Xavier, St Aloysius Gonzaga, St Pio, St Dominic, St Benedict and all the rest. I want to suffer, so that I come closer to God and others who suffer. I want to offer every moment for the greater glory of God, thinking of myself last, after everyone else.
Now that is a beautiful and perfect existence, and one that, God willing, I will cultivate one day.

My second reason for going today, was to pick up the “Mystical City of God” by the venerable Mary of Agreda. It is so highly commended by every major religious community (with the exception of the jansenists- but that's another story!), by, archbishops, cardinals, and even popes! It couldn't be a bad book to have received such wide acclaim on top of the imprimatur and nihil obstat.
In the end I couldn't get my hands on the full four volume mega-work of an original, but in the end I found the abridged version, so I decided to get stuck in on that.
It is already shaping up as the masterpiece of divinely inspired visionary work that it had been hailed as.

While browsing for the aforementioned work, I came across two other books. One was an “Ecclesiastical Latin Primer”. I can finally get started on learning Latin to a high enough level that I can read the Code of Canon Law, and the Summa Theologica and so many other wonderful works in their original script. Most importantly- the vulgate and all it's treasures will be open before me.
That will be wonderful. A year from now... God willing...

The other book I purchased, was a detailed commentary on, and biblical comparison with the Koran. Having seen the news today of how we are being slaughtered wholesale in Iraq, I decided maybe I need to acquaint myself more intimately with this work in order that I better understand the evil words that drive men to slaughter innocents wholesale. The truth is out there, and hopefully, with this very well researched and academically rigorous treatise, I can better inform myself of the Church's enemy. Then I can say that I am at least, well informed on the issue of the Mohammedan beliefs, and not be fooled into accepting them too readily.
There is nothing more precious than learning and knowledge- that's probably why the liberal tosh they pass off as knowledge in academia today is quite so offensive to me. As Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus both say- 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom'. I couldn't agree more to be honest.

Yours in Christ
Thomas Benedict
A.M.D.G.