Pastoral Letter
Dear Friends,
On the 15th June we are putting on a special service in Holy Trinity Church Bottisham to give thanks to God and to pray for carers.
My own father cared for my mother after she was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1982. Although my mother could manage perfectly well for the first 15 years after she was diagnosed, for the last 10 years of her life she really struggled, and I saw my father increasingly burdened down with the task of caring for her. Particularly so in the last few years of her life, when all sorts of side effects of the drugs brought great difficulties, especially at night, and my heart went out to my father for the sheer exhaustion that he often experienced as he strove so lovingly to care for her needs.
There is no doubt that carers are our nations unsung heroes and heroines, particularly those caring for disabled, ill or incapacitated loved ones. It is estimated that 5.7 million people in our country are carers, in particular 24% of the 45 - 64 age group. Often their task is lonely, exhausting and debilitating, and carers often struggle with stress, money worries and feelings of guilt.
As one lady recently wrote "My husband suffers from Alzheimer's and we are both in our 80s. Luckily and gratefully we receive support from Ealing Crossroads, Ealing Social Services and a loving family. As a carer, I neglect my own health requirements because they may entail regular appointments eg dental / eye care. I also worry about getting older and perhaps experiencing ever increasing disabilities associated with aging. At the present time I can't imagine how anyone else can take on my necessary everyday household duties, as well as the various practical and medical demands of my ailing husband. I am sure that this story is repeated by thousands of others in similar circumstances - the future does not bear contemplation."It is right and proper, therefore, that we should recognise and value their sacrifice, their burden and their unselfishness.
Caring is a noble and honourable profession, and lies at the very heart of the Christian ethic. Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan to remind us all that it is simply not good enough to mouth words about caring, like the priest and the Levite, and then pass by on the other side of the road. The story of the Samaritan's genuine human kindness and concern for the poor unfortunate, who lay at the side of the road after being attacked by robbers, shocked the people who first heard the story, because the Samaritans were supposed to be unprincipled and self-centred enemies; people who were regarded as traitors and turncoats.
But in the story, Jesus tells of the Samaritan, not only stopping and rescuing the poor victim, but also making himself vulnerable by putting the victim in the care of the innkeeper and promising to pay whatever it cost to care for him.
Essentially that is what carers do, they make themselves vulnerable as they give of themselves as much as is necessary to care for loved ones. It is that vulnerability that we must support and care about and pray for. As Jesus said "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light"(Matthew 11:28-30)
Maybe you are a carer, or you know of someone in your family who is a carer. If you would like a prayer said for you or them don't hesitate to let me know, or perhaps you would like to come and join us in the service, which will be at 3pm on 15th June.