We went to Manchester yesterday, to see a brief history of bus regulation in Greater Manchester, spiced up with music and roller-skaters. Wacky, fun and no doubt would have had some people frothing at the mouth (though not us).
Also on our day out in the rain (BTW it doesn’t rain in Manchester any more than it does in other west-side cities) – also on our day out in the rain, we visited this memorial to some peaceful campaigners for democracy who were killed at St Peters Field 200 years ago…
…note that it was out of bounds because the police were protecting our fragile democracy. Much as I dislike what the people on the other side of the fence (or ‘chasm’?, Luke 16:26) will say, they have every right to say it without any threat to their lives. It does remind me of the instability of liberal democracy, though. If we allow all voices to be heard, some of those voices will be the voices of destruction and violence and will seek to destroy that very freedom which allows them to speak. When the Daily Mail of times past screamed, “Hurrah for the Blackshirts!”, should anyone have stopped them?
Also, I used the word ‘campaigners’ above. That is a war metaphor every bit as much as the ones more familiar to us over the last few days. “People who live in glass houses…”
All in all though, it was good to be in Manchester, and I’m proud to be connected with such a place.
Prayer
God save this nation, we pray.
Allow us to decide our future
without fear,
with respect,
by speaking and listening,
by hearing the disenfranchised,
the inarticulate,
the poor, the downhearted;
by giving voice to the voiceless.
May we who are Christians make our contribution
by being Christ to others,
and knowing him in others.