MP MEL STRIDE
THERE is an old preacher’s story. It was a small village church and they always had a 3pm afternoon service. It was meant to be so that the farmers could milk in the morning and still get to a service in the afternoon.
Whether it was the hard work or the fresh air life combined with that ‘after dinner’ feeling, the meeting was never a particularly lively affair. A soporific atmosphere of quiet rest and satisfaction usually pervaded the small meeting place.
This particular week, the visiting preacher thought he would try a direct approach. ‘Shock and awe’ tactics might not raise the dead, but they might possibly raise everyone to some level of consciousness. Leaning over the pulpit he boldly declared ‘everyone in this village is going to die.’
As he looked over the small congregation a little boy on the front row began to smile. The preacher looked at him directly and repeated, ‘everyone in this village is going to die, men and women, boys and girls…no one exempt.’ The smile became a huge grin! Irritated, the preacher said ‘Hey sonny, didn’t you hear what I said….everybody in this village is going to die’!
He got a response! ‘I heard you first time Mister,’ the boy said, grinning from ear to ear, ‘but I don’t live in this village’!
Smile we may, but so many of us always think we live in a different village. We hear things happening to others, but we never expect it to touch us, whatever ‘it’ may be.
Until a few short weeks ago, Kate and William probably thought the same way! And when things do ‘happen’ it comes as a big shock.
Ultimately, many think about death in the same way. There is a line to an old Gospel song that says ‘each one dreams that he will be enduring – how soon that one becomes the missing face.’
Death is the taboo subject of our generation. As the TV adverts tell us, there’s no need to make a fuss, we can get it taken care of so that life can still carry on and be a celebration.
Next week we have the opportunity to remember a time, just about 2,000 years ago, when Jesus Christ died a death that He didn’t need to die.
It’s not just that He in no way deserved to suffer a criminal’s death on a Roman gibbet. He was God’s Son, and death had no power over Him, He needn’t have died… but He deliberately laid down His life, allowed Himself to be slain by wicked hands….and then defeated death for everyone of us….and proved that He had done that, by rising from the dead.
Why did he do it? Because he knew, perhaps better than we do, that no village is immune from these things.
We can grin if we like, and tell ourselves that we live in a different village, or we can take a closer look this Easter at the wonderful Man of Calvary who died a death that was in fact mine, so that I could have His life.
That’s the greatest offer we will ever have!
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Voters know that general elections are used to elect a national government and to choose someone to take our voice to Westminster
As farmers ‘tighten their belts’, less money will flow into our economy in a myriad of ways. A crisis in farming is a crisis for us all
CENTRAL Devon is one of the most rural constituencies in the country. We have some of the best farmers in the UK and produce fantastic food to the highest standards. We should be very proud of this.
This is why as your local MP I make it a priority to regularly meet representatives from our farming and rural communities.
Recently I attended an NFU meeting in Crediton with farmers from across Devon to hear their views and answer their questions on our local farming industry.
It is clear there are many challenges facing farming in Devon, including access to both high-skilled and low-skilled seasonal labour and the need to bring young blood into the industry through agricultural apprenticeships and training.
In recognising the pivotal role of young farmers will play in the future of our farming industry, I am extremely proud my constituency is home to the Rural Hub of the Devon Federation of Young Farmers in Cheriton Bishop. A great example of our commitment to nurturing the next generation of agricultural leaders.
People at the meeting also spoke about a number of other issues, from bovine TB, ELMS payments and the Sustainable Farming Initiative (SFI) to planning and energy costs.
However, the central theme that ran through many of the issues raised by the local NFU members was food security.
Beyond producing food, our farmers are custodians of the environment, stewards of our land, rivers, woodlands and wildlife habitats. Their role in enhancing biodiversity and mitigating climate change cannot be overstated.
However, what I get loud and clear from our farmers is that it is vital we strike the right balance between environmental conservation and food security.
Navigating the complexities of this rapidly changing world, from global events to economic fluctuations, such as the impact of the war in Ukraine on energy prices, the resilience of our rural economy and protecting food security is becoming more and more important.
In terms of wider agricultural policy, I am pleased to report that the Government has brought forward measures in the Spring Budget that will provide £168 million of financial support for farmers.
We are delivering our plan for sustainable farming and matching EU funding, but recognise we must go further to protect and secure the future of British farming.
We are also continuing to support the Buy Local campaign, encouraging everyone to support our farmers and food producers to boost rural jobs.
Alongside these are commitments to take tough action on rural crime and issues that affect farmers every day. That is why the Government is supporting a Bill introduced by a Conservative MP to address the issue of livestock worrying, which I know can cause huge distress to animals and costs farmers and rural communities.
Our farmers are vital to local communities but also to the whole country which is why I work so hard to ensure that their voice is heard loud and clear in Westminster.