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Introduction:
The Bible and Contemporary Society
Derek Poole
A
Moving Experience
Ruth Hutchinson
From
the Director
David Porter
Letting
the Bible Speak
Graham Redding
Hagar
and the God Who Sees
Fran Porter
Faith
and Practice...David McClurg
Ruth Hutchinson
Wilson
on Suffering
Alan Wilson
God's
Prejudice Reduction Training
David Porter
How
Will We Vote?
Stephen Cave
Book
Reviews
Alwyn Thomson
Moving house is the most stressful thing you will ever do. Everyone says so.
Just who is this ‘everyone’ who speaks so glibly on such matters? If he had taken copyright on the ‘moving house’ dictum, he would have made a fortune on my house move alone. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so stressful if ‘everyone’ hadn’t kept telling me it was. The move certainly didn’t happen in a day or two. It required months of planning and preparation, meticulous organisation and a large reserve of patience and stamina. It cost money, more than I anticipated. There have been both disappointments and delights, and many moments of sheer panic.
Now that it is over I find myself reflecting on similarities to the present situation in Northern Ireland. We have been living in one ‘house’ for many years now. It has its drawbacks. The paintwork is shabby and the furniture is showing its age. It has become too small, too confining. But it is full of memories - it is home. The idea of a fresh start appeals, but the prospect of making the move daunts. Perhaps my recent experiences will enlighten us.
Preparations began many months ago. I considered what I wanted in a new house, where it should be and what it would cost. I discovered that there are people who specialise in advice on such matters – estate agents, solicitors, removal men, friends with a collection of sturdy boxes and family who gave time to pack them. The people of Ulster have already decided to ‘move’ and they are working through the same process. They too have friends who are willing to advise and support them. It would be foolhardy to spurn their help.
The house move presented me with other choices too. What should I do with all the ‘stuff’ I had accumulated? Much of it was not even mine. The roof space was packed with family photographs, suitcases full of old curtains, childhood toys, obsolete equipment which wasn’t quite useless enough to throw away. And the garage … it took a couple of weeks alone! In the end I made the decisions. Some has come with me to the new house. Much has been given to charity. Still more was thrown into a skip for dumping. Perhaps the greatest joy was to find friends and family who could benefit from my surpluses. An important lesson was learnt. My life was full of things I didn’t need. I hadn’t used them for many years, but I was reluctant to get rid of them – just in case …
Here again is a parallel. So many Ulster people are hoarding ‘stuff’ they have long since ceased using. Life has changed. The familiar things they depended on in the past are out-dated and obsolete. They don’t work, haven’t worked for many years. It will be hard to throw them in the skip, but they won’t be missed in the new house. Other possessions will be retained, things of true value that will, in the future, be useful or instructive. It takes courage to choose and determination to act.
There is a cost. Not everything in the new house is perfect. Some things need work. Some will require me to amend my expectations. I must allow myself time to acclimatise, find the best shops, get to know the neighbours, work out the best way to drive to work. Our province can expect similar adjustments. If we want everything to be perfect we may as well give up now. It’s a challenging but exciting prospect. Our hand is on the plough. Looking back will make a dreadful mess of the field.
Ruth Hutchinson
Assistant Editor
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