by the Rev Dr Roberta Topham, Christchurch, Ilkley

“Is there another way to go?” I was asked the other day when trying to drive out of Ilkley. It was school pick-up time and the traffic on my street had virtually come to a standstill. I felt a little trapped and frustrated but mused on the fact that things would change in time and I was comfortable enough while I waited. I observed some drivers around me turning up little side roads to try and get a bit further on. They just seemed to get stuck in a different place and then to be dependent on my queue of traffic to let them back into it. We were all heading to the same place after all, but I admired their spirit of enterprise. This experience of being trapped and of people trying to work their way out of it is common the world over.

Sadly, we are hearing and seeing some very dreadful situations of babies and young children on the American-US border trapped in the most appalling of situations. These youngsters are being separated from their parents who are detained as illegal immigrants and reportedly held in wire cages. These children need others to help them get out of what is trapping them. Indeed, the images of this are heartbreaking and have galvanized Church Leaders and very many people to speak out and demand change. In these devastatingly serious circumstances, as with many other refugee situations, observers around the world are asking in a sense “Is there another way to go?” – that is, is it possible to maintain borders without becoming inhumane? The answer has got to be yes but it takes effort and enterprise. It is something that starts with everyone of us wherever we happen to live, being open to seeing people as human beings just like us, all with our own potential.

In the UK we are currently in Refugee Week when we are invited to celebrate the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees. In the last place I lived we campaigned to encourage our District Council to receive Syrian refugees. They did this and took on the status of a District of Sanctuary which meant we had support to make our area as safe and welcoming as possible for refugees. We stopped feeling totally trapped as sad observers of inhumane events and became active participants in working with refugees to bring about change even if just for a limited number of people. There were some great events which brought together local people and the refugee families where we all learnt things from each other, made new friends and expanded our lives.

In Ilkley at the end of this week, on Sunday 24th June, there will be another “Great get-together” on the Grove, which is an opportunity for making new friends and trying something different. This comes from the legacy of murdered MP Jo Cox who spoke of how “we have far more in common with each other than the things that divide us”. Discovering this more and more is one of the different routes we can take towards a more humane and better future for us all.