18th October, 2020.
​
My dear friends,

Essex, like London and many other parts of England, was placed by the government into Tier 2 of the Covid-19 restrictions at Midnight on Friday. Similar restrictions have been extended across Scotland. The rise in Coronavirus transmission is not entirely unexpected – but it is far from welcome.
​
As we come to terms with this disappointing news, we are bound to experience an increase in stress and anxiety about the health of our loved ones and the impact of Coronavirus on the economy and on jobs. The Church of England is not exempt from any of this.

Anxiety is something we all experience as we go through life on earth; indeed, anxiety is part of what it is to be human. It derives from our animal survival instincts: the rabbit that scurried away from me in the churchyard yesterday did so because of anxiety born of an instinct for self-preservation. Anxiety in moderation can sometimes be a good thing if it inspires us to overcome some difficulty or obstacle. However, too much anxiety can be a bad thing and may sometimes affect our health and relationships.

May I suggest that as the Autumn turns into Winter and the dark nights lengthen, there is going to be an increased need for us in St John to help people suffering from anxiety and stress. This affects different people in different ways: some people become unnaturally noisy and extroverted, whilst others become very quiet and avoid human company; some people eat or drink too much, whilst others lose their appetite; some people find sleep difficult, whilst others find they are sleepy all the time.

If things become too difficult, we should try to see the doctor for advice; but I find myself recalling a lecturer at the Gregorian University over thirty years ago who told us: ‘What you really need are good neighbours.’ I think he was absolutely right. Perhaps we in St John can try to be good neighbours to those around us. A lot of daily life involves muddling through (doesn’t that sound very British!), and we muddle through life a bit better with the occasional kindly word, cheerful smile, sympathetic ear, or pat on the back. We are not, for the present, allowed to enter other people’s houses, but that doesn’t prevent us meeting people in the open-air, telephoning or sending an e-mail. Perhaps, as Christmas draws near, we might think of anyone we know who is unlikely to receive many Christmas cards this year, and then send them one ourselves.

Sometimes, when we are suffering from anxiety or stress, we can be a little difficult to live with. We can be snappy, grumpy or gloomy. We must find it in us to apologize, just as we must find it in us to forgive. If we ask God for help – and simple prayers are the best ones – He will always hear and help us.

The great Dr Samuel Johnson had a very good antidote for stress and anxiety: ‘Avoid solitude, avoid idleness.’ There is a lot to be said for taking a short walk, even if we only pop out to buy a newspaper.

Above all, we must remember that things constantly change – and that in the end, God is in charge. Things are difficult now for all of us, but in time they will get better.

Please remember that as your County Chaplain, I am available at the end of a telephone: 01371 810267. Please do not hesitate to be in touch if I can be of help in any way.

I remember you all in my daily prayers and thank God for the wonderful work you carry out Pro Fide et Pro Utilitate Hominem – ‘For the Faith and for the Benefit of Humanity.’

With continued prayers and kindest regards,

The Rev. Dr ROBERT BEAKEN, County Chaplain
TRINITY 19 – 18th OCTOBER 2020.
​
Gospel: St Matthew, chapter 22, verses 15-22
As we go through life on earth, from time to time – I am sorry to say – we all upset other people, parish priests included. It may be because we are over-tired, unwell, under pressure, have misunderstood or forgotten something, or simply are not having a good day. It is part and parcel of the human condition and of daily life. Not for nothing did Jesus teach us in the Lord’s Prayer to pray ‘forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.’        In today’s Gospel, however, we see some men not inadvertently causing an upset, for any of the reasons I have just mentioned, but rather deliberately setting out to trick Jesus and entrap him – malice aforethought, as we might say. What is more shocking is that these are some of the most religious Jews, the Pharisees and Herodians. They have cooked up a trick question for Jesus.
 
Teacher, we know you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us then what you think, is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
 
Jesus was not taken in by their flattery. Whatever he answered would land him in trouble. If Jesus said replied that it was lawful to pay the Roman Empire’s taxes, he could have been portrayed as a collaborator with the Romans. If he said it was unlawful to pay the taxes, he could be depicted as an enemy of the Roman Empire. As we might say: ‘Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.’ We can imagine the Pharisees and Herodians sitting back, licking their lips, and thinking to themselves: ‘Get yourself out of that, Jesus of Nazareth!’
            But Jesus was not fooled. St Matthew tells us that he was aware of their malice.
 
Jesus answered: ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’
 
And we read that they left him, and went away. Doubtless, they left looking for an opportune moment to have another go.
​
            So, in this sentence Jesus tells us to give to the State the things that are its due, but also to give God the things that are His due.

I am reminded of a scene in the film Chariots of Fire. Eric Liddell, the Scots Presbyterian athlete, refuses to run in the Olympic Games on a Sunday. On the cross channel ferry, Max Beaverbrook and the Prince of Wales try to persuade him to change his mind; but he is adamant. One crusty old man says, ‘In my younger day, we served the King first, and then God.’  Well, I can certainly recall meeting a few people a bit like that, whose attitude was ‘my country, right or wrong’, and who exalted the British state above all else. I guess they are almost extinct now. Perhaps a more contemporary manifestation of the same sort of thing are those people who exalt contemporary society and culture above all else.

I am certainly very proud to be British, and I love my country. But I recall that ultimately, all authority comes from God; and all authority must be returned to Him and accounted for on the Day of Judgement. And if I am proud of my British passport, I am more proud of my Baptismal certificate, for it is my passport as a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

We Christians are all called upon to play our part in the national life of our country, and indeed it is our joy and privilege to do so. However, as we go through life, we all sometimes have to make difficult choices; and for Christians, if push comes to shove, God always comes first. That is a position that will from time to time stir up a great deal of dislike in some quarters, amongst those with different world views or values. Jesus was persecuted, and his followers will sometimes experience similar treatment on account of their faith.

However, even if we suffer, we do not abandon our Christian faith simply because following Jesus is sometimes difficult. The reason we keep going, of course, is quite simply our belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that Christianity is true. Despite all life’s ups and downs, we experience deep joy and peace – which no one can take away from us – when we entrust ourselves to Jesus Christ and seek to do God’s will.

            Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.