Councillors - pastors for the secular state?

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

When we are troubled we usually turn to those close to us.

But if they cannot help we seek help further afield. In times not too long ago the next port of call would have been the Church. And Priests or Ministers would give us their ear along with gentle guidance and of course prayer.

But today with the growth of secularism most people don't have a confessor or pastor they can turn to. And perhaps some clergy have even started to shy away from this role preferring to leave it to "professionals".

It is this story about funding cuts for "postvention", a counselling program for people who have lost family members to suicide that made me think.

Obviously the gnomes in the Ministry of Health decided that money spent on postvention was not money well spent but the counselling industry will continue despite setbacks such as this.

New programs and new alphabet organizations to provide them will continue to proliferate because there's a gap in secular society - a gap created by the withering of the Church's influence in society.

That's my thought for Friday.