tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861480576960760833.post3698094191986480532..comments2024-03-28T11:52:35.171+00:00Comments on Woolgathering in North East England: Michael Sadgrove's Blog: Brexit: how to go positively into exileAquiloniushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15098649175728796819noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861480576960760833.post-77032197870550766192016-06-28T12:26:25.316+01:002016-06-28T12:26:25.316+01:00I'm not a sentimental, teary, or even particul...I'm not a sentimental, teary, or even particularly soft-hearted person. I'm not the kind and forgiving soul that you undoubtedly are, Michael. But as I read this post to my - atheist - husband, I couldn't get through it for the tears. He just sat and listened quietly, and stroked the dog. In the midst of all this sadness and anger, in a part of the country - rural North Yorkshire - which has more than its share of Leave voters, some of them my personal friends, I have thought of one small, positive, thing we Remainers can do: adopt the European flag as a quiet symbol of our protest and our values. A small, enamel, lapel badge, bearing the flag, would tell those we meet, especially those from other European countries who may now be feeling insecure and excluded, that we welcome them. If the 16 million-plus of us who voted Remain adopted the practice, it would surely send a powerful message. We can also, as some already have, adopt the flag as our FaceBook and Twitter gravatars. I am sure others will have more creative ideas. I thought of this in the middle of another sleep-deprived and turbulent night. Thank you for your words. Although not ready to accept defeat/exile quite yet, they are comforting and convince me, if ever I had any doubt, that the Remain vote was the right one, morally as well as socially and economically.Askrigg Outlookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16061079130963975955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861480576960760833.post-9514000367359522942016-06-28T07:12:08.697+01:002016-06-28T07:12:08.697+01:00I happen to live in a borough, where 63% voted for...I happen to live in a borough, where 63% voted for Leave.<br /><br />We are trying to come to terms that such a high proportion voted in this way, as Leave Campaigners were not particularly active locally. The shock is being felt locally, as we have a high number of migrant families as well as second and third generation migrant families- to our surprise, it appears that many of those voted Leave, thereby seemingly wishing to deny new refugees and migrants access to the benefits and welcome offered to their parents and grand parents when they arrived?<br /><br />The reasons are complex, not really connected to the rhetoric of Farage and co,but more aligned as a protest vote against a Westminster elite, who appear to them to not have listened. I live in a Council ward that traditionally votes Labour, but the mixed messages that they received from Labour locally and nationally (half-hearted opposition) although our Labour MP was highly vocal in support of #Remain.<br /><br />As a parish, we perceive that some healing is needed locally and we will be seeking ways to rebuild trust with our Churches together network in our area and wider across the Deanery. We will travel in hope and prayer for reconciliation and unity, but know that it will take some time to get over the rawness anger and disappointment felt by many.<br />UKViewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18114944341930758335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861480576960760833.post-37497183201541396352016-06-27T23:28:40.422+01:002016-06-27T23:28:40.422+01:00I'm sorry, but I'm not yet ready to accept...I'm sorry, but I'm not yet ready to accept that yet. It might be denial, but I don't think your analogy with exile works. Exile was about the consequences of ignoring the word of the Lord and adopting a polity that excluded the poor and did the truth. Brexit is a decision to adopt a policy that punishes the poor, exiles the stranger, and is rooted in lies. So excuse me if I seek ways of resisting it, and recalling the people to wisdom.Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10326403777027937887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861480576960760833.post-45160704030462879652016-06-27T19:56:50.209+01:002016-06-27T19:56:50.209+01:00My husband has already overheard someone saying th...My husband has already overheard someone saying that £350m will be spent on the NHS next week, and a friend of his heard two people at the bus stop asking when could we start getting rid of the w***s. People are shouting out of cars at people who look foreign "get out, we won". It's looking grim at present. It may not turn out to be exile, but more like the country we thought we knew changing under our feet.Athenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08497065436976563532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861480576960760833.post-78401558240924292592016-06-27T13:44:40.720+01:002016-06-27T13:44:40.720+01:00Hello Michael. It is rather like bereavement - sho...Hello Michael. It is rather like bereavement - shock, numbness, anger but then perhaps a new sense of purpose. I think the challenge is perhaps the greatest for Christians in the UK, like yourself. For those of us living in the EU it is perhaps slightly clearer. Bishop David Hamid has expressed his view helpfully in his 'Eurobishop' blog (http://eurobishop.blogspot.com/2016/06/we-remain-european-church-which-serves.html:<br />'Now we will need to redouble our efforts to demonstrate our commitment to the common good, rejecting narrow nationalism and selfish individualism. Our alliances, covenants, commitments and unity agreements with sister European Churches will be all the more important now so that we can demonstrate our solidarity and communion as Christians together on the continent.' We've all got our work cut out. God bless you in yours. <br />Liz Turek (Hayes)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com