The other day I was catching up with some of the programmes I had recorded as I was unable to watch them at the time they went out on air. One of the programmes was Winterwatch. The Springwatch team who do the programmes was in the highlands of Scotland for their transmissions where they had experienced bad weather just the week before. It was a real winterland, lovely for postcards, everything covered in snow. They were particularly looking to see how different species of creatures adapted to cope with the cold weather - snow and temperatures well below freezing for most of the time.
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| The common shrew |
Of course we all know that nature changes and adapts in order to cope with the colder weather. Many trees lose their leaves and plants 'die' only to be revived when the fine weather returns. Some creatures hibernate during the winter months and arouse from their deep sleep when the weather gets warmer. Those who don't hibernate adopt various strategies in order to cope. The mountain hare changes the colour of its fur from brown to white so that it is better camouflaged in order evade the exceptional vision of the golden eagle looking for prey. The ptarmigan not only changes its feathers to white but also buries itself with snow just under the surface where the temperature is actually a little warmer. But what really called my attention was when the presenter (Chris Packham) explained about the common shrew. It actually shrinks in size. It deliberately shrinks its skeleton, heart, liver, skull and even its brain in order to require less energy and therefore not needing as much food thus giving it a better chance of survival at a time when food is scarce. How amazing is that!? I found this so hard to believe that I checked it out for myself online - and it is true.
We often talk about seasons of life and in spiritual terms seasons of the soul. Sadly we don't always learn the lessons of nature. When things change, they adapt and change to accommodate and cope with the different circumstances and surroundings. Yet how often when it comes to our expression of faith do we just keep plodding on doing the same things as before? Our excuse is that we've always done things that way. If creatures in the wild kept on doing things always the same way, they would be in real trouble. So they adapt. We might decide to do things slightly differently. We change the order of service, we sing a few new(er) songs, we begin some project or new programme. There is often great need to change inside, the whole structure of how we live and do things, the very way we express our faith. Sometimes we need to rest, do nothing, just be. But sometimes it's necessary to actually get rid of things, strip back things that have become burdensome and are draining our resources. Sometimes it's necessary that we become less - less important, less busy, less involved, less sure of ourselves, less ready to always have an answer. Sometimes less is more. It isn't always about doing things differently, it's about being different deep inside. Very often the change we need to make is not about what we do or where we go but about what we are. The shrew has a great lesson that we do well to take notice of. Maybe it's us that needs to change.
I love word games - crosswords, code words, missing letters etc. etc. Over the years, television has supplied us with a number of game shows involving words. The one that has probably lasted the longest I think is Countdown, the daily words and numbers game. People of my age will also remember programmes like Call My Bluff when three different definitions of a word are given and the opposing team has to guess the correct meaning. My excuse for spending time on them, (if I need an excuse!) is that at my age, it helps to keep my mind active and ticking over. Words are important, so much so that very often the first words of a baby are noted in a baby book and kept for posterity. We use phrases like 'I give you my word' as a way of promising something or insisting that what we have said is true. The words 'My Word' are used in exclamation to denote a certain amount of surprise or wonder.
This week Richard Rohr, in his daily meditations has been talking about God's Word. We think of God's Word as the Bible that we use today - the Old and New Testament. Some Christians seem to be of the opinion that the Bible as we know it today is the sum total of God's Word. (Roman Catholics have a larger Bible than Protestants as they include the books of the Apocrypha) Some assume that if some story or word of wisdom is not in there then it's not part of God's Word. We need to acknowledge that this Christian Sacred Text has not always existed. So what happened before the existence of the Bible as we know it today, before the life of Jesus? And of the Old Testament, what happened before Abraham or Moses? Those who lived then, how did they know about God? How did God make himself known to them? Did he have nothing to say?
Richard Rohr quotes both Anthony of the Desert (251 - 356) and Thomas Aquinas (1224 - 1274) as saying that there are actually two books of Scripture, two books of God's Word. The Bible is the second book being around for the last 2000 years or so. The first book of God's Word is the natural world and has existed since the Big Bang 14 billion years ago. In the first few verses of the Bible we read that God said ... ... . He brought the whole universe into being by his word and yet we so often discard this expression of His Word in favour of the written word. We think that God is 'contained' in the Bible. He is but he is also much bigger than that. Jesus so often used examples from creation to explain divine truths and we miss an awful lot of what God is saying and what he is like when we don't spend time contemplating his handiwork. He first expressed himself in creation billions of years before humanity decided to put things in a book, long before the written word even existed. Some would shy away from this saying it verges on paganism or New Age spirituality. Yet Francis of Assisi wrote words that were translated and became known as the hymn 'All Creatures of our God and King'. In the original he refers to creation as Brother Sun and Sister Moon, also referring to Brother Wind and Brother Fire and Sister Water and Mother Earth. To this day he is revered for the way he saw God in creation. The present Pope reminds us of this by taking his name to be known as Pope Francis.
