Thought for the week from the Rev David Jones (we 6th May 2012)

Our Christmas present this year from the children was a night at a prestigious hotel in Cardiff with tickets for Musical ‘South Pacific’ at the Millennium Centre.

The story is set in the South Pacific islands during World War II and the intertwined stores of a young American nurse and Marine caught up in the conflicts of war and experiencing new relationships with people of different ethnic origins and backgrounds.

As John Good wrote in his introduction to the musical these young people ‘experienced for the first time life alongside people their parents might never have been aware of, or would have taken great pains to avoid’.

It was therefore a brave decision when in the late 1940’s Rodgers and Hammerstein challenged those inbred prejudices through the medium of musical theatre. In a land far from their home Nellie Forbush and Joe Cable followed their hearts, despite, as one of the songs expressed having been ‘carefully taught’ the ways of separatism and intolerance.

It is in mutual tolerance and understanding that prejudice of any sort is overcome. While within the human spirit there is a great capacity for good, there is also the tendency to fall short when we allow any sense of superiority or prejudice over others to emerge.

At such times we need to follow the golden rule which Jesus gave uis to love God and our neighbour as we love ourselves.

In the words of Francis of Assisi to be channels of peace – where there is hatred to bring love, where there is injury pardon and where there’s doubt true faith in a God who loves all his children and who carefully teaches the much better ways of love, tolerance and peace.

Rev. David Jones

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