Dear Friends,

I will be honest with you, I am frightened to watch or listen to the news at present. This week has been particularly bad with the horrific images and rising death toll from the Earthquake that has affected Syria and Turkey. 

The ongoing situation in Ukraine, and the promise of more help from European leaders, seem to be dragging us more towards an all out conflict (obviously there are other conflicts, but too numerous to mention); that and Shay Cullen’s article, which I will share with you later, in which he mentions that a US Air Force general has warned of a conflict with China as early as 2025….oh, and the whole Chinese Air Balloon being shot down over the US too…what the heck is happening? 

When I see the good work that happens when people work together, both locally and internationally, I wonder how the world’s leaders can constantly be at odds with each other. You can understand why people stick their heads in the sand and don’t get involved – they must feel as if whatever they do will not make any difference – but as Saint Teresa of Calcutta said 

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”

The e-bulletin addresses all of these issues, and I like to think that all of us go forward in hope and love and be that little ‘drop’ to make a difference. Thank you to everyone who engages in some way with it.

Talking of hope, bookings are now open for our Annual Conference at the Hayes in Swanwick, Derbyshire. This will be my third conference, and if it is anything like the last two, I will come away feeling re-energised and full of hope! Please come and join us. Details and booking form are on the NJPN website.

Our Action of the Week is around the climate, and the issue of divestment. See what you can do to help change things in your Diocese.

In two weeks’ time we have our Networking Day via Zoom (details below), so the next e-bulletin will be out around the weekend of the 5th March.

Wishing you all well,

Sharon

NJPN E-Bulletin 12th February 2023 NJPN E-Bulletin 12th February 2023