A year ago there was a firm feeling that “We are One”, as we stood together outside on a Thursday applauding our NHS ‘heroes’ at the height of that period in time when we were truly dedicated to keeping to the Covid rules and protecting each other for each other’s sake. But as we’ve since found, unity of that sort is hard to sustain. Self-interest, self-assertion is back: being our brother’s keeper went out of fashion sometime well before last Christmas.

How can we work towards unity despite all our differences? An important question for a church whose debates on issues such as same-sex marriage might sadly still be accurately described in the century-old words of WB Yeats: ‘The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.’ Is it possible to be strong in our convictions whilst benevolent in our attitude towards those with whom we differ?

A talk for The Seventh Sunday of Easter, 16 May 2021. 

Find the text to this and all my talks at bit.ly/johndavies-talks.