Friday 27 March 2020

It has been said that there are two kinds of people: those who love Star Wars and those who love Star Trek. It is a kind of Marmite thing. I have to confess that I am an avowed Trekkie. I have never watched a Star Wars movie in my life. When teaching I used to have a poster which said ‘Everything I needed to know in life, I learned from Star Trek.’ Some of the quotes were so uncomfortably insightful for today. For instance, ‘Many of your enemies are invisible.’ One of my favourites was, ‘Always have your phasers on stun.’ I wonder if the original series, my favourite, so imbued with the idealism of the 60’s has anything to teach us for today?

When you get over the bad special effects, naff sets and overacting by some cast members, and of course, the famous split infinitive, what was left? Well, there was the constant emphasis on the pursuit of inclusion and the celebration of diversity. Infinite diversity in infinite combinations as Mr. Spock would often say. There was the place of teamwork and cooperation as the preferred and best way of tackling and solving problems. There was the complete absence of any celebration of narrow-minded or blinkered prejudice, be it racial, gender, political or religious. The earth was governed by a united Government which was itself part of a Federation of Planets. No room for walls, divisions or barriers. We were presented with a society in which the pursuit of personal wealth and power was seen as being of no value. The ideals of the rights of the individual, the communal endeavour for the benefit of all was the goal of all human activity and learning. In our words, there was a big vision at work. Parochialism and selfish “me first” thinking were anathema.

We are at present facing a Global pandemic. The old ways of doing things won’t suffice anymore. No one country or government can solve this on its own. What is required is concerted action on a united front. This virus has cruelly reminded us that the political, national, economic, class, racial and religious barriers and sub-divisions that we humans love to create and hid behind to make us feel special, cannot protect us. If the tide of this viral tsunami is to be stemmed then we have to think in terms of win-win scenarios. There is no gain in the UK being rid of this contagion unless that is true for every other region of the world. We all must win, or no one wins.

The message of the Gospel declares that ‘God so loved the world.’ Note, the world in its entirety, not just our little corner of it. Perhaps the core learning insight that may flow from this crisis will be that as we are all interconnected in so many ways, the only possible means of tackling the challenge before us will be from a united and coordinated effort.

There are indications that some of our political leaders, the more enlightened ones at any rate, are making moves in this direction. I ask your prayers that more may do so in the days ahead. As Jesus said ’a house divided against itself cannot stand.’ May we all learn to stand together for one another.