Our good friend and mentor, Fr Tim Jones, who was a priest in York Diocese when Andy and I were youthworkers in Scarborough, has stepped into the public domain with a 'rallying call' sermon about the neglect of the poor and needy this Christmas time.
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/4813866.Full_transcript_of_the_sermon_given_by_Father_Tim_Jones/
The full transcript of his sermon as preached on Sunday 20th December can be seen from the link above - and I suggest you read this in full before contemplating reading any of the online or paper based media, and draw your own conclusions about what he really said.
This whole sermon is based around a personal story - which has been sadly and conveniently forgotten in the furore of a Vicar (bloody hell, a Vicar saying something controversial, whatever next) 'encouraging' people to shoplift. What utter rubbish our media portrays and what shoddy journalism.
The least and the lost seem to be forgotten at this time of year as we all retreat into our homes and feed ourselves and our friends with food we are privileged to buy and spend fun times with people who love us and want to be with us. Tim's challenge for us to consider and include the least and the lost and to reform the system which prevents them from accessing even the most basic necessities is exactly the sort of thing we Christians should be speaking out about - because it's exactly what Jesus did.
Shame on you York Diocese for distancing yourself from one of your most prophetic priests...think hard now before you accidentally find yourself rejecting and distancing yourself from the key gospel message for the sake of political correctness.
This is Tim and Andy last Easter when we visited Tim and his family in York. It was Tim who first challenged Andy about his ordination path - and it is Tim who found himself in the papers last May for challenging the branding and product placement of Playboy merchandise. He is a man who is not afraid to challenge and question and stand up for injustice and I for one am proud to call him my friend.