The world's gone crazy. There are horrible things going on and the natural inclination of most people is to try to escape from the horror. We do this by shutting our eyes, living life in a little bubble or pretending that the problems are nothing to do with us.
I sometimes get to the point of thinking "Stop the world, I want to get off".
But, Lord, that wasn't what you did. You said, "Let the world keep turning for a while longer, I want to get on!"
You got involved with sin, you mixed with the down-and-outs, the prostitutes and sinners, as well as with the arrogant and greedy leaders - you challenged selfishness, talked of service, you showed the way through your actions and ultimately through your death on a cross. But you were not overcome and none of this conquered you.
Lord, open our eyes and take us out of our comfort zone. Have mercy on us and fill us with your love. Enable us to shine with your light in the midst of the darkness.
Friday 29 June 2012
Friday 22 June 2012
Neither austerity nor growth are the answer
There's currently a significant disagreement between governments and political parties about the alternative policies of austerity and growth - and there is a great deal of discussion about this in the media.
Those who say we should maintain austerity measures make a sensible point when they say that the cure for a big debt is not more debt; we must learn to live within our means. But those who promote growth also make sensible points in saying that there is no point having large sections of the population unemployed, which is both costly and unproductive; we should be encouraging growth so that people are earning, paying taxes and in that way we can all pay down our debts.
I've already written about debt (see: We're still in denial about debt). But I think both the austerity and growth arguments are fundamentally wrong; they are both built on a delusion.
Both models assume that the measure of progress is financial, that the way forward involves getting back to 'business as usual' and depends on reinvigorating the consumerist and materialist society with which we are all familiar. The disagreement is merely over the best way to get to that goal. But it's the wrong goal!
If a system is flawed, don't try to reinstate it! And it is flawed. It is built on the belief that we just need to better control the financial systems. But the Bible - and painful experience - have shown us that when you worship money and greed, they inevitably control you! Money is a very harsh god indeed:
We definitely don't need to get back to 'business as usual'. Moreover, it isn't a matter of making minor changes to the existing system - the very nature of the beast is built on a devilish lie; it is inherently unstable and definitely unsustainable.
But we have an unusual opportunity at present. When all is apparently going along 'like normal', then no one will contemplate or countenance changing course. But at present, it is abundantly clear that all is not well and a change can be considered, in fact it has to be considered!
I recognise that we cannot create a 'Christian society' simply through political change (see my blog on 'Why do we expect non-Christians to behave as if they were'). For that, a change of heart is required which is only possible through submission to Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. However, that is not to say that Christians cannot be 'salt and light', working for political change which is in line with the Bible.
We need policies that:
We would end up materially poorer, but how much infinitely richer!
Those who say we should maintain austerity measures make a sensible point when they say that the cure for a big debt is not more debt; we must learn to live within our means. But those who promote growth also make sensible points in saying that there is no point having large sections of the population unemployed, which is both costly and unproductive; we should be encouraging growth so that people are earning, paying taxes and in that way we can all pay down our debts.
I've already written about debt (see: We're still in denial about debt). But I think both the austerity and growth arguments are fundamentally wrong; they are both built on a delusion.
Both models assume that the measure of progress is financial, that the way forward involves getting back to 'business as usual' and depends on reinvigorating the consumerist and materialist society with which we are all familiar. The disagreement is merely over the best way to get to that goal. But it's the wrong goal!
If a system is flawed, don't try to reinstate it! And it is flawed. It is built on the belief that we just need to better control the financial systems. But the Bible - and painful experience - have shown us that when you worship money and greed, they inevitably control you! Money is a very harsh god indeed:
- it promises security, but actually robs people of security
- it sets one person against another, causing scheming and deceit
- it will never bring peace, fulfilment, happiness or contentment
- it breaks up families and communities in the pursuit of the individual
- and it keeps the majority of the population in poverty, exploited for the benefit of the few.
We definitely don't need to get back to 'business as usual'. Moreover, it isn't a matter of making minor changes to the existing system - the very nature of the beast is built on a devilish lie; it is inherently unstable and definitely unsustainable.
