³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

From the Reverend Kate Bottley: 
Firstly just to say how devastating it is to hear the tragic news from New Zealand this morning and how my deepest prayers are with the people there especially the Muslim community… we stand in solidarity with them. Now it might come as a surprise but us vicars don’t know everything, every now and again, we have to go on training days. The usual setting for these things is a drafty church hall. So imagine my joy when this week myself and a posse of priests were sent on a course and the venue was a well-known woodland based holiday destination with a water park right at the center .
And the best news of all when our day was done we were allowed to use the facilities. As soon as the bishop had said his final words, cosies wrapped in towels, myself and my fellow clergy legged it towards the changing rooms. The wave machine, the rapids, the bubbly bubble pool, and of course the waterslides. Imagine if you will the sight of several middle aged vicars throwing themselves down plastic tubes in their swim wear, in fact it might be best you don’t. One of the slides involved 4 of us in a rubber ring, launching ourselves off, we shot through dark tunnels, were thrown round corners, and ended up in a glorious pile in the splash pool at the bottom, the sign warned to exit the pool as soon as possible but try as we might we couldn’t move for laughing and as we looked at each other the giggles got worse, tears rolling down our cheeks. In the bible Saint Paul advises us to ‘Laugh with those who laugh’ bot also ‘to weep with those who weep’ a call to empathise on the deepest level with our fellow humans in all life’s joys and sorrows. 
And given this morning’s horrific news from New Zealand the need to stand with others and remember that in this volatile world there’s more that unites us than divides us. Today is Comic Relief and for me, Comic relief and charities like it are about just this, when we give our money, time and support we aren’t just giving cash to good causes we are also trying to stand in solidarity with those who are struggling, a tangible and visible way to be alongside someone for whom life is tough indeed, to weep with those who weep, and to say, you’re not alone, it isn’t just about the money. 
So tonight as I tune in on my telly and pay out with my wallet, I’ll laugh along with Comic relief knowing that the cash we give will go some way to alleviate suffering, bring about healing in communities wrecked by violence and also to help make some very big smiles indeed.