Interfaith Journeys

The family were all looking forward to the wedding.  Family members on both sides travelled from various places to be there.  We all know of course that there are different ways of getting from point A to point B.  People have different preferences of routes, some preferring the motorways while others opting for the less busy roads, even if it takes a little longer.  The groom's mother and brother travelled up from the south by coach while his aunt and cousin travelled from the same place but by car.  Others travelled by various means from equally various places.  It didn't matter how they travelled or which route they took.  The important thing was to get there and enjoy the festivities of the wedding. 

In case any reader is unaware, this is the time of year that Muslims fast for Ramadan.  A few months ago there was a movement during the Christian time of Lent when a number of Muslims joined Christians in fasting for Lent.  The group called themselves Muslims4Lent and now in mutual solidarity there is a group called Christians4Ramadan.  I have been following a blog hosted by a distant relative who converted to Islam a few years ago.  Having come from a Christian background, she has a passion for Interfaith dialogue, not just between Christian and Muslim but also among those of other faiths and none.  During Ramadan, she has guests to post something of their experiences on her blog every day.  So far we have had articles written by a Christian vicar married to a Hindu, a Christian married to a Muslim, a Sikkh woman, a Buddhist experience in Myanmar (Burma), a Wiccan, a Heathen and an ex-Muslim.  
I have found all of the articles very interesting and eye-opening.  You can check for yourself here, A Hotchpotch Hijabi in Italy. 
I can almost see many Christian hands going up in horror at the thought.  Surely I've now clearly lost the plot altogether!  Actually reading some of these blog posts has made me realise that the many different faiths are each trying to live good lives, aware of the deep spiritual dimension within themselves.  Each one is obviously influenced by their culture and life experiences.  But I have been aware that we are all on a similar journey to the same end goal except that we are travelling from different starting points and going different routes and preferring different methods of getting there.  Jesus showed his love for all with interactions with the Phoenician woman (the immigrant), the Samaritan woman at the well (the one who left the true Jewish religion), the centurion whose servant was ill (the enemy, invader, part of an occupying army) and so on.  He didn't tell them to leave their way of life but still had time for them, showing compassion and helping them.  The Old Testament also has examples of interfaith living.  We are familiar with the story of Naaman the leper, an important official in the country where the Israelites were taken captive.  Moses' father-in-law Jethro was not Hebrew and Abraham acknowledged Melchizedek as a holy man.  Contrary to what many Christians think, God doesn't actually belong to us or our religion.  It's the other way around.  We as his creation belong to Him - and that includes all of humanity.  


What has challenged me this week has been words of the Heathen on the above mentioned blog.  He helps friends find their own faith even if they disagree with him and end up believing something completely different.  Would I do that?  So often we make friends with someone of a different faith really in order to convert them to ours, if we're truly honest.  We think we are right and we have the only true way and we remain friends only as long as there seems to be some glimmer of hope  that they will convert to our way of thinking and come to our place of worship.  That's the main problem in the world, that there is upheaval and wars between those of different faiths, fighting it out as if that would prove who is right.  It's not about watering-down our own faith but it is about really accepting that maybe there is more than one way; that we all belong to God; that we are all on our own different journey of faith; that God loves us all.  Acceptance, not just tolerance.  Very difficult at times but much better than killing each other to try to prove a theological argument.  As Richard Rohr says in one of his meditations this week,  'If you really believe in the values you say you believe in, then put them into practice.  Don't waste any time trying to prove someone else is wrong or evil.  Just live what you believe.'  Amen!  We are all on our own faith path of discovery and I am sure that as God guides and directs me, so he is more than capable of doing the same in the lives of others, whatever faith they seek to follow.  Having listened to the horrors on the news yesterday, I am even more certain that interfaith dialogue is a need for our time so that we can have discernment and be able to know the difference between those who truly seek to live out their faith, cultivate that spiritual inner being and seek to help others and not confuse them with those who twist and misuse the name of a religion and words of Sacred writings in order to inflict terror and killing any who don't see things the way they do.  Such people are not true to the religion they profess.  Tit-for-tat killing gets us nowhere except deeper into the horrors of war.  So, those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus, maybe it's time to put into practice the way he showed us, really follow him in actions as well as words and have a little more interfaith dialogue and understanding.  Love not hate.

