The Bitterest Pill

Dear friends,

….is, in matter of fact, about 100-150ml of a clear liquid. Were you to ask the contents, or for an ingredients list, you’d get a vague reply. “Oh, a bit of this, and a bit of that.” Were you to ask whether it would work, and how long it would take, you’d get an emphatic “oh yes,” but then a bit of hmming and aahing. You ask, somewhat concerned, about the numbers of people for whom the “hmming and aahing” might apply. It turns out, that no jurisdiction, anywhere in the world, actually collects coherent data on the “complications”. You look again at the liquid. “Has this been tested? Has it been approved by the regulator?” No, and no, come the reply.

Every new medicine prescribed in the world undergoes years of clinical trials, in three stages, which could take a decade, followed by regulatory testing and approval, which could take a further two years, before it is able to be used by the public and the health services. Even when approval has been granted, new drugs are closely monitored for a number of years to check for unexpected problems. Some have to be withdrawn. It is thus remarkable that the lethal combinations of drugs used in assisted suicide and euthanasia have never gone through any of these stages anywhere in the world. Not a single drug regulatory authority has approved a lethal assisted suicide and euthanasia drug, despite, in some jurisdictions, decades of use. You would have thought, given this fact, that there would in consequence be very close monitoring of current drug use in this area. This is also not the case – evaluations of the adverse effects, and efficacy of lethal drug doses do not exist, and present monitoring is poor or non-existent.

What is apparent around the world, in the jurisdictions which practise assisted suicide and euthanasia, is that no single route, protocol, or method, of ending life exists. It is a wild west, a hotch potch of “on the fly” methodology. The clear liquid will vary in its contents and concentrations, depending upon where you find yourself. The state of Oregon has changed its “cocktail” four times in the last eight years. In Switzerland, Dignitas keep their recipe a closely guarded secret. Anecdotal evidence is that complications (which mean adverse reactions, or extended duration) may occur in between 10 and 20 % of clients. Real hard data is desperately needed, as the use of death as the only measure of success assumes that the end justifies the means, regardless of the journey for the client/patient/customer and their family.

If you are a skier, you’d expect to see signs at the top of the run -“green” “red” “black” indicating that the way has been assessed as safe, and giving guidance as to the degree of experience required. A sign that said “This might be a red run, do you fancy your chances?” would be on a par with no sign at all. But it wouldn’t look good for tourism were the signs to read “guinea pigs required.”

Worship Services for Sunday 23rd March

In almost glaring contrast to the above, we invite you to come and partake of the body and blood of Christ, in bread and wine, to not only remember his death on the cross, but to share in his resurrection life. Taste and see that the Lord is good.

9.30am Holy Communion at St John’s Stoke Row with Revd Romey Poston

11am Holy Communion at St Peter and Paul, Checkendon with Revd Romey Poston

Midweek zoom service: Wednesday Evensong at 5.00pm  410 935 129

Five Years

It is the fifth anniversary of the Covid lockdown in 2020. What are your memories of that time? We all lost loved ones, and friends. The legacy of Covid lingers on in society; on the one hand a deeper mistrust of the efficacy of the State, on the other an increased awareness of neighbours, and our communities. We are, perhaps, better connected, locally, than we were before. Checkendon WhatsApp group, and this mailing “From the Rector” are five years old too. I hope we are better people for being spared.

This week’s Lent challenge is a material one. In the spirit of the Lenten fast I invite you to pick a cupboard, bookcase, shelf, wardrobe, chest or cubby hole and empty it. Give it a clean, and then see if you can put only half the items back. The rest to be recycled, given away, sold on eBay (or wherever) or binned. If you fail at this task, (it is hard) a donation to charity should be made.

Mothering Sunday this year is on March 30th, and there will be special services at all the Team churches at the usual times on that day. Easter Sunday this year is the 20th of April; the daffodils cheer, the blackthorn blossom (May) adorns the hedges like a bridal bouquet, and the Lent roses are in their fullest glory right now.

May the love of the Lord Jesus warm your heart, and hold you close.

Canon Kevin Davies.