But we have an unusual opportunity at present. When all is apparently going along 'like normal', then no one will contemplate or countenance changing course. But at present, it is abundantly clear that all is not well and a change can be considered, in fact it has to be considered!
I recognise that we cannot create a 'Christian society' simply through political change (see my blog on 'Why do we expect non-Christians to behave as if they were'). For that, a change of heart is required which is only possible through submission to Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. However, that is not to say that Christians cannot be 'salt and light', working for political change which is in line with the Bible.
We need policies that:
- put families and community at the heart of policy; this has implications for tax, housing and working time policies ...
- encourage local initiatives and local trading; this has implications for planning, food and transport policies ...
- respect careers such as teaching and nursing over roles such as investment banking, and 'being a celebrity'; this will be reflected in the values seen across government policy and where time, resources and respect are allocated ...
- create work, leisure and housing opportunities for the young; this has implications for apprenticeships, affordable housing, recreation and retirement policies ...
- work to diminish pay differentials, say to 10 : 1 (i.e. top earners are paid no more than 10 times the lowest paid workers); this has implications for tax policy, pay and grading, and regulation of top salaries ...
- look to long-term security and stability, not short-term financial or political gain; this has implications for cooperation between political parties on matters which require long-term planning ...
- value good stewardship of natural resources rather than reckless exploitation of the world's dwindling reserves; this has implications for energy policy and would discourage the 'throw-away' society.
We would end up materially poorer, but how much infinitely richer!
Thursday 14 June 2012
Holding labels tightly
Isn't it interesting how we identify ourselves? For example, people commonly define themselves by their work: "I'm a teacher"; sometimes by their sexual orientation: "I'm gay"; and sometimes by their faith: "I'm a Christian". In my particular case, in the 'About me' section on this blog I said 'I work as a counsellor' and also defined myself by saying 'I am a Christian'.
I understand that we need a simple way of introducing ourselves, but I am curious about how particular labels become such central parts of our identity that they are the first things we say when we introduce ourselves, and what effect this has on us and others.
1. Labels are always a shortcut
"Hello, I'm Mark and I'm a counsellor." Even though this is true, it is not a proper identity – I am also a husband, a father, a manager, and like paddling a canoe. Does it seem to change anything if I tell you that I am also a software programmer, a bass guitarist, and a 'biker' (motorcyclist)? We seem to have moved some way from the 'counsellor' label, but even this longer description merely lists some of the things I do, rather than 'who I am'...
In using labels as short-cuts, we both avoid the complexity and miss the richness of real relating; we hide many aspects of ourselves, dealing instead with stereotypes. These simplify our dealings with each other enormously, but at what cost?
2. Labels come to define our identity; they become self-fulfilling - not just descriptive but prescriptive; they influence our behaviour.
When a label becomes a central part of our identity it can be very restrictive. A label round our neck - even if we put it there ourselves - quickly becomes very difficult to remove.
If I define myself as 'a counsellor', then I start to behave in the ways that I think 'a counsellor' should behave, which in some measure will be a false self. And to what extent am I able to put that aside when I am being a husband or a friend, etc? If I continue to act as 'a counsellor' within those relationships, I threaten those relationships as my friends expect me to be a friend and my wife expects me to be a husband; neither asked for a counsellor.
3. A label can be a way of not taking responsibility; it can become an excuse.
Just as a label encourages us to behave in certain ways, it discourages us from behaving in other ways. When my church wants someone to help with serving the coffee after service, it is too easy for me to brush off their request for help - after all, I am 'a counsellor' and not a waiter. So I have excused myself from getting involved; I am of no use to them at all.
4. Another risk of labels is that we come to believe they are true.
I am 'a counsellor' in that this is what I am employed to do, but this side-steps questions about whether I am a good counsellor, or am proficient in some areas of counselling and weak in others, or am growing in knowledge or becoming rusty as a counsellor. The simplistic identity-label allows, in fact encourages, me to ignore all such honest reflections. We come to take its truth as self-evident. If we hold a label tightly in our heart, then what are we missing and what are we avoiding?
