Where are you, God? A week has passed since the town of Bicester was shaken to the core by tragedy. The lives of three courageous local people were lost as a fire took hold at Bicester Motion. For some this is a personal grief – the families, friends, colleagues and other contacts of Martyn Sadler, Jennie Logan and David Chester are facing the terrible sorrow of sudden bereavement. For others this sends a shockwave, bringing to mind other experiences of loss and trauma we may have suffered and disrupting our assumptions about what should and should not be. There is a sense of powerlessness and helplessness in the face of circumstances that cannot be changed but nevertheless we gather, because this is something we can do. We stand together, we mark our mutual care, support and love for one another in our presence, in the laying of flowers, in the messages in books of condolence. The psalms, ancient texts in the bible, give us the language of suffering. Psalm 22 is one of those laments where the psalmist cries out to God – Jesus cried out these words as he hung on the cross - ‘My God, my God why have you forsaken me?’ It continues, ‘Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.’ It’s full of honest pain. God can bear it. In despair, we cling on to the hope revealed through the resurrection of Jesus and the promise that neither height nor depth can separate us from the love of God.
Following the tragic loss of life in the fire at Bicester Motion: The Revd Peter Wright said: “Our hearts are broken at this devastating news and we hold the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in our prayers. We share in the grief of our Bicester community at this time and offer St Edburg's Church as a place for people to come and find comfort. A service of reflection will be held at 7pm today (Friday 16 May) where we hope people will come together to support each other.”St Edburg’s Church will remain open today and tomorrow. A book of condolence will be available and the South Chapel will have tealights and prayer cards for those who would like them.
The fourth Sunday of Lent was traditionally seen as an oasis in the middle of Lent. It was known as Refreshment Sunday, at least since the 16th century. But you never see it billed as that on church noticeboards. Rather, it is known as Mothering Sunday, unless you buy in completely to the secular idea that it is Mother’s Day. It’s only in England that this happens; in other countries Mother’s Day is another day altogether. But in the Church of England, we quite like a “both…and.. “, rather than an “either….or..”. So for us Mothering Sunday carries several connected meanings. Yes, it is a kind of little “break” in the middle of Lent, a note of celebration in a time of self-discipline. We might even celebrate it with the traditional simnel cake. It is also a time for celebrating Mother Church. The earlier custom was that people away from home (for example, in service) would return to their “mother church”, the parish church where they came from, on that day. It is a reminder that Church is the place where we experience the love of God like that of a mother; caring for us, sustaining, nourishing , supporting. God our Creator is neither male nor female in the human sense, but embodies what we consider the qualities of both. So the Church also displays God’s maternal qualities. So in England, we thought it natural in more recent times to couple all that with an invitation to celebrate the love and care of our own mothers on this particular day. A mother experiences and understands in a very special way the idea of love and sacrifice, through giving birth, nurturing and caring for growing children. Motherhood is a vocation and God gives special gifts of grace to those who respond to that call. As well as praising God for the gift of Mother Church and our Mother Mary, let us praise him once again for our mothers, whether living or departed. And let us pray for all mothers as they face the challenges of their important role. Michael Kingston
