Church bulletin for August
Of late I have been reading some poetry by A.E. Housman – specifically a collection entitled “A Shropshire Lad and Other Poems”. This volume captures vividly the beauty of the English countryside. He not only wrote about the scenery, but also the people who inhabited it and those who passed through the towns and villages. The rolling hills and shady lanes may have provided an idyllic setting, yet pessimism and gloom pervades his writing; unfulfilled expectations, dejection, and untimely death characterise his subjects. Without a doubt Housman’s later writing was moved by the terrible upheaval of the First World War, but there was another motivation. The people in his poems with their frustrations and disappointments reflected his own life.
Housman never married and was never able to enjoy intimacy with the love of his life. Firstly, this acquaintance wasn’t interested; secondly, he was a male. Housman lived with repressed homosexual feelings all of his life. Let us bear in mind that in his day homosexuality was not only socially unacceptable it was also illegal. His writings often contain veiled references to forbidden love of the same sex variety.
The poems of Housman remind us how far society has fallen. He could at best allude to his tastes through poetry, a far cry from marching down Oxford St in obscene clothing. Today we are bombarded from every angle with same sex attraction. Those who disapprove are labelled homophobic as though they have a disease. We are living in dark days and nowhere is this more evident than in the area of sexuality. Couples are encouraged to spice up their marriage by having a fling. Teenagers are encouraged to “try before you buy”. We are told that it is not physically and emotionally healthy to supress sexual desires.
We can thank God that where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more (Rom 5:20). We must pray for grace in our own lives and in the lives of our loved ones especially our youngsters. Paul urges Timothy to flee from youthful lusts (2 Tim 2:22). Lust is particularly powerful in the younger years; once it grips it is not easily removed. Today there is more overt sexuality and open temptation than known in previous generations. We must therefore meet the challenge head on and fight the good fight of faith. Let us not suppose that we or our children will be unaffected by the perversity of this age.