A piece by APF supporter Donald Reece about Truth and Good news.
At a time when Iran has been Trumped and is responding, I am reminded of the time when I was interviewed by Iran State News, here are my thoughts…
The US drone attack on Iranian General Qassem Suleimani visiting Iraq was bad news, as was the Iranian missile attack on an Iraqui US airbase.
The downing of the Ukranian airplane from Teheran was also bad news; and the original explanation of technical failure for the crash appeared to be fake news.
However, when the Iran State News Agency had a change of heart in admitting their erroneous missile strike as the cause of the crash, it was good news. We are ready to condemn bad behaviour, but must be glad to praise people when they have done well.
These incidents brought to mind an event in May 2019 when I was in the gathering outside Westminster Abbey. A video journalist with the label IRNA asked if he might interview me about the peace organisations prayers as alternative to the service of thanks in the Abbey for the Britain’s Nuclear Deterrent. That the Iran State News Agency was ready to hear about peacemaking inspired by Jesus telling us to love our enemies is good news
I was slightly surprised when the journalist then asked if I believed in Nuclear Weapons, and I clearly answered NO: adding that if Nuclear Weapons were to be used they would destroy the planet. He seemed satisfied with that answer.
Truth, real news, is often a casualty of conflict. I experienced this in 1973 during a time of unrest in what was the known as Southern Rhodesia and was to become Zimbabwe. While our clergy were away on retreat there were media reports of demonstrations and stone throwing in Salisbury/Harare. The Guardian front page had a picture of two Dominican Sisters with red blood staining their white habits.
There were widely differing versions in the city about the immediate causes the rioting. In my Sunday sermon I illustrated conflicting views that I had heard and exhorted thorough testing of all rumours.
On the Monday morning I took our boys to the School run by the Dominican Sisters, and asked them about their injuries. Sisters Veronica and Tomasina said they were glad to be the ones injured because they understood the grievances of black Africans under white majority rule.
Their forgiving response was good news indeed.
Donald Reece – In 1956 during the Suez crisis, I was aware that my developing faith in Christ crucified showed an alternative way. I discovered the Fellowship of Reconciliation basis for the enthronement of love in personal, commercial and national life. I was ordained in 1960, married Julia in 1963 and we have three sons and four grandsons. We served in Warrington, Matlock, Sheffield, Zimbabwe, Leicester and London, mostly in urban priority and multicultural parishes. We now live in retirement in Oxford, and I am also involved in the Oxpeace Network
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