Introduction: God's Sovereignty
David Porter

Comment: Love Your Neighbour
Michael Wardlow

Wish You Were Here
David McMillan

Victims of Violence
David Bolton

Celebrating the Past
Philip Johnston

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GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY - Our Choice
By any measure 1997 is going to be a decisive year in the life of Northern Ireland. It is now one year since the IRA ended its cease-fire. Each day sees an anxious listening to the news for developments that will mark the end of the Loyalist cease-fire.

As a community we will go to the polls for both a general and government election. Few can be optimistic that the evident polarisation at last May's Forum election will be significantly reversed.

In just two months the first major test of the 1997 marching season comes into focus on the Lower Ormeau Road. The crisis on parades has put religion back on the agenda as a pervasive dynamic in the conflict. At an even deeper level it exposes the awful truth of why our politics are so polarised and why our community has bred such a culture of violence.

The North Commission is to be commended on its hard work and sincere listening over its short existence. Its proposals present a reasonable process for dealing with what is a complex problem. Yet the predictable responses, or in some cases present reactions, point up the sharp reality - that the very existence of the Commission is itself an indictment of failure on our community.

We have lost any common Christian vision of what our society should be. A place where we celebrate our culture and identity in ways that do not involve reminding our neighbour of their defeat and our victory. A people who are prepared to welcome our neighbour into our locality as they celebrate their culture. This land belongs to us all even as the cultures and traditions which have been shaped by it are part of us all.

More importantly it is God's land. And it is the sovereign Lord of history who raises up peoples with their rich diversity. This incarnate God, Jesus, looked over another land and saw another historic people and wept at their failure to know the things that make for peace. He went further and summed it up for them by reaching into the depths of their tradition, heritage and law,

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. And love your neighbour as yourself.' He even pointed them to the unthinkable - 'love your enemies' - an invitation to a new way of living that Jesus authenticated by the very act of coming into our world.

Living this truth was all bound up with living in the land and fulfilling the destiny of their nation. Unfortunately they were bound by tradition and a sense of their separateness. Most were unable to choose life.

The choice is still ours - in politics - over parades - and in addressing paramilitary violence. The judgement will be that of the righteous sovereign God.

ECONI WELCOMES the submission of unsolicited articles, but does not guarantee publication, and manuscripts cannot be returned. Opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECONI. Permission to reprint any original article in Lion & Lamb should be sought from the Editor.

Editor   Derek Poole
Asst Editor   Ruth Hutchinson