'We must sacrifice some personal liberties to save lives'

There was a chilling message from Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary in one of his latest briefings: “Stay at home. This is not a request; it is an instruction.”
People are being urged to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.People are being urged to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.
People are being urged to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.

How counter cultural that is for our society that largely accepts choice as an expected privilege.

We expect to respect the choice others make in their lifestyles and their beliefs.

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Maybe to have the freewill taken away, of doing what we want and when we want to, is causing you to  struggle at the moment?

The Reverend Jonathan HaighThe Reverend Jonathan Haigh
The Reverend Jonathan Haigh

I actually do think we have an important choice to make and that is to choose to sacrifice some of our personal liberties that we would normally take for granted and to live by the mantra that we have heard daily; ‘stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives’.

If we do this, then we will have chosen to play our part in overcoming this virus and speeding up the day when we can resume what we choose to do with our time.

Choice is also important when it comes to decisions about faith and belief.

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How do we choose to fill that spiritual hole in our lives – something which is part of every human being?

In our society, we are not told what to believe and we choose to respect each other for the faith that we follow – or not as the case may be.

Today is Good Friday, a significant day in the Christian calendar.

Today we remember that Jesus chose to offer his life and die on a cross.

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Throughout the ministry of Jesus and even up to his death, he was given many opportunities to choose not to die on the cross.

But he chose the cross.

A sacrifice of love and forgiveness to invite us to know God’s love personally and be invited into his family.

Jesus chose to submit his freedom for the benefit of all humanity that we might know life in all its fullness. ‘that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name’. John 20vs31

 

The Reverend Jonathan Haigh is minister of Victoria Hall Methodist Church, Norfolk Street, Sheffield city centre, and Greenhill Methodist Church, School Lane, Greenhill. 

 

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