October - A month of change

 

This month brings many changes, noticeable in October maybe more than in any other month, writes Bert Cargill of St Monans Gospel Hall. Daylight hours get less, mornings and evenings get darker. Fields become bare and brown, and gardens are losing their attractive summer colours. Fruit trees have been emptied of their bounty, but then the beauty of the autumn colours in the woods and forests is a special wonder while it lasts. The beginning of the month feels like a bit of summer, but the end of it can be like a cold winter’s day, big changes all in the space of a few weeks.

 

These changes in the landscape are predictable and beautiful in their own way, but looking round the political landscape at home and abroad things are not at all predictable. No one knows how all these conflicts, demands and proposals will eventually work out! Already they are affecting our daily lives, increasing the costs of fuel and other things. 

The challenges of life

 

Life can be challenging and often presents unexpected obstacles. I am currently in Aberdeen attending the wedding of a young man and his bride, whom I have known since he was born. He is the youngest son of dear friends. Unfortunately, his grandfather passed away suddenly just over two weeks before the wedding. They are a very close-knit family, and they would have loved for him to be present at this special occasion.

 

I feel the need this month to reach out to those of you who are struggling. Unfortunately, life often involves suffering, and we all grapple with this reality. It's common to feel angry when life presents us with such complex challenges. As hard as it may be to accept, the Bible teaches that nothing in life is random or without purpose. Nothing happens without God's permission. This doesn't mean we understand why things happen or believe they are fair. 

The Key to Kindness

 

Kindness is at the very heart of the Christian gospel. The Bible calls us to embody compassion, forgiveness, and love, and history shows us powerful examples of this lived out in the UK during the 20th century, such as the work of the British Red Cross during wartime relief efforts.

In reality, kindness is not optional for Christians. It is commanded. Scripture reminds us to “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” This verse captures the essence of kindness, rooted in God’s forgiveness and love. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus demonstrates kindness to the marginalised: the leper, the Samaritan woman and the tax collector, to name but three. His acts were not mere politeness but radical compassion that broke social barriers.

Special operations

 

As I write this, the world is reeling from the fallout of war. I know that, technically, nations prefer to speak about special operations and other expressions that describe their actions. Essentially, these terms aim to mitigate the harshness of the word ‘war’. 

Humans are naturally very vulnerable and need to protect their property, livelihoods and lives. In the case of nations, this often involves territory, intellectual property or routes to and from their markets. We live in an increasingly complex world where attacks on national well-being have moved on from military action to include cyber-attacks and other forms of warfare.

The potential for war is constant - most of us know the current locations - Israel, Gaza, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, USA. In the past fifty years, wars have taken place in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Vietnam and, sadly, many more locations.

Our proclivity to fight has existed from the beginning of time. Whether you think of the first murder case (Cain v Abel) or the first recorded war in the Bible between a five-nation v four-nation confederacy headed by the King of Sodom and the King of Shinar (ancient Iraq), aggressive action has always existed.