The editorials in the last two months were headed ‘Changing Times’ and ‘Anxious Times’. This issue was put together after Liz Truss had resigned, and the hunt for a new leader of the Conservative Party was in full swing again. Most people were indeed exclaiming, ‘Not again?!’ But as this goes to the printers, we do have a new Prime Minister, elected on the day of Diwali. The Rt Hon. Rishi Sunak is the first British Asian to become the PM, as well as being the youngest for 200 years, just pipping David Cameron and Tony Blair in the age stakes. We can but hope and pray that the promised objectives of a stable period for our country does indeed become a reality. I seem to have seen rather too much of the social media during this period of change. One thing that struck me was my tendency to read what reinforces my views and beliefs and to dismiss contrary points of view, admittedly an undesirable trait, and one that can become politically and ideologically dangerous, especially if it is fake news that reinforces our views. I was conscious of this when on Bible Sunday we read St Paul warning his friend Timothy thus: ‘For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itchy ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires...’ So nothing new here—except that in our time, the bombardment of news and views on us is frighteningly fast and frequent! For some people, autumn with its dazzling colours and with the memory of summer still alive, is a favourite time. I hope readers will enjoy John Clare’s poem on Autumn. To many Christians, Advent is their favourite season. We usually feature Advent as a major theme in November, even though most of
Advent is in December, because that leaves us room in the December-January double issue to concentrate on Christmas and Epiphany.
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