3rd July 2022: Letter from the Locum Minister Rev Marion Paton

Dear Friends,
I have spent this morning dealing with things like car insurance and house insurance. And all the methods of notification and payment that have caused considerable chaos. Emails that have gone astray or have arrived several days late. Post that has not arrived. Payment expected online. Banks either unavailable or expecting things to be done on a machine. No paper trail so that one cannot look back and see what has been done, or not been done. Even human error! And none of it is helped by technology that updates itself so that settings that have worked suddenly cease to work. It is all very difficult.
This led me on to think about those in our society who are being marginalised. Of course, we know about those who have obvious disabilities and the campaigns to make things accessible for them. But what about those with hidden disabilities? And what about those who either cannot afford technology or cannot use it or choose not to use it, or indeed, can get no broadband signal? Where I was staying on holiday there was a very intermittent phone signal and not very good broadband, and this was not in a particularly remote place. Whatever happened to paper and pencil and cheque book? Life was so much simpler in those days!
Whilst obviously it would be good for society to be able to be paper free, the infrastructure needs to work perfectly, and everybody needs to have and to understand the technology to do this. Until that time, so many people are being marginalised.
We in the church are trying our best to be inclusive and not exclusive. While we know that everything is not perfect yet, we are working towards having much better facilities if every kind for everyone. And the sooner this is the case, the better. But there are many hoops to jump through, not least the hoop of having the money available to do what needs to be done.
However, the gospel of God’s love does not depend on technology or facilities and is always inclusive, for all people are enfolded in the circle of his love. All people are invited by Christ to be part of his body, the church, and our inclusion does not depend on ability or technology, but simply on a wish to explore the faith and seek after the reassurance of the truth of God’s love for all his people.
With love and blessings,
Marion