Efficient/Effective?

This week Vicky Beeching used a quote on Twitter that was originally written by Peter Drucker, an Austrian born American management consultant.  He has been described as the 'founder of modern management'. The quote was: 'Efficiency is doing things right.  Effectiveness is doing the right things.'  That set me thinking.  It's great to be efficient.  It gets the job done and done well.  But it is imperative that the things that are done are the right things.  You can be very efficient at doing the wrong things.  So being efficient in itself is not necessarily good.


Most of this past week in our home we have had the pleasure of the company of a friend from Latvia.  We have had some very interesting conversations about many things.  We got onto the subject of people going to other countries within the church setup on particular missions.  We both know of people who have gone with a particular project or 'programme' that they intended to put into practice, as though you can programme God. How often do we have plans and ask God to bless our plans when often they are not God's plans at all?  I have known people who have been very organised and efficient but not necessarily doing the right things.  They arrive full of what they are going to do, set up this meeting and that project and within 2 to 3 years they will have so many converts and will expand to other places when maybe it would be better to identify with the people and place where they intend to work, get to know the real situation and circumstances and what is actually needed.  I also read this week about a story of helping those who need help as opposed to those that we think need our help.  There are parts of the world where, instead of organising meetings and setting up Bible classes and teaching programmes, what is really needed is tools to dig a well to save the women from having to walk miles to get a bucket of water.  Instead of trying to explain the resurrection it would be more helpful to give seeds or animals or maybe teach them methods of agriculture and business so the people could feed and fend for themselves.  I can't help feeling that much of the work is in order to promote the public standing of the group, charity or denomination that is carrying out the missions.  It often seems to be more about adding numbers to their membership or following than sharing the Good News in practical ways.  

We can be very efficient in bringing plans to fruition and getting the job done but if we are asking the wrong questions, if we are focusing on the wrong problem, the seriousness of the situation will just continue and get worse.  We need to address the cause of problems in order to be effective in bringing about a solution.  When we go to the doctor with a health problem, we often get some medication.  If the problem continues then often a deeper, more intense and detailed study by xray, scan or tests needs to be carried out in order to identify the underlying cause of the problem.  It's no use taking painkillers if the real problem is a broken leg.  The painkillers will alleviate the pain for a while but unless the broken leg is mended, the problem will still exist and cause more pain and problems.  Sometimes we might think that we are helping a situation but when we take a closer, more in-depth look at the situation we discover that the real need is something that is not really being addressed.  And so the problem continues.  Our carefully thought-out plans and efficiency will get some sort of result but the real problems are not addressed and the situation does not change in spite of all our efforts.  


It reminds me of the words of Helder Camara, the Brazilian Archbishop who was assassinated in 1999 when he said, 'When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist'.  We can be very efficient but unless we address the root causes of problems and ask the right questions we will never be effective in showing God's love as Jesus taught.  Richard Rohr recently in his daily meditations when referring to the Desert Fathers and Mothers said that for them 'faith was first a lifestyle before it was a belief system'.  The first followers of Jesus were known as People of the Way (a way of living) before they were known as people who followed a belief system.  Maybe it's time to rethink why we do what we do.  Are we just efficient or are we effective?    

Things Are Different

Sitting behind me on the bus the other day were two men having a discussion about how they gave up the habit of smoking.  One said that he had tried various types - pipe, rolling his own and the usual cigarette.  He had smoked since being a very young teenager but just decided one day that he wasn't going to smoke any more - and he hasn't.  The other gentleman had also smoked for many years but