It's been in the television and the mainstream print media that the "Reverend" Julie Nicholson has resigned from her post for the most bitterest of reasons.
A legacy of 7/7.
My heart goes out to her. She needs our prayers and constant pastoral care. I hope she can be helped in her very difficult circumstances.
I don't know why this should have received such wide publicity but it certainly has. I watched her speaking about it freely in interviews on television. In one of the newspapers there is a posed picture of her in her "dog collar".
All this leads me to believe it was not merely incidental but that Ms.Richardson desired to make her resignation high profile. I cannot personally understand why. But there it is and she does not seem displeased with the media attention.
On the basis of 1 Timothy 2:11-15 (but not limited to this Scripture only) would it be too insensitive to say that Julie Nicholson should never have been a vicar ?
It certainly highlights her very great integrity in taking the step she has. But does it highlight anything else to which we as Christians should be giving some thought and attention ?
What about the holiness of God, for instance ?
UPDATE: I just received my latest issue of TIME (the American weekly newsmagazine). She is featured there as well. For the effect of this on unbelievers click HERE .
A ransom for many
4 years ago
2 comments:
It's a very interesting situation, Celal and you're right about her apparent encouragement of the media coverage. I think it's a real shame that, whatever her reasons, she feels she needs to step down from her post.
I'm not sure its an appropriate story to raise the issue of women vicars with though? Unless you are suggesting that a male vicar in a similar family bereavement situation would have handled it better and wouldn't have needed to resign?
Losing a child must be awful, whatever the situation of death or age of the child. We can all make glib statements about how we'd handle it and how our faith would help us through it but I don't believe any of us could actually know how it feels and the effect it has on life until it actually happens. And hopefully most of us will never have to know how it feels.
From what I can tell, Ms Nicholson is still hurting and grieving and is working through her pain and reconciling it with her Christian faith. I think it's perfectly understandable that she feels unable to pastor or care for other people while she's still struggling through it herself.
I hope and pray she gets the support and pastoral care she needs.
Dear Rach.,
I did hesitate before posting this.
Chiefly, what I have written needs to be read in context of what the Bible teaches about God which is why I went ahead and posted it anyway but not without much prayer and intercession for this country of ours.
I believe we live in a society not very different from that of the Israelites during the time of Amos.
I can’t think of any example where the message of God’s holiness is NOT uncovered to us through some shock horror event. I’m thinking of how the incident in my other post concerning Nadab and Abihu would have been received by their contemporary Israelites. Can you imagine ?
Anyway, it’s all a very difficult situation which calls for much prayer. The answer lies in a national turning back to God and to His Word.
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