Today at church we baptised seven new Christians. One of them had been a Moslem.
When a Moslem becomes interested in Christianity, their family will do everything in their power to dissuade this interest. But when that person gets baptised as a Christian, their family know that the battle is lost, and in some cases will even seek to kill their relative for becoming a Christian. So, for a Moslem to choose to be baptised as a Christian can literally be to sign their own death warrant.
As Christians we can take baptism much too casually, for we know that, of itself, it does not make someone a Christian. For this young man there was nothing casual about it!
And, actually, nor should there be for any of us, as it signifies that we have put to death our ‘old life’, and risen to 'new life' in Jesus Christ.
Sunday, 26 April 2015
Friday, 3 April 2015
Mistaking the real danger
Today the news headlines round much of the world proclaim: '147 killed at Kenyan university'. The dead were mostly students at a university in Garissa, Kenya. They died at the hands of gunmen who reportedly selected Christians to kill.
As I am a Christian and live on the campus of another university in Kenya, albeit many miles from Garissa, it is understandable that people who know me worry about my safety at times like this.
Such news reminds us - if we need reminding - of the dangers of the world in which we live.
Although such news is both shocking and tragic, I believe that we mistake where the greatest danger lies, fearing bullets and bombs, but being oblivious to the much greater dangers that affect our eternal destiny.
Do not get me wrong, I do not seek to die at the hands of any gunman, and will review again my already tight security. However, as I believe God called me to live and work here, I have no intention of moving to somewhere that might look more secure, if by so doing I am being disobedient to my God.
Today also happens to be Good Friday, the day on which Christians remember that Jesus was killed in the most gruesome manner possible, in order to take the punishment for the sin of mankind. But I look forward to two days’ time, when we will celebrate Easter - Jesus’ resurrection! - and so know that his promise of eternal life to all who will accept him as Lord is true.
It was Jesus who said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10v28)
I am much more secure here, doing the work that God has given me to do, than living in some quiet corner of the world just minding my own business.
As I am a Christian and live on the campus of another university in Kenya, albeit many miles from Garissa, it is understandable that people who know me worry about my safety at times like this.
Such news reminds us - if we need reminding - of the dangers of the world in which we live.
Although such news is both shocking and tragic, I believe that we mistake where the greatest danger lies, fearing bullets and bombs, but being oblivious to the much greater dangers that affect our eternal destiny.
Do not get me wrong, I do not seek to die at the hands of any gunman, and will review again my already tight security. However, as I believe God called me to live and work here, I have no intention of moving to somewhere that might look more secure, if by so doing I am being disobedient to my God.
Today also happens to be Good Friday, the day on which Christians remember that Jesus was killed in the most gruesome manner possible, in order to take the punishment for the sin of mankind. But I look forward to two days’ time, when we will celebrate Easter - Jesus’ resurrection! - and so know that his promise of eternal life to all who will accept him as Lord is true.
It was Jesus who said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10v28)
I am much more secure here, doing the work that God has given me to do, than living in some quiet corner of the world just minding my own business.
Thursday, 19 March 2015
The profit motive
I watched a series on TV a while back about various influential economists and their differing theories.
Although they had very different ways of understanding economic systems, and disagreed with each other over many fundamentals, it struck me that the profit motive - both at an individual and corporate level - was taken for granted by all of them. But then, they were economists!
Our western economies rely on the same assumption. Businesses exist to make a profit, pay grades are structured so as to motivate the successful, and individuals aspire to raise their income and thus their spending power. (Even thieves and the corrupt share the motivation, but look for short-cuts for all the hard work that is normally involved.)
There is no denying that this profit motive has led businesses to innovate and increase their market share, to amazing advances in science and technology, and individuals to work hard to move up the ladder. In this way, the theory goes, civilisation advances, the human lot improves and the world goes round.
And so it does seem!
But, considering the centrality / ubiquity of the profit motive, as a Christian I find it surprising that it seems to be completely absent from the teaching and lifestyle of Jesus!
Ah, we may think, he lived and taught in a pre-industrial age, in a simple hand-to-mouth society; what could he know about the profit motive? Yet a closer reading indicates that he was indeed acutely aware of the profit motive - and he wanted nothing to do with it!
