I was interested a couple of weeks ago to learn of the Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis (1818 - 1865). He discovered that the washing and cleaning of hands greatly reduced the mortality rate of patients in his maternity ward compared to the wards supervised by other doctors. He published papers to this effect and insisted that it was the simple act of washing hands that was the key. His publications were rejected by the established scientific and medical opinions of the time. He was eventually committed to as asylum for his 'outrageous' claims where he died only 2 weeks after entering the institution, having been beaten by guards. His theories were proved correct by Lister and Pasteur years after his death. Today personal hygiene and cleanliness is so much a part of everyday life that it is hard to imagine that the medical world of the mid 19th century did not accept this.
The other day I watched (again!) the now old film The Jazz Singer. In case anyone is not familiar with the story, it is about a young Jewish man whose father was a cantor in the synagogue. It was a family tradition and the young man would be the fifth generation of cantors in his family, something that made his father very proud. However, the young man also lived another life by singing with non-Jewish friends in clubs. When he got the opportunity to go to California, he realised that singing to the general public was what he really wanted to do. The result of course was many problems within family relationships and heartache and struggles to come to terms with this idea on all sides. Eventually he followed his dream and 'made it' in the music world of California.
The first story is a sad one but the second had a happier ending. The thing is that deep inside we know what is right for us whether other people accept what we say or not. Truth is truth. It doesn't depend on how many people agree with us. It doesn't necessarily mean that the majority must be right. But it is very difficult to remain true to what we feel deep inside when all around seem to be going in the opposite direction. The old song that we often used to sing says, 'I'll fear not what men say'. But we do, don't we? How often have we heard people say, 'What will people think?' Today with social media someone can very quickly be made to appear like a saint or a villain. Whistle-blowers and reporters who tell it as it really is are criticised by established figures and often rubbished in the media when most times what they are saying is the truth that nobody in authority wants the world to know. It is more difficult when we go against family tradition and when those closest to us reject what we say. The last thing we want to do is hurt and upset those we love and so often we bury what is inside and carry on just going along with tradition without questioning, closing our minds to any personal or different ideas that we may have had. Our dreams remain only dreams as we feel unable to seek to make them reality.
I have to admit I have great respect for anyone who can stick to their guns when they really believe something regardless of who listens or accepts what they say. Throughout history we find people who have been ridiculed only to be proved right in later years. Galileo comes to mind when he insisted that the earth went round the sun and not the other way around. Sadly too often we conform simply to avoid 'rocking the boat'. We don't want to get a bad reputation as a trouble maker or being a bit wacky. Sadly this applies to many Christian congregations when those who question or don't fall into line end up outside of the group, excluded. We have seen it with prominent church leaders like Steve Chalke when he spoke of accepting gay people and Rob Bell and Jim Palmer for offering a different perspective on Christian beliefs. I find it sad that Christianity is becoming in many places, an exclusive 'club' where if you question, think for yourself, don't fit in and conform or rock the boat then you become excluded. As for me - I will continue to question and seek truth even if that means being part of a misunderstood minority. In the end it is only truth that will set us free, free from the fear of what others might think, free to be who we really are, free to be the person God made us to be.
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!
It's that time of year when people voice their strong opinions on a couple of topics in particular. We have just seen another Halloween when children enjoy the dressing up and it's ok for them to go knocking on doors expecting some sweet treat. Opinions vary on religious grounds about elevating evil and witchcraft. Some say it's all just innocent fun while others insist that there is nothing innocent about the occult. Some don't have a problem with the spiritual aspect but are irritated by the interruption of their evening by the constant knocking on the door and the expectation of being given some sweets. On the other hand, is all that sweet stuff really good for children or their teeth, apart from the expectation factor of 'I'm a child so you should give me a treat'? Originally of course Halloween was about Hallowed Eve when the lives of saintly people no longer with us are remembered. Strange how over time things get a bit twisted and changed - a bit like Christmas when some big bearded man in a red cloak now takes centre stage.
