Here is what I shared on Friday night.......
I have a question?
(what is your question?)
Whats the gap between Harold Hill and Upminster?
It is 6 miles or is it 7 years?
I have a question?
(what is your question?)
Why is it that a child born in Upminster will live around 7 years longer than one born in Harold Hill?
Both live in the United Kingdom, both live in England, both live in Essex, both live in Havering and yet there is a big difference of live expectancy there is a 7 year gap. This gap is an injustice
I have a question?
(what is your question?)
What would you do with 7 years of life?
So why is there is gap of 7 years? Well it is many over lapping issues. Lack of education and access to health care, lack of emotional support and lack of healthy eating…Obesity is a major issue with poor people in havering. Harold hill has an alcohol and self harm issue and there are other factors. It is not the easiest to work out, but Havering's health profile consistently has this large gap between the richest and poorest in our borough.
As a church, we have chosen as our aim to see people be “flourishing people”.
(We called this “wholeness in being” to start with.)
The idea of God’s creation flourishing is throughout the bible, Jesus himself in John 10v10 “I have come that you might life, life in the full.” This is not an easy life or a comfortable life, but a flourishing life. A life which sees flourishing in all the areas of what it is to be human, flourishing bodies, flourishing metal health and use of our emotions, flourishing spiritual journey with Jesus and flourishing use of our brains to work and to serve… and yet people all over the world are denied the opportunity to be flourishing people because of injustice and if there is one thing God really hates, it is injustice. The bible says “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.” God hates the injustice that poor people are having to flee the country of their births because of war, God hates that in the world we grow enough food yet still millions are starving. God hates the injustice that people without a home have had their tents torn down in calais and God hates the injustice at the gap in life expectancy between Harold Hill and Upminster. All of these are unjust and injustice stops people from flourishing.
I have a question?
(what is your question?)
What are we going to do about this?
We at Eat123 have enjoyed becoming church1v23 and I know that most of use feel and believe that being apart of this group has help you flourish as people and families. Can we pass this blessing on and say “less than 7” together, because a 7 year gap is just too much, are we going to mind this Gap and do something together about it?
If we are going to see people flourish on Harold Hill, you and I need to get passionate about seeing that number come down. We need to want to see the gap get smaller, to see it become less than 7! We need to work together and work with Jesus to do our bit. Together can we say “less than 7” and so aim to see people live with healthier bodies, can we say “less than 7” and work to help those with mental health concerns, can we say “less then 7” and find ways to support people who have an alcohol problems? Can we say “less than 7” and so be passionate about education! Can we say “less than 7” and grow our own veggies!
I know this is a big task. I know for me and for you there may be areas we need to work on seeing our selfs flourish! In someways it is hard to know where to start. We can’t do it all on our own, we will need help from schools, health services and others. We will need to take steps of faith and get help from Jesus… but can we say together…”less than 7”, because 7 is too much and we at Church 1v23 want to see all people in God’s creation flourish, including those in our local community.
I have a question?
(what is your question?)
Will you say “less than seven” and together start to work out what this means?
(Silence)
Sources:
http://www.apho.org.uk/resource/item.aspx?RID=171835
http://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/health/17_year_gulf_in_healthy_life_expectancy_for_children_in_havering_1_4327724