We've seen that our labels are gross simplifications, come to define and prescribe our identity, and are something we can hide behind. Moreover, there is a risk that we come to believe in them ourselves and give them a status and a precision they do not deserve.
I have used a simple 'counsellor' label as an example. Let's apply this to two other labels, one that isn't mine and one that is.
I gave an example above of people who define themselves by their sexual orientation, e.g. "I'm gay". Does what I have written still apply? I think it does. That label is certainly a short-cut, omitting saying a great deal of other things about a person. It is a label that some hold very tightly in their heart and can come to prescribe identity and behaviour; and it is possible to believe it is 'true', so avoiding the personal history and complexities that cannot be captured in a simple straight/gay definition. (And that last phrase may begin to rankle with those for whom this is a core part of their identity ... which also applies to straight people too, of course!)
More personally, I'm interested in my self-definition in my 'About me' bio. I said I 'work as a counsellor', which is different from saying 'I am a counsellor'. However, I also defined myself by saying 'I am a Christian', so it's personally challenging to consider whether all that I put above still holds true in my identity as 'a Christian'. Yes, this is also a short-cut; it does come to define and prescribe my identity and not just describe it. It's true that I may at times hide behind the label and I may also become complacent in assuming it's truth, when ultimately it will be God who decides whether this label fits when he looks up his Book of Life. (And some Christians will begin to prickle at the notion that their Christianity could or should be questioned.)
Used as a brief introduction, labels hide more than they reveal. They carry power and influence, for ourselves and our hearers. We need to hold labels lightly, even such core-identity-labels as these two examples.
I understand that we need a simple way of introducing ourselves, but I am curious about how particular labels become such central parts of our identity that they are the first things we say when we introduce ourselves, and what effect this has on us and others.
1. Labels are always a shortcut
"Hello, I'm Mark and I'm a counsellor." Even though this is true, it is not a proper identity – I am also a husband, a father, a manager, and like paddling a canoe. Does it seem to change anything if I tell you that I am also a software programmer, a bass guitarist, and a 'biker' (motorcyclist)? We seem to have moved some way from the 'counsellor' label, but even this longer description merely lists some of the things I do, rather than 'who I am'...
In using labels as short-cuts, we both avoid the complexity and miss the richness of real relating; we hide many aspects of ourselves, dealing instead with stereotypes. These simplify our dealings with each other enormously, but at what cost?
2. Labels come to define our identity; they become self-fulfilling - not just descriptive but prescriptive; they influence our behaviour.
When a label becomes a central part of our identity it can be very restrictive. A label round our neck - even if we put it there ourselves - quickly becomes very difficult to remove.
If I define myself as 'a counsellor', then I start to behave in the ways that I think 'a counsellor' should behave, which in some measure will be a false self. And to what extent am I able to put that aside when I am being a husband or a friend, etc? If I continue to act as 'a counsellor' within those relationships, I threaten those relationships as my friends expect me to be a friend and my wife expects me to be a husband; neither asked for a counsellor.
3. A label can be a way of not taking responsibility; it can become an excuse.
Just as a label encourages us to behave in certain ways, it discourages us from behaving in other ways. When my church wants someone to help with serving the coffee after service, it is too easy for me to brush off their request for help - after all, I am 'a counsellor' and not a waiter. So I have excused myself from getting involved; I am of no use to them at all.
4. Another risk of labels is that we come to believe they are true.
I am 'a counsellor' in that this is what I am employed to do, but this side-steps questions about whether I am a good counsellor, or am proficient in some areas of counselling and weak in others, or am growing in knowledge or becoming rusty as a counsellor. The simplistic identity-label allows, in fact encourages, me to ignore all such honest reflections. We come to take its truth as self-evident. If we hold a label tightly in our heart, then what are we missing and what are we avoiding?
We've seen that our labels are gross simplifications, come to define and prescribe our identity, and are something we can hide behind. Moreover, there is a risk that we come to believe in them ourselves and give them a status and a precision they do not deserve.
I have used a simple 'counsellor' label as an example. Let's apply this to two other labels, one that isn't mine and one that is.
