All Saints', Habergham

All Saints’ Church, Habergham, which is in west Burnley, lies between the suburbs and that smaller, but no less proud, town of Padiham. I once took a school party around it when I had little interest in ecclesiastical structures, and it was already late when I called this time, the doors firmly locked. It all appeared rather sombre and dark, and it was not just the fading light of a mid-summer’s evening. The stones had been blackened by a century and a half’s smoke from the factories and mills of East Lancashire. Traces of its original honey colour could still be seen, but the overall appearance was one of blackness and shadow. The cost of getting it sandblasted may not be worth it, and church resources are usually stretched enough without beautifying buildings. This church has paid a price for its location, while Salem Chapel, though 28 years its senior, has better stonework. This is not because the Independents of Newby Hill cared more for their building, but because it was situated further away from the fiery furnaces and belching chimneys.

The company we keep affects us whether we like it or not. If we spend time with negative people, we become negative ourselves. We either join in their bad habits, or they begin to weigh down our spirits. Fresh air should mean clean air, and that is most pleasant to our lungs and minds. Dirt and filth will always try to stick to us, and over successive years, it will have a dismal, darkening effect.

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 1 Cor. 15:33