When Jesus commanded his followers to be salt and light, he was making clear that they were to be clearly different from their non-Christian neighbours: light in a dark world, etc. After all, if being a Christian makes no visible difference, then what is the point? And if those who are in the dark cannot see the light, then they will never be saved.
It's strange, then, how much effort some Christians take to distinguish their particular theological brand or denomination from other Christian brands or denominations - as if Christianity was some kind of internal competitive market.
Where Christians put more effort into this internal competition than being distinctively 'light' in a dark world, I wonder what's going on and who is being served.
I don't think that was what Jesus had in mind!
Saturday 20 October 2012
Sunday 14 October 2012
Pushing the boundaries
It's common childhood behaviour to push boundaries. In fact, long before teenage-hood, children discover the power and felt enjoyment in saying "No!". And usually it is only much later that we realise the reasons for those rules, which were usually designed for our own good.
God the Father, like human fathers (and mothers) also lays down the limits, the rules, the boundaries. Unlike human fathers, God's rules are always for our good. But, like children, we, the human race, are well practised in saying 'no' and pushing any boundaries we dislike.
The most basic set of rules were set out by God in the 10 commandments:
God said: “I am the Lord your God ... You shall have no other gods before me."
And we said: "All religions are of equal value and each person can worship whatever or whomever they want; equality demands that no god is put before others".
God said: “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God"
And we said: "If I want to bow down to manmade statues or ideas, or to worship money and material things, why shouldn't I?"
God said: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."
And we said: "Jesus, can't I even say what I want?"
God said: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy."
And we said: "No chance! Sunday is the best shopping day!"
God said: “Honour your father and your mother"
And we said: "Honour them! It was due to them that I inherited these ugly genes, and it was them who screwed me up as a child by continually nagging and denying me what I wanted."
God said: “You shall not murder."
And we said: "On this we agree, though if people get killed in the third world through our using cheap labour, that's not our fault, it's just market forces."
God said: “You shall not commit adultery."
And we said: "Eh? What consenting adults do behind closed doors is up to them, so don't treat us like children!"
God said: “You shall not steal."
And we said: "You shall not steal my things. But if I rob those in the third world and future generations, that doesn't count."
God said: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour."
And we said: "I deny it! And if you continue with that slander I'll call my solicitor!"
God said: “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house ... or anything that belongs to your neighbour.”
And we said: "But he's got a bigger house than me, and just look at that car!
It seems we're still toddlers pushing boundaries...
Bible excerpts from Exodus Ch20 (NIV)
God the Father, like human fathers (and mothers) also lays down the limits, the rules, the boundaries. Unlike human fathers, God's rules are always for our good. But, like children, we, the human race, are well practised in saying 'no' and pushing any boundaries we dislike.
The most basic set of rules were set out by God in the 10 commandments:
God said: “I am the Lord your God ... You shall have no other gods before me."
And we said: "All religions are of equal value and each person can worship whatever or whomever they want; equality demands that no god is put before others".
God said: “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God"
And we said: "If I want to bow down to manmade statues or ideas, or to worship money and material things, why shouldn't I?"
God said: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."
And we said: "Jesus, can't I even say what I want?"
God said: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy."
And we said: "No chance! Sunday is the best shopping day!"
God said: “Honour your father and your mother"
And we said: "Honour them! It was due to them that I inherited these ugly genes, and it was them who screwed me up as a child by continually nagging and denying me what I wanted."
God said: “You shall not murder."
And we said: "On this we agree, though if people get killed in the third world through our using cheap labour, that's not our fault, it's just market forces."
God said: “You shall not commit adultery."
And we said: "Eh? What consenting adults do behind closed doors is up to them, so don't treat us like children!"
God said: “You shall not steal."
And we said: "You shall not steal my things. But if I rob those in the third world and future generations, that doesn't count."
God said: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour."
And we said: "I deny it! And if you continue with that slander I'll call my solicitor!"
God said: “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house ... or anything that belongs to your neighbour.”
And we said: "But he's got a bigger house than me, and just look at that car!
It seems we're still toddlers pushing boundaries...
Bible excerpts from Exodus Ch20 (NIV)
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