Helpful advice for our uncertain world

I AM told that there is a Chinese curse that goes “may you live in interesting times”.

It would seem that we have been cursed as I don’t think we have ever lived through more “interesting” times, with almost every news item giving us a new development, not just in our own country but worldwide, and each containing news which could seriously affect us.

In our own country, I have a feeling that no one has, as yet, much idea what will happen and what problems may arise.

However, I am sure that the way forward is to embrace the uncertain future by accepting that we live in the world no longer protected by the EU, or perhaps no longer restricted by it.

As such, we have new responsibilities and we must take on new challenges by ourselves and we must make more new relationships. The world is open and it is up to us how we proceed.



In such situations it is sensible to look to the past for any guidance and there is no doubt that a major factor in our history has been to seek to expand our boundaries and not become isolated and insular. This means involving ourselves in the whole world and being full participators in the world.

We are a Christian nation from the beginning of our recorded history. Our laws and our traditions have a Christian background and our culture is full of Christian symbolism, as is all of Europe and much of the rest of the world.

So it is helpful to reflect on Bishop Tutu’s addition to Genesis chapter 4 (shown in italics) in which Cain murders Abel “and the Lord said to Cain, ‘where is Abel your brother?’ and he said ‘I know not, am I my brother’s keeper?’ And God replied, ‘you are righ, you are not your brother’s keeper, you are your brother’s brother.’”