Build bridges, not walls

As a former science teacher I am filled with a sense of awe and wonder about the scale of the universe to which we belong.

I remember talking to the young people in my charge about the way in which the Hubble telescope was pointed to the darkest emptiest point of space in order to capture images from the earliest moments of our galaxy’s creation.

I was captivated by the stunningly beautiful and breathtaking magnitude of the visual spectacle that resulted from this and would wax lyrical about our place in such a magnificent history.

In light of the enormity of our universe, does it not seem strange that the human race more often than not creates division and boundaries. We all want to feel a sense of belonging, finding our place within this universe and so we create labels and groupings that in the wider scheme of things are artificial. Last week I was so proud of the way in which the people of Sunderland refused to engage in the hate campaign of the far right, following instead in the historic line of Sunderland as a place where people of all faiths and none can find sanctuary and a place of belonging.

Throughout the Christian gospels we see a Jesus who time and time again refuses to conform to the prejudice of the society he is present in. A Jesus who stands up for the oppressed, the outcast and the refugee and demonstrates that God is a God that loves all his creation regardless of human labels and societal identity.

May we find a sense of solidarity with our brothers and sisters of the human race and build bridges not walls between people of all faiths and none.