This is one of my favourite ‘Two Ronnies’ sketches… introducing us to Lyndsay Doyle, Camilla Highwater, Myra Marks, Annie Moore…. and Shirley Knott.
In the old Bible story Peter has had a weird dream… a big sheet coming down from heaven to earth… all kinds of animals reptiles and birds… a voice says ‘Kill and eat’.
Peter says ‘Surely not’… It’s Shirley Knott!
To cut a long story short Peter meets Cornelius, a Roman Sergeant major. To Peter’s surprise Cornelius becomes a Jesus-follower.
Peter’s must give up his long-held views about the Jewishness of faith. It’s a lesson about prejudice: ‘I now realise…that God doesn’t show favouritism but accepts men from every nation…’
I’ve been reminded recently… we all have prejudices…perhaps against…
- Moral values… people’s views on abortion or euthanasia
- Lifestyle… gay marriage, the aristocracy, those with addictions
- Financial priorities… what people chose to spend their money on
- Political convictions… immigration, health, social care, education
- Conspiracy theorists… Covid vaccinations, climate change, Princess Diana’s death
- Religion… Muslims, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses…
- Those who are rich and posh… poor and scruffy… those who don’t need to work or refuse to work… those who are too fat or too thin…
Rev Malayil Lukose Varghese Muthalaly (known as Saju) is to be the next Bishop of Loughborough. At 42 he’ll be the youngest bishop in the Church of England. The role was created in 2017 in order to reach out to the multi-cultural community in the diocese of Leicester.
Saju says: ‘I have a deep desire for the flourishing of all people, particularly the poor, those at the margins of our world.’
Bishop of Leicester Rt Rev Martyn Snow said: ‘We are delighted that Saju is coming to join us in the Diocese of Leicester where we cherish the wide diversity of our worshipping communities…’
Musing… the ‘Shirley Knotts’ of my prejudices… seeking to be involved in ‘the flourishing of all people’ and ‘cherishing wide diversity’.
…Flourishing & Cherishing…
malcolmsmusings.org 
Brilliant!
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Thank you Barbara…. I’ve had conversations recently that have made me realise again that we all have our Shirley Knott prejudices…. especially those (including myself at times) who may shout loudly that they don’t!
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