I gave an example above of people who define themselves by their sexual orientation, e.g. "I'm gay". Does what I have written still apply? I think it does. That label is certainly a short-cut, omitting saying a great deal of other things about a person. It is a label that some hold very tightly in their heart and can come to prescribe identity and behaviour; and it is possible to believe it is 'true', so avoiding the personal history and complexities that cannot be captured in a simple straight/gay definition. (And that last phrase may begin to rankle with those for whom this is a core part of their identity ... which also applies to straight people too, of course!)
More personally, I'm interested in my self-definition in my 'About me' bio. I said I 'work as a counsellor', which is different from saying 'I am a counsellor'. However, I also defined myself by saying 'I am a Christian', so it's personally challenging to consider whether all that I put above still holds true in my identity as 'a Christian'. Yes, this is also a short-cut; it does come to define and prescribe my identity and not just describe it. It's true that I may at times hide behind the label and I may also become complacent in assuming it's truth, when ultimately it will be God who decides whether this label fits when he looks up his Book of Life. (And some Christians will begin to prickle at the notion that their Christianity could or should be questioned.)
Used as a brief introduction, labels hide more than they reveal. They carry power and influence, for ourselves and our hearers. We need to hold labels lightly, even such core-identity-labels as these two examples.
Thursday 7 June 2012
Micro-choices matter!
From time to time major decisions come along that require considerable thought; for example, a change of career direction, whether to get married, the purchase of a house. Then there are other not-quite-so-big, but still notable decisions, such as buying a car, or deciding on a holiday.
For these big decisions, we may research the options and implications, think for quite a while, and discuss the pros and cons with someone we trust before eventually taking action. In fact, for some major decisions, we may hesitate for a long time, occasionally even for years, before finally taking the plunge.
Of course it makes sense to stop and weigh the options before taking major decisions, for the implications of 'getting it wrong' can be severe.
But each day, moment by moment, we are making a multitude of tiny 'beneath-the-radar' choices, which pass almost unnoticed: what to do this evening, whether to buy that little item, whether to phone that person...
We pay little attention to these micro-choices, which are mostly taken on 'auto-pilot'. And yet I believe that this is where the important action is taking place!
This isn't to say that we should agonise over every tiny decision - for we would quickly become immobilised! But it is the cumulative impact of thousands upon thousands of micro-decisions that form the pattern of our lives, that sets the nature of how we relate to others, and that coalesce into our priorities and the values we hold.
From repeated micro-choices come patterns of thinking and thus behaviour. These in turn form a lifestyle and our character. And through these we choose our destiny. And in this context, the decisions we agonised over concerning that holiday or even that mortgage, are of little consequence.
“Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”
[I have seen this quote attributed to John Wesley, to Lau Tzu and to Charles Reade; I have been unable to determine which is correct.]
For these big decisions, we may research the options and implications, think for quite a while, and discuss the pros and cons with someone we trust before eventually taking action. In fact, for some major decisions, we may hesitate for a long time, occasionally even for years, before finally taking the plunge.
Of course it makes sense to stop and weigh the options before taking major decisions, for the implications of 'getting it wrong' can be severe.
But each day, moment by moment, we are making a multitude of tiny 'beneath-the-radar' choices, which pass almost unnoticed: what to do this evening, whether to buy that little item, whether to phone that person...
We pay little attention to these micro-choices, which are mostly taken on 'auto-pilot'. And yet I believe that this is where the important action is taking place!
This isn't to say that we should agonise over every tiny decision - for we would quickly become immobilised! But it is the cumulative impact of thousands upon thousands of micro-decisions that form the pattern of our lives, that sets the nature of how we relate to others, and that coalesce into our priorities and the values we hold.
From repeated micro-choices come patterns of thinking and thus behaviour. These in turn form a lifestyle and our character. And through these we choose our destiny. And in this context, the decisions we agonised over concerning that holiday or even that mortgage, are of little consequence.
“Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”
[I have seen this quote attributed to John Wesley, to Lau Tzu and to Charles Reade; I have been unable to determine which is correct.]
Friday 1 June 2012
Why do we expect non-Christians to behave as if they were?
The world's gone mad!
