We choose to be stupid

"I'm sorry, I didn't know, I didn't realise, I didn't think, it wasn't my fault ..."

We choose not to ask
We choose to fill our minds with trivia
We choose not to look into matters too deeply
We choose to listen only to the reassuring voices
We choose to spend our time being busy doing little of worth
We choose to think only about ourselves and our very small circle
We choose to speak fine-sounding but meaningless nonsense
We choose to shut our eyes and turn a blind eye
We choose not to address the difficult issues
We choose to believe the reassuring lies
We choose to go along with the crowd
We choose not to make the effort
We choose to be stupid

We choose our destiny.


"Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." James 4 v4
"Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." Matthew 7 v13

Germ warfare

You must have noticed how keen the advertisers are to have you worry about germs and bacteria. I'm not often on the side of advertisers, but in this case I can see their point.

After all, think of the other things we might be concerned about...

• World recession and the euro-crisis fills the headlines - which leads us to recognising that money is a particularly unreliable god
• Debt, the collapse of banks and the inequalities between the 'fat cats' and the rest of us - which challenges us to think about our personal spending and borrowing habits as well as to face our own greed
• The world running out of mineral and other vital natural resources, even drinkable water - which raises difficult questions about our own lifestyles
• The inequalities between the Western world and the under-developed nations - which touches on the existential guilt of those in the West for using much, much more than our fair share
• The rise of the BRIC nations (Brazil, India & China) and the decline of the West - which leaves us apprehensive about the future and challenges the basis of our security
• The rise in sexually transmitted infections and HIV - which belies the popular notion that sex is just for fun
• The breakdown of family life - which leaves us uprooted and blown about, feeling alone in a difficult world, trying to find some sort of connection
• And our place in eternity - which forces us to recognise our mortality and the choice of which God we serve.

It's no wonder we keep worrying about the germs instead.

And yet - if that is all we dare focus on - we miss out on the opportunity to find a God who is utterly reliable, knows all about justice and loving relationships, and can deal with our personal greed and insecurity and offer peace in the midst of a troubling world. And who then equips us to go and make a life-changing difference for others.

Alternatively, we can carry on worrying about the germs.

You're not worth it, apparently

There is a dangerous double message in our media.

On the one hand, you are presented with choice on every side and are the keystone of our capitalist economy, with companies everywhere ready and eager to pander to your every wish. You, as consumer, reign: "You are worth it".

But if you listen to the adverts a little more carefully, it also appears that you are fair game for manipulation, exploitation, blinding with fake science and are regarded as a mere consumer, there to be exploited and ripped off. You are there to be sweet talked until you hand over your cash, but are seen as devoid of intelligence, common sense, humanity or dignity. You are not worth it, apparently, after all. And this subtext eats into our soul all the while we are preferring to hear the positive message.

Contrast this with the message of Christianity, which says you are a sinner: your every thought and action springs from pride or greed or worse - yet you are so utterly loved that God sent his only Son, Jesus, to die in your place and pay the penalty for your sinfulness with his life. You are worth it!

It's a shocking contrast: the media speaks nice sounding but hollow words, which have a financial and psychological price attached. Christianity speaks harsh-sounding truth, but with the deepest comfort on offer, and the life-sentence already paid!

Is your faith well founded?

It seems to be common for people to think that faith comes into play when we cannot explain something.  This is a fundamental error in understanding of the nature of faith, at least where it applies to Christianity.

There is a common confusion between 'religion' arising from what we do not understand and cannot explain, and faith which is founded on sure belief.

It is said that 'nature abhors a vacuum', and likewise our minds hate not knowing. There is a deep longing within us all to find explanations for what we do not understand, and where the information and facts are missing, we turn to all manner of means for filling the gap in order to construct some kind of understanding.

So for many people, a kind of religion fills the gap, providing fragile comfort against what is unknown and unsettling.

But this is not to be confused with Christian faith. Rather, this is a 'child's comforter', and is indeed a mental crutch and a delusion! It is akin to superstition. Where one's 'faith' is based on nothing more than filling the gaps we cannot explain, then this is not faith at all. Moreover it is very shaky ground on which to build one's life, for gradually, one piece at a time, as human understanding and knowledge grow - two steps forward and one back - so those areas of ignorance are filled in, and so such 'faith' is undermined and appears to become irrelevant.

In fact, this is largely why science is often thought of as being in opposition to Christianity. As some new scientific discovery is made, some new understanding gained, such 'faith' becomes obsolete. We can see this loss of 'faith' all around us.

But this is based on a false understanding of Christian faith. Do not confuse this with a faith based on a firm foundation!

So what is Christian faith, if not the above?

The Christian faith - rooted in real historical events - is to believe that Jesus is who he said he is: God incarnate. God is Spirit, and this belief is not a matter that can be tested, measured or scientifically proved or disproved. "We live in a world where, if you can measure it, it's real; and if you can't, then it's not real. I live in a world where the most important things are immeasurable." (1)

"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4 v24)

The spiritual dimension is something which science will never either prove or disprove.  To apply science to Christian faith is like asking a blind man to tell us about the colour of something he or she cannot see. For this task, science is a blind guide! In fact, the image of a blind man having his eyes opened to see and understand who Jesus was, is a New Testament analogy. We will never see nor understand unless our 'eyes are opened', and this is a work of God (2 Corinthians 4 v4-6).

"No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Luke 10 v22 & Matthew 11 v27). But the Bible also makes clear that this revelation is available not just to a select few, but to all who are prepared to put their lives into God's hands.

The Christian faith is no 'comforter' for a frightened child - it is full of hard truth; some of it difficult to understand and yet not beyond the understanding of the simplest soul; much of it flies in the face of worldly wisdom, yet it makes perfect sense.

Those who trust in science to explain everything, can continue to suck on their particular child's comforter... But the most important things in life are immeasurable and are based on faith.

There is no firmer foundation than believing in the God who came to save.


1. Quote from Lida Cardozo Kindersley