CITY CHURCH PORTSMOUTH

MEMBERS OF CITY CHURCH PORTSMOUTH HAPPY WITH THEIR CERTIFICATES AFTER AN INTENSIVE COURSE ON PUBLIC SPEAKING LED BY LINDSEY

Lindsey's article published in The Christian Times

My Favourite Town.

I was somewhat disappointed when a friend called me a sanctimonious "***" for whingeing about shallow celeb worship. He doesn't actually know he called me such a thing because he was generalizing on his home page on Facebook. However, I do have a problem with the mass outpouring of public grief which followed firstly, the death of Jade Goody and then, far more, that of Michael Jackson.

My difficulty with it all is that there is a serious lack of perspective and, it seems to me, that people almost enjoy the grief and misdirected emotion that goes with the death of a famous person. On television the "Di-effect" was discussed. The term "icon" was used of Jackson on numerous occasions. Reports of suicide among some of Jackson's fans, even if exaggerated, were part of a greater problem.

During the past few weeks there have also been reports of a large number of our armed forces being killed in the line of duty. The sad thing is that most of us could not even name one of them. Many of us are saddened when we hear of it on the news, but it is fleeting as we await the latest sports results, the next instalment of our beloved soaps or what is happening on Big Brother.

However, there is a place in this great country of ours where they continually honour the fallen heroes. The name of the town is Wootton Bassett and it is in the county of Wiltshire. I have to admit that I have never been there. I possibly never will. But this town is my favourite place on this earth. It would be a real delight to live there and be among such people. br>
The town happens to be near to RAF Lyneham where the dead bodies of our fallen soldiers are flown from Afghanistan. They are then transported by hearse though this quiet market town to a hospital in Oxford for post-mortem. And the town becomes even quieter as the cortege drives through. Hundreds, even thousands of the local people deliberately come out and line the streets as a mark of respect to these real men who have laid down their lives in service to their country. Servicemen salute, but so do children and teenagers. To see fourteen and fifteen year old boys weeping over the death of total strangers is both poignant and remarkable.

Then there is the noise, or the lack of it. As the cars make their slow progress through the town not a single sound is heard. Absolute silence as each person among such a large crowd is left with their own thoughts. And then, applause. Not rapturous noisy cheering and shouting, but genuine heartfelt clapping, because the people don't have words, they don't really have actions, apart from a few putting flowers on the roof of one of the hearses. Whatever they have or do, one thing is certain, they have great, big, wonderful hearts.

Each time there is to be a "repatriation" the Mayor of Wooton Bassett, Councillor Steve Bucknell, announces it though the town's website and the population is mobilized. Previous plans are scrapped as the people make the effort to tell the loved ones of the fallen that their sacrifice is appreciated. They are also saying that whatever we may think of the war we respect our soldiers and will show it. It may not be enough to take away the disaster of losing a young man from among the family, but it does show that some one cares enough to say thanks and "God speed".

What a town. What a place. What a population. It proves that there are people who do have some perspective when it comes to death and the proper manner to deal with it.

Our soldiers may not have Stevie Wonder to sing at their funeral. The minister may not be as famous as Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson. The likelihood of the funeral being televised is next to zero. But they have something much more important than that.. the words of Jesus Christ, spoken nearly 2,000 years ago, "Greater love has no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends." Our fallen have the commendation of the people of the greatest town in our nation, Wooton Bassett, and also of the Saviour of mankind. I know which is preferable.

The International board of New Life Ministries: Terry David, Lindsey, JD Mills (Treasurer), Jeremy Hilderbrand (Now President), The Late Pastor Gary Cooper (formerly the President), and Mimi Hilderbrand (Interpreter).