There was the same sort of reaction when Harry Potter first came to our consciousness. There was a great deal of divided opinion among Christians in particular. Some looked for some deep spiritual message in the stories while again others claimed that dabbling in the world of the occult is dangerous. I have to admit that my own opinion was in the latter camp of opposition. I think much of this was influenced by the particular group of Christians with whom I associated at that time. Since leaving institutional church gatherings I have watched all of the Harry Potter films and have to admit that I have enjoyed them all and, yes, have found some worthwhile lessons in the stories.
The other, often divisive topic at the moment is about Remembrance Day and the wearing of poppies in particular. Should we conform and wear the red poppy or should we make a statement by wearing a white poppy for peace. It seems a shame that the whole original idea of the poppy of the British Legion has been hijacked by those who seem to have made it more about patriotism and Britishness than remembering the horrors of war and being determined to strive for peace. Some very right wing elements have taken to selling cheap copies of the original British Legion poppy and instead of the money going to help soldiers and their families it is actually going to their own political coffers. Some TV stations seem to oblige anyone appearing on their programmes to wear a poppy while ITV have accepted a difference of opinion of one their newscasters who made the decision not to wear a poppy on air (although she does support the whole idea and wears one herself on Remembrance Day) You can see her valid reasoning here. Meanwhile some British Muslim women have taken to wearing scarves designed with poppies to show their solidarity as British citizens and remember Muslims who died fighting for Britain in WW1. You can read about it here.
I smile when I hear people say or see them write 'in my humble opinion' or just 'IMHO'. It would be nice if that is what they really meant - humble and opinion. But often that is code for 'I don't agree with you, you're wrong and I'm going to put you right!' We have differences of opinion on most things in life not just the obvious ones I've mentioned but from Marmite to the value of space travel. We differ in our views on politics, religion, the death penalty, the right for workers to strike, fox hunting, green issues, creation/Big Bang theory, gun laws, health services, immigration ... ... and so we could go on. It would be a strange world indeed if we were all the same and agreed on everything - how boring! Our opinions are always influenced by the culture we have grown up in and our experiences in life. Whatever my take on things happens to be, I have to accept that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I cannot force my opinion on others. They have had a different life journey so their opinion is bound to be a little different. It is good for me to be tolerant and remember that it is only my humble opinion and not some great truth written in stone. And as I have also discovered in my own life, my opinions can change.
The two people were chatting while waiting at the bus stop when suddenly the younger one, focusing on a young girl passing by said in a low voice, 'Just look at that! What a mess! She looks awful!' The older woman smiled and replied, 'When anyone criticizes what you wear, you always say that people should feel free to wear what they like. So obviously she's wearing what she likes.' The younger one conceded with a smile, saying that she wouldn't wear it but then she has a different fashion sense. We might think someone looks nice or not because of what they are wearing, while they might see it differently. As the saying goes, 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'.
On a less flippant note, my nephew's young son often likes to play at role reversal - his father/grandmother being him and he being them. He really is rather good at remembering things that they have said or done and playing them back to them as he sees it, reliving situations and conversations. It really is an eye-opener on just how he sees them and how he interprets what they say. Children so often manage to encompass in their playing what sometimes goes unnoticed to us. Things that we don't give a second thought about might come across to them as something they take notice of and remember sometimes in great detail to the point that we can wonder, 'Am I really like that? Is that how I said that?'. Children have an innocence that penetrates through all social etiquette and niceties to reveal just how things really are, at least as they appear to them.
We all see things differently, simply because we are all different, unique. We cherish our uniqueness yet at the same time struggle to accept another person's different approach and opinion. Often when someone says, 'The way I see it ...' they really mean that they think the other person is wrong and they will tell them exactly how it is and what is the right way. We can become quite intolerant of those who don't do or think as we do, thinking smugly, 'They really don't have a clue and they are just so wrong'. There is a built-in sort of arrogance that we can't be wrong, it must be them. Is there not just a possibility that both are right - in their own eyes? It all depends on how you see things. This often can depend on your circumstances, your cultural background, your emotions and feelings at a given moment. It seems strange that restaurants. shops, the entertainment business and so on cater for our different views and tastes in food, clothing, holidays, home decor, hobbies/interests and TV viewing so why, oh why, is it so difficult for us to accept that people just might have a different spiritual opinion from us? When it comes to God, it seems, we are always and totally right as though somehow we are in the privileged position of having a monopoly of the truth!
