Friends
I AM DELIGHTED that Caversham Methodist Church now has a team of three ministers. My new colleagues are Rev Denise Spinks and Deacon Sarah Wickett. They are both like ‘a breath of fresh air’, and their presence is already helping to renew the Church’s life.
Sometimes our work colleagues can become friends. That may not be surprising, if a great deal of our time and energy is expended on our work, and we may spend much more time with people with whom we work than we do at home. We may have shared a great deal, in meeting common challenges and offering each other our insights and skills.
When people retire, they often want to meet up with former work mates. Of course, it doesn’t always happen, and people you work with might be the last people you want to meet out of work!
We don’t choose colleagues; we don’t choose our neighbours; we don’t choose family members. If we do gel together, that’s a real bonus, and such relationships are to be cherished.
We can always do with guidance about how to get on with people, especially the ones we find difficult.
Paul’s letter to the Romans, Chapter 12, contains many useful pointers – ‘Don’t think too much of yourself’; ‘We’ve got different gifts – use yours and respect other people’, ‘Identify with each other’s needs – rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep’, ‘Don’t be overcome by evil – overcome evil with good’.
In all our relationships, with those we warm to and those we shy away from, we need all the help that’s going, so that, for everyone’s sake, ‘so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all’.
Revd. David Jenkins is a member of
the Methodist Team Ministry
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