An open question

... a change of style; a short story ...

The centre of the forest was a special place, far enough off the beaten track to keep all but the most inquisitive at bay. It was here that the grandest and oldest of the oak trees stood, mostly unobserved by human eyes, but familiar to the birds and wildlife who knew it as a place of safety.

I had on rare occasions been there and seen the grandeur of this tree, its great girth and wide-spread branches. Youth and vigour were long gone, the splendid majesty of its full-grown canopy had enjoyed many years of maturity, and now old age was upon it. It held a place in my heart.

Walking at the fringes of the forest one quiet day, I heard a sudden agonised tearing of wood from wood, something between a scream and a groan, a giving up and a letting go, distant yet clearly heard right across the forest. I stopped and listened, feeling the impact in my soul.

A tree breaking, for sure, but which? There was something that compelled me go and find out, to bear witness. As I neared the heart of the forest I found the old oak. A full third of it lay broken on the ground, a raw wound splitting the trunk almost to the ground.

Why at this particular moment its strength had failed, I do not know, yet the weight of its enormous branches could no longer be borne and in a moment split and crashed to the ground.

Was this the last gasp of old age, a sign of something rotten within? Was it the work of some tiny insect horde, eating away the strength of the core? I did not know. But I knew that sometimes from old wounds new growth and vigour could spring. So was it a necessary letting go, a precursor to new growth, enabling new shoots to bud once the wound was healed?

Was it screaming in rage, defeated? Or was this a strategic withdrawal to preserve a future? Death pangs, or the beginning of new life?

For various reasons I never returned to the centre of the forest, so I do not know what became of that oak. I do not know ... but I wonder.

Yet that tree and its scream remain lodged in my mind, leaving an open question. Is old age and death the end, or the beginnings of new life? We hear the cry and see the wounds, the wreckage of old age, but what is yet to come is unknown, unseen. I do not know ... but I hope.

Je suis

Various factions have been in the news recently following the recent murders in Paris. And placards saying Je suis Charlie, or Je suis Muslim - and many other variations - have been proclaimed through marches and trends on social media.

These placards and media postings have been demonstrations of allegiance or support, and indicate what people feel they stand for - be it for free speech, one's faith, or some other significant marker of identity.

As a Christian, I think first of God my Father, who has told us that His name is I AM* - or Je suis in French - when he first held that placard way back in Old Testament times. And I know that he proclaimed his support and all-encompassing love for all peoples, all tribes and all nations. In Jesus, he identified with each person, demonstrating this love by dying - for me, for you, and for all - so that all who would call upon his name may be saved.

Je suis - it’s God’s name.

* Exodus 3v14

The Western church smorgasbord

Setting: Jesus, dressed as a waiter, talks to a new convert to Christianity.

Jesus: "Congratulations on becoming a Christian, sir; an excellent choice if I may say so! Are you ready to order your choice of church?"

New convert: "Yes, I think so. What have you got?"

Jesus: "Well, we have small friendly churches, standard churches, or you could go large and join a mega-church."

New convert: "I think I'll have a small friendly church please."

Jesus: "Now, what style of preacher would you like to go with that? We have pastors, ministers, priests, and bishops, and each is available as a wooly liberal, middle-of-the-road, or a Bible-thumper, and with or without women. We can also prepare them in anything from jeans to cassocks, to your taste."

New convert: “Well what I'd really like is a pastor who explains the Bible, but without too much thumping. I'm not sure about women, though. But I’d like mine with a jacket and trousers, but no tie."

Jesus: “No problem; we can do that, sir; if you decide about the women, just let me know. Now which sauce would you like? We have Evangelical, Catholic, Pentecostal and Middle-of-the-road - and these can come with or without the Spirit."

New convert: “I think I'll have Evangelical, and not too much Spirit, please."

Jesus: "And what kind of music would you like on the side? We have 19th century hymns accompanied by an organ, a gospel choir, a band with all the latest effects, or a choir in purple robes. May I commend the choir, which is particularly good today."

New convert: "A difficult choice. I’m sure the choir is excellent, but I think I'll have the band with a range of effects. But I don't like drums, so can you prepare the music without the drums?"

Jesus: "No problem, sir. And to drink? May I recommend the house Ribena, which will go well with your church, but we do have red wine if you prefer."

New convert: "Well, if you recommend the Ribena, I'll try that. I think that will be all, thank you."

Jesus: "So that will be a small friendly church, with a pastor who explains the Bible, but without too much thumping, in a jacket and trousers but no tie, Evangelical sauce but not too much Spirit, the band with effects but no drums, and the house Ribena. That's an excellent choice, if I may say so, sir." [For all well-trained waiters say your order is ‘an excellent choice’.]

Is this really how we are to think about choosing a church?

Women bishops

The question about women bishops is back in the news in the UK; the Church of England has today voted to accept having women bishops.

This is a subject that seems guaranteed to raise strong feelings one way or the other, but personally I don’t know quite what I think about it - I can see both views.

However I have been very interested in the ways people have made their arguments, in the motivations and the resulting stances, whichever way they have been arguing.

Here are a number of arguments that I have heard put forward frequently:

• the equality agenda demands action to address a clear inequality
• if the church is to keep up with public opinion it's high time to address this anachronism
• the church has always done things this way, and changes in public opinion are no reason to change now
• it's clearly not fair
• what was right in 1st-century Palestine is not necessarily right now
• the 'stained-glass ceiling' effect
• that one view is obviously right and the other side is being belligerent / unreasonable / old-fashioned / liberal / etc.