I remember one holiday in Scotland when we climbed up a hill through some woodland. Every so often there was a gap in the trees and a seat where you could rest awhile and take in the scenery. What we discovered was that we saw different things at different stopping points. Some objects became hidden from view while others became clearer. The overall picture was constantly changing depending on where we were on the hill. That has always remained with me over the years as an important life lesson. People are different, each one unique, as we so often like to say. So why is it so hard to accept another's point of view, another way of looking at things, another angle, another's belief system or spiritual leaning? God has an overall view while, as the apostle Paul says, we only see in part. In the same passage, Paul says that as a child he thought and acted in a certain way but as he grew, his thoughts changed. We are constantly changing as our view on life changes, as we experience different situations.
So let's show a little more tolerance and acceptance of others. At least, that's the way I see it. (Maybe someone will tell me I'm wrong!).
This week my son Diego and I had a day out with South West Coaches. We spent the morning at a centre called World of Country Life and the afternoon in Exmouth. It was a good day and the rain kept away although it did rain in other parts of the southwest as some of the roads coming home were a little flooded - as if the winter storms hadn't been enough! Everyone is given allocated seats when you book and ours was right in the front of the bus. Behind us sat two ladies in their 40s who had very loud voices so loud my son and I couldn't have a conversation with each other as we couldn't hear ourselves above them. As we got off the bus we realised that one of them was with her parents and had a few learning difficulties and lacked some social skills. Just past the reception area of the centre there is a sort of museum with loads of exhibits portraying 19th and early 20th century life in rural Britain. Diego made a joke and so the young woman, mentioned above, stated that he was her tour guide and comedian! She sort of tagged along hanging on every word, waiting for another joke. A little later we did go our separate ways before the situation became too tiresome - for us that is. The young woman was having a brilliant time and thoroughly enjoying every minute.
Part of the centre had an exhibition of birds of prey that we enjoyed very much. Knowing that the birds are really really captive and kept in enclosures, it was good to see the ones in the exhibition enjoying flying freely around, although they always came back for food and eventually back to their enclosure. It reminded me of a picture I saw some days ago with an empty bird cage. The wording says 'This is not an empty cage, it is a bird that is FREE.' I can't help thinking that whoever had originally had the bird in the cage would be thinking more of their loss than the fact that the bird was free to fly.
The afternoon we spent in Exmouth. After a pub meal right on the coast we sat on some seats on the promenade and just watched the world go by. Ah, so relaxing. It wasn't too hot to be uncomfortable nor did it rain to make it miserable - just right. Then it was on the coach again for the return journey. This time the loud conversation from the two in the seats behind us somehow didn't seem so intrusive or annoying. Maybe it was because it wasn't so unexpected. They had enjoyed their day out and that was good. Everyone had had a good day.
It seems that in much of life there are two sides to a situation. We naturally think of things from our own point of view and how it affects us personally. There is nothing wrong in that. We were beginning to be a little irritated with the young lady while from her point of view she was enjoying our company. It was good the see the birds flying freely but this could only happen because there are centres that cater for such exhibitions and keep the birds in enclosures. So I was left with a reminder that not everyone thinks or feels the same as me. Others have the same legitimate right to have their opinion and way of doing things and it's helpful if I can accept that and respect them for who they are. We are all coming from different points of reference and so see things differently. There are different ways of looking at the same thing. There are other points of view that are different from my own but equally valid. It was a good reminder that a different way of seeing/doing/interpreting something is not necessarily wrong, just different. And often we can learn something new by looking at things from a different point of view.