I can't help thinking that although it's good to read and know the Bible, it's not the whole story. You can't contain God in a building nor can you contain him in a book. As the children sing, 'My God is a great big God'. There are so many expressions of him that we don't see when we are so intent in having our heads in a book. There are so many lessons and truths that we miss when we think that it's all in 'the book'. Richard Rohr expresses this sentiment when he says that each creature is a unique and distinct word of God with its own message. Or as Meister Eckhart puts it so well, 'Anyone who truly knows creatures may be excused from listening to sermons for every creature is full of God and is a book' - and he was of the Order of Preachers. We refer to Jesus as The Word and say that The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Before Jesus became flesh, God's Word became living creatures and plants. He expressed himself in his creation. When a person creates something, a picture, a piece of sculpture, some article of beauty or usefulness, they are expressing their thoughts and ideas in material or physical form. You get an idea of them from their creativity. And so God created the universe. If we look, observe and learn directly from what he has made we can learn so much about what he is like and what are his ways. He has great lessons and truth he wants to teach us if only we have eyes to see and ears to hear.
I have been thinking much lately about the different religions of the world and how people of many different faiths all seem to have something valid to contribute to the overall wisdom of a belief system. I often think that it would be great if we could somehow amalgamate all the best bits of each religion and make one belief system to suit everybody. Is that Utopia? A fantasy? And yet as Christians we believe that Jesus came for the 'whole world'. We always say that God loves everyone, so surely it is his own wish to see all of humanity living as one. At the birth of Jesus the story tells us that the angels sang about peace and goodwill to all people. We are also reminded that the wise men in the story came from far away eastern lands. They did not share the Jewish faith and there is no account that they became Jewish after their encounter with the new-born Jesus. They worshipped him and went back to their own lands. It seems today that when it comes to religious beliefs, the world is ever more divided. Some people of no faith reckon that the world would be better off without religion of any kind as, according to their thinking, it is religion that causes most of the wars in the world and that it is religion that breeds violence one against the other. That's not entirely true but I can see how they reach that conclusion.
So just how can we work to bring about this unity of religious belief? Or should we? I am currently reading the Brian McLaren book, 'Why Did Jesus, Moses, The Buddha And Mohammed Cross The Road?', where he explores the issue of the many different expressions of faith in the world. It is a very interesting read if you haven't already read it. For me the great conundrum is that as a Christian I of course believe that Christianity is the only true way to God. I accept that others find their way of expressing their spiritual beliefs but from my point of view their belief system is lacking somewhat. It doesn't have the whole truth - of course we Christians do! (tongue in cheek!) The trouble with that concept is that most people of other religions each think exactly the same about their belief system. So it seems we come to a sort of stale mate without any real resolution or way forward. The conundrum is how can I who obviously believe my faith is right, not just tolerate but accept that those of other faiths have as valid a claim to truth as I have without weakening or lessening my own beliefs?
This can result of course in the sort of thing that we have seen in the past few days and weeks - killing other human beings in the name of a particular strand of a religion whose perpetrators believe that only they have the whole truth and all others are less and if not willing to convert then they should be 'punished'. And let's be honest here - those of us in 'the west' are as guilty as any other of atrocities carried out in the name of our religion over the centuries (crusades, colonisation, 'civilization', slavery, the Inquisition the conquistadors of South America and so on ... ) Even as recently as the 20th century, we think of the Holocaust and the troubles in Northern Ireland. So as a Christian what is my answer to this? The immediate reaction for many is understandably to go and blast them, give them a bit of their own medicine as it were. So everybody is hell bent on killing each other. The trouble I have with this is that force and strength only prove who is more cunning in battle and has the better weapons at their disposal. It doesn't prove who is actually right. And God doesn't take sides in a killing spree even if we do label it a just war. It also puts you on the same level as those you condemn - killing because others disagree with your way of thinking. On the other hand I liked the reaction in Australia after the hostage situation in the Sydney cafe when the reaction of many people was to say 'I'll ride with you' - showing solidarity with those of other faiths without necessarily accepting their belief system. We have also seen images of Christians defending Muslims as they go to worship and Muslims defending Christians as they went to their church buildings. In Paris recently we have seen pictures of Muslims and Jews hugging each other as they protest and mourn together. And so the conundrum continues and I don't really have any answers.
