Two features of the Canaanite woman’s faith in her encounter with Jesus (Matt. 15:27) are particularly relevant to us today: humility and persistence. I found both these Christian virtues in Nancy and John Eckersley, the parents of the parish’s own Tanya Willis, when I had the privilege of interviewing them at St Mary Magdalen on 22 May in the ten o’clock service. They had set out from Land’s End on April Fools’ Day on a sponsored walk to John O’Groats for a Christian Aid project in Sierra Leone. They have kept a blog of their journey in faith. At the outset, the target of raising £10,000 must have seemed an enormous challenge. But their humility and persistence has in the best possible way disarmed everyone they have met on their 1,280-mile walk. Donations have come pouring in from folk they have met on their journey. It therefore came as little surprise that by the time they reached the West Highland Way in Scotland they had surpassed the £10,000 target for the farming and water project in Sierra Leone (which means that with matched funding from the EU, £45,000 is now guaranteed). They have been in touch with Christian Aid about exceeding the target and CA has said that they can go on receiving money for Sierra Leone: it will be sent (still match funded) to aid a medical project there. Nancy and John, in Jesus’ words to the Canaanite woman as he resolved to heal her daughter, ‘great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ What an example for the rest of us, as we step forward, rather more timidly, in our own acts of faith, remembering that the Lord requires of us ‘to act justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with [our] God’ (Micah 6:8).
For the Prayer for Peace in our communities on the Church of England website follow the link.
St Guthlac's Church blog. Welcome to your community church in South Knighton