How we long for those former days - quieter, more genteel, better mannered, more Christian! Why don't people behave like that nowadays? What has become of our Christian nation?
Oops! There's a lie of the devil in there somewhere. Just because (in our rose-scented memories) life was 'nicer' in the past, don't confuse that with Christianity, and don't confuse civilisation with sanctification. Whatever being 'civilised' means, it is not the same as being Christian. Civilised people just have more polite ways of expressing their sinful nature...
In fact, the Bible makes clear that such behaviour is not a new problem at all. Written in the 1st century AD, Paul says: "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." (Galatians 5 v19-21)
Non-Christians are free to get on with doing things in whatever way they like. That, after all, is the definition of a non-Christian: they have chosen to do things their own way - not Christ's way.
Let's stop the pretence that we live in a Christian nation - we don't! Let us praise the Lord that as the world gets darker, Christians will stand out as more distinctive, with our counter-cultural Christ-centred ways. It's only in the dark that a light shines. Again, it is the Bible that says it well: "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matt 5 v16).
So, instead of moaning about the signs of the times, maybe we will get on with the job of rescuing people from the clutches of the devil, through the power of Jesus who gives new life. This isn't about simply expecting people to conform to certain behavioural norms of decency - which isn't Christianity anyway.
By the way, there are still decent young people, couples who are faithful in their marriages, men and women who are honest, etc. And these are people who need the saving love of Jesus no less than the others.
In case you thought you were not part of the darkness all around, the Bible makes clear that each of us is sinful. It is God, by his grace, who has shone his light into our hearts. "For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ." (2 Cor 4 v6)
So we are not to condemn or look down on anyone, however unpleasant and evil they may seem; they are merely displaying our own true nature more clearly. Alexander Solzhenitsyn put it well: "The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being."
And for those of a nervous disposition, whatever is happening in society, there is no need to fear that Christ's light will be extinguished. Speaking of Jesus, the gospel writer John says, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it". (John 1 v5). Nor will it ever.
- Unruly youth
- Binge-drinking
- Drug addictions
- Corruption in high places
- Increasing divorce rates
- Growing sexual perversions
- Addiction to pornography
- Rioting in the streets
- Violence
How we long for those former days - quieter, more genteel, better mannered, more Christian! Why don't people behave like that nowadays? What has become of our Christian nation?
Oops! There's a lie of the devil in there somewhere. Just because (in our rose-scented memories) life was 'nicer' in the past, don't confuse that with Christianity, and don't confuse civilisation with sanctification. Whatever being 'civilised' means, it is not the same as being Christian. Civilised people just have more polite ways of expressing their sinful nature...
In fact, the Bible makes clear that such behaviour is not a new problem at all. Written in the 1st century AD, Paul says: "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." (Galatians 5 v19-21)
Non-Christians are free to get on with doing things in whatever way they like. That, after all, is the definition of a non-Christian: they have chosen to do things their own way - not Christ's way.
Let's stop the pretence that we live in a Christian nation - we don't! Let us praise the Lord that as the world gets darker, Christians will stand out as more distinctive, with our counter-cultural Christ-centred ways. It's only in the dark that a light shines. Again, it is the Bible that says it well: "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matt 5 v16).
So, instead of moaning about the signs of the times, maybe we will get on with the job of rescuing people from the clutches of the devil, through the power of Jesus who gives new life. This isn't about simply expecting people to conform to certain behavioural norms of decency - which isn't Christianity anyway.
By the way, there are still decent young people, couples who are faithful in their marriages, men and women who are honest, etc. And these are people who need the saving love of Jesus no less than the others.
In case you thought you were not part of the darkness all around, the Bible makes clear that each of us is sinful. It is God, by his grace, who has shone his light into our hearts. "For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ." (2 Cor 4 v6)
So we are not to condemn or look down on anyone, however unpleasant and evil they may seem; they are merely displaying our own true nature more clearly. Alexander Solzhenitsyn put it well: "The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being."
And for those of a nervous disposition, whatever is happening in society, there is no need to fear that Christ's light will be extinguished. Speaking of Jesus, the gospel writer John says, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it". (John 1 v5). Nor will it ever.
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