All I can do as a Christian is look to the example of Jesus and his teaching. Jesus did not change religions. He was never a 'Christian'. He was a Jew right until his death and visited the synagogues and temple in Jerusalem right until his capture and subsequent death. The Last Supper was actually a Jewish festival that he and the disciples were celebrating. When he healed the servant of the Roman centurion or spoke to the Samaritan woman, he didn't say that they had to convert to the Jewish faith. To the centurion he said that his faith had healed his servant. What faith was that? He was not of the Jewish faith and possibly followed Roman gods but he recognised a higher spiritual authority in Jesus and believed in him. On that occasion Jesus remarked, 'I say to you that many will come from the east and the west and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven' - was he saying people from other nations and belief systems? He also healed the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman without insisting that she accept the religion of the Jews. It appears therefore that Jesus not only accepted people just who they were and where they stood in their own particular expression of faith but never said anything about changing their religious allegiance. They were accepted by God as they were. God then is bigger than any one expression of spirituality and has no problem about anyone of whatever persuasion who truly seeks him. I'm still working on it!
Yesterday morning I awoke after having a strange dream. In the dream we still had our Christmas tree and decorations around the house, although in real life they are now safely boxed up and put back in the loft until next Christmas. The strange thing about it though was that the tree was without decorations - no baubles or tinsel, none of the extras. Other decorations and candles were also missing. It would seem that we had been burgled and so in my dream I began to look around the house to see what else had been taken. Not much, only things of not great importance. The things that were necessary to modern living - the computer, mobile phone, purse with some money - were all intact. It was as though whoever had been in our home didn't want those things. Then I woke up and was glad that it had been a dream. It wasn't a nice thought that we had been burgled even if the things that were taken were not things of great expense.
But it left me thinking! Whenever I have a strange dream about something quite out of the blue or something that had not been on my mind, then I begin wondering if it was actually God who was wanting to impart some truth or idea in my mind. He has been known to talk to us through stories, pictures and dreams. And so I began thinking that the things that had been taken were things of adornment, embellishments, not the important bits. The nativity scene was not taken but the glitter and baubles were. Although many of the baubles had personal significance and brought back memories from the past, they were not essential to celebrating the Christmas story and message. Other possessions were still intact and not even touched.
Is it that there are things in my life that are just extras with no real value in the long term? I don't think that it refers to material possessions. I'm not one to crave after the latest gadget or get impressed with the biggest or most expensive anything. If it does what it's supposed to and serves its purpose then an item is ok with me. Seeing and working amongst the poverty of the shanty towns of South America has helped me to get my priorities right as far as material possessions are concerned. So it would seem that the decorations are possibly to do with non-material matters. So was this about Christmas or about religion in general? Was it about things or my attitude to things? I don't make New Year's resolutions but it seems that God has done that for me this year. I feel that my challenge is to become more aware of where God is leading me and what are the things that need to be stripped away and done away with. What are the things that are essential and what are the decorations - even if they do have some emotional memories for me? And by the way I won't be getting rid of my actual Christmas decorations - I don't think that was the point of the dream. Or was it just a weird dream after all?
P.S. Any thoughts or comments are welcome.
Anyone who has had children or been involved with the care of children will know just how inquisitive they can be. The why, when, where, who, how questions seem to have no end. You think you've explained things and then they come back with another 'Why?' or 'How?'. This is normal behaviour for children and in fact if they didn't ask questions we would think that there was something wrong with them, that they were lacking something in their concentration, normal development or desire for learning.
When they are small, a short, simple explanation is often sufficient to answer their curiosity but as they get older, such simple answers don't suffice. They need to know more and in more detail. This surely is a sign that they are maturing and becoming more capable of understanding more than they did when they were younger.
It baffles me, therefore when Christians get the strange idea that the same explanations and teaching that has been given to them from their first steps of faith are still sufficient. They listen to the same Bible verses explained over and over again. The fact that they don't question seems to be taken as some strange form of maturity, they know all the answers. They might have a point in thinking that they have travelled so far along the road and have experienced so much that they have indeed 'seen it all' - been there, done that, got the t-shirt etc. But there are occasions when it is actually frowned upon to question what has been said from the platform or pulpit. It is considered almost sacrilege to ask a question like 'Why God?'. We must not question those 'in authority' over us. (Sounds like some dictatorships I've known) They are there to speak to us on God's behalf! We are told that God has his ways and we should just trust him. We are so often fobbed off with the usual set answers to such queries that they sort of float over the tops of our heads. The words don't seem to connect with us. They become almost meaningless.
Yet Jesus tells us that we must be like children in our faith. When he said that, did he mean that we should never be complacent? That God likes curious children? Can we ever know all there is to know about God and spiritual things? Can we not keep on learning while we travel on this road of faith? Maybe I'm just not the passive sort when it comes to my faith. So I continue to question and seek more of what God means and says and how this unfolds in my life. I want to know God more so I persist like a small child and keep asking him to connect with my spirit so I can grow and really mature in him. The simple answers of old aren't enough any more - I need more God.