All the above arguments appeal to common sense, human opinion, or an internal sense of 'rightness' or fairness. It is hard to disagree with such arguments; they are common and useful bases from which to make judgements.

However, they are all also 'human worldly thinking’, even when Bible verses are tacked on the end to ‘prove their point’!

And I am certainly wary of any argument that resorts to force or that does not take seriously the views of the ‘other side’.

There are some behaviours that are ‘obviously wrong’ - for example thieving is wrong. Few people would argue that thieving is right, and the Bible is unequivocal: “Do not steal” is one of the 10 commandments.

But the issue of women bishops is not such an issue - there are many, many people who care deeply about this, and present their case carefully for or against - and many use scriptures to back their view. There is no straightforward commandment, “Thou shalt / shalt not have women bishops”, but there were certainly many ways in which Jesus went against the cultural norms of his day to recognise and value the place of women, and there are also passages which speak about leadership being male.

So this seems to be one of those issues that is not ‘core’ Christian doctrine - such as Jesus’ humanity and divinity, death and resurrection, and salvation by faith, are. And yet it is an issue that people feel strongly about!

So, I am happy to hear from any who...

• will grapple honestly with the complexities of what the Bible has to say about men and women, and about leadership
• who demonstrate their love for those of the opposite opinion, by listening carefully and respectfully, and by working for their wellbeing if they are hurt by the outcome.
• and who speak with humility, and listen with openness to the mind of Christ.

For I know that honesty, humility, and love are qualities of God.

Safely agnostic?

A man was walking along a road when he came to a fork in the way.

To the left was a good, wide path, which seemed to lead to pleasant green meadows, well-fed cattle and trees laden with good-looking fruit. To the right the path was narrow, and looked rocky and difficult; he couldn’t see where it was leading.

Now the man remembered his Sunday-school lessons, and realised that the good-looking path to the left might not be the right way to go - but then it looked so inviting! So he decided to sit a while on the fence that he noticed between the two roads; from there he could see which path other travellers would choose.

As time went by many came and chose the left path, and he could see them going on to enjoy the meadow and the fruits. A few, just a few, decided to turn to the right and he could see them struggling over the rough terrain until they went out of sight.

Then a well-dressed man came to the fork, and noticing our traveller sitting on the fence, went up to him and said, “I see you have decided which way you are going!”

“No, sir!” he replied, “I am sitting here on the fence watching people coming by and choosing which path to take, before I decide for myself.”

But the well-dressed man responded, “No, you have decided already!”

“Who are you, sir, that you know so much?” the man replied.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Satan. That meadow and those fruit trees to the left belong to me.” And without waiting for a reply, he continued, "And so does that fence that you are sitting upon; it also belongs to me, for I put it there."


(I claim no authorship, other than for retelling this story in my own words; I first heard it at my church and do not know its origin.)

Does your God give you a choice?

The assumption that one chooses one’s faith and religion is almost taken for granted in the Western world. However, this is not the case everywhere and, in fact, it probably doesn’t apply in the majority of the world. The most common version is simply to be born into a culture which expects its members to have a certain religious outlook and belief system; the most extreme version comes as: “Convert or be killed”!

Personally, I struggle to see how any god who requires force to acquire adherents is any god at all - but if he is, then he is nothing but a tyrant. But perhaps this is just my own particular upbringing and view of religion. I don’t know.

But this I do know: the God of the Christians always gives us a free choice. He didn't create us to be, and he doesn't want us to be, automatons. Rather, he made us in his image, giving us free will - including the choice of whether or not to enter into a relationship with him.

Along with choice, the Christian God recognises us as responsible for our choices and actions, for in his love He created us free and responsible people, not slaves!

I also know this: that Satan deals in deception, power and compulsion, and disguises choices except where it suits him. He also peddles the lie that we are not responsible for our actions (although responsibility cannot be so easily waved away!). Satan enslaves us, ensnaring us in bondage; we are not free at all, for he deals in power, in force, and not in love!

It is only the Christian God who gives us choice! When a religion restricts our choice to believe or stop believing, or does not recognise our responsibility for our actions, be very clear who is behind it!

The most extreme version of this is seen in some parts of the Middle East at present, where one group says we must be compelled to accept their view, or be killed! And yet these people, who deny there is any other choice, are indeed making a choice - for themselves and for others! - and they are responsible for their actions and will be held to account, in this life or the next, unless they repent and turn to the God who is Love!

Inside you and me

The world seems a particularly violent and evil place at the moment - brutal force, savage wars, beheadings - and I am shocked. Not especially shocked that people can act in such a manner, but shocked to realise that this is merely a reflection of what is inside you and me.

Most of the time I am fooled by the thin veneer of 'civilisation' and 'decency', and so too easily think of myself as 'respectable', even 'good'.

But in some of the actions we've seen on the news, we observe the raw power of satan working in people, and then I remember that there is no difference at all between me and them - except the saving work of Jesus! For without Jesus, my destiny was in the hands of that same evil power we see so clearly uncloaked just now.

And in all the decent people I know, who have never deliberately gone out of their way to seriously harm another, let alone to maim or kill them - and yet have no time for Jesus - I am aghast that they would entrust their destiny into that same hideous and evil power.

All praise be to Jesus, whose goodness and light far outshines the evil and darkness of satan - and was willing to die to save me - and all who will call on him - from those evil clutches.