with Canon Herrick Daniel, Vicar of St Barnabas' Church, Blackburn

DURING the General Election campaign, politicians went over the top in making relentless promises, which at the back of their minds they knew full well were impossible to fulfil because of cash limitations. One area which concerns me and no doubt everyone else in this country is the health service.

I wrote this article about an hour after I came back from visiting somebody at Blackburn Royal Infirmary. June 14 The person was taken in the night before with a suspected slight stroke. I was told by a close relative, who was obviously upset, that the patient had been waiting the whole morning and no one had been to see her. I left between 11am and noon and she was still waiting. The only answer was to pray for her, and the prayer brought peace, comfort and hope to both the patient and her close relative visitor.

The fundamental question must be asked, who cares? I have discovered that God cares absolutely. He makes promises in abundance, and He fulfils them gloriously, compared to politicians, who make promises repeatedly and often fail to fulfil them miserably.

How often do we hear people comment and ask the question how much do they care about others? I am reminded of a funeral service I tookwhen not one single person came to say farewell to the deceased. In these desperate situations, the undertakers come in to show respect. I drew their attention to the "Streets of London" song: "For one more forgotten hero and a world that doesn't care."

Yet scripture tells us that God cares for us, and because He cares so much for everyone, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to demonstrate His love with the sacrifice of His life so that the world would be left in no doubt that God cares.

Perhaps we could all show God that we care as well by turning to Him and His Son Jesus Christ.