Touring Car and Tug of War

Pause for Thought

From Rev'd Rob Gillion

It’s Faith in the world week and where better to start than with Pause for Thought contributions from different faiths each day.

I want to suggest that we have more in common than we have differences.
I had the joy this week of leading school assembly for the nursery at our Church school.

We have a very high percentage of Muslim children, and when their parents were asked why send them to a Christian Church school they said because we know our faith will be respected, they will be taught moral values and virtues. “I know it’s not the only place to get those things.”

Well in assembly I told a story from the Bible where Jesus spoke about love, forgiveness, and being able to say sorry.

I was reminded as I sat on a very small chair in the classroom some of the rules of my old nursery school and how they could apply to us all in the world.

Share everything; play fair; don’t hit people; Don’t take things that are not yours; say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody; have biscuits and milk and take a nap in the afternoon. And finally, when you go out into the world watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.

With our theatre work in the church with teenagers at risk at the end of every rehearsal, and before every performance we hold hands in a circle in prayer. They come from different cultures and hold different beliefs – but we unite in God’s love.

Think what a better world it would be if we all had biscuits and milk about three in the afternoon and then lay down for a nap. And it’s still true, no matter how old you are when you go out into the world its better to hold hands and stick together.

Singing songs is also an important part of nursery learning, and of course rap for the young people! –

This song – our own British National anthem sums up for me this world faith's week.

Not on this land alone
But by God’s mercies known
On ev’ry shore.
Lord , make the nations see
That all humanity
Should form one family
The wide world o’er.