Jesus and the Bible speak very plainly against the love of money. For example:
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matt 6v24)
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ “ (Hebrews 13:5)
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
(However, the Bible also makes clear that there is nothing wrong with money per se: we are to work to earn our living, we are to pay taxes, we are to have honest dealings in trade.)
But what is the ‘love of money’? It is precisely the profit motive - for without the love of money there is no motivation!
So, how does Jesus expect civilisation to advance and the world to go round, if we are not to be motivated by money?
He poses a clear choice: love God or love money. So the alternative is to love God - and love our neighbour as ourselves (Matt 22v39). If we were to choose to love God and our neighbour, that would motivate us to seek the good of others, for they are also God’s creation. Thus we are motivated to educate, to find new remedies for illness, to work to address poverty, to be good stewards of the world for the good of all people, and to share God’s love to all people. And in so doing it is reasonable to earn one’s living - for “the worker deserves his wages.” (1 Timothy 5:18.)
But would the world still go round, would civilisation advance? It would look different, for sure, but I believe it would!
In fact there would be less inequality, less pollution, less corruption, less meaningless ‘stuff', less waste, less destruction of the environment - for these are also the results of the profit motive. And there would be more time, better relationships and a greater sense of community, better care for the sick, the poor, and the disabled - for these are all cast aside by the profit motive.
But, for now, as most people assume the profit motive is an unquestioned good, those of us who disagree must live in such a way that demonstrates Jesus’ radical alternative. I think that this way of living is called ‘being in the world but not of it’.
Although they had very different ways of understanding economic systems, and disagreed with each other over many fundamentals, it struck me that the profit motive - both at an individual and corporate level - was taken for granted by all of them. But then, they were economists!
Our western economies rely on the same assumption. Businesses exist to make a profit, pay grades are structured so as to motivate the successful, and individuals aspire to raise their income and thus their spending power. (Even thieves and the corrupt share the motivation, but look for short-cuts for all the hard work that is normally involved.)
There is no denying that this profit motive has led businesses to innovate and increase their market share, to amazing advances in science and technology, and individuals to work hard to move up the ladder. In this way, the theory goes, civilisation advances, the human lot improves and the world goes round.
And so it does seem!
But, considering the centrality / ubiquity of the profit motive, as a Christian I find it surprising that it seems to be completely absent from the teaching and lifestyle of Jesus!
Ah, we may think, he lived and taught in a pre-industrial age, in a simple hand-to-mouth society; what could he know about the profit motive? Yet a closer reading indicates that he was indeed acutely aware of the profit motive - and he wanted nothing to do with it!
Jesus and the Bible speak very plainly against the love of money. For example:
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matt 6v24)
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ “ (Hebrews 13:5)
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
(However, the Bible also makes clear that there is nothing wrong with money per se: we are to work to earn our living, we are to pay taxes, we are to have honest dealings in trade.)
But what is the ‘love of money’? It is precisely the profit motive - for without the love of money there is no motivation!
So, how does Jesus expect civilisation to advance and the world to go round, if we are not to be motivated by money?
He poses a clear choice: love God or love money. So the alternative is to love God - and love our neighbour as ourselves (Matt 22v39). If we were to choose to love God and our neighbour, that would motivate us to seek the good of others, for they are also God’s creation. Thus we are motivated to educate, to find new remedies for illness, to work to address poverty, to be good stewards of the world for the good of all people, and to share God’s love to all people. And in so doing it is reasonable to earn one’s living - for “the worker deserves his wages.” (1 Timothy 5:18.)
But would the world still go round, would civilisation advance? It would look different, for sure, but I believe it would!
In fact there would be less inequality, less pollution, less corruption, less meaningless ‘stuff', less waste, less destruction of the environment - for these are also the results of the profit motive. And there would be more time, better relationships and a greater sense of community, better care for the sick, the poor, and the disabled - for these are all cast aside by the profit motive.
But, for now, as most people assume the profit motive is an unquestioned good, those of us who disagree must live in such a way that demonstrates Jesus’ radical alternative. I think that this way of living is called ‘being in the world but not of it’.
Monday, 16 February 2015
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.
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.
Monday, 19 January 2015
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
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
Saturday, 6 December 2014
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?
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?
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
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:
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...
For I know that honesty, humility, and love are qualities of God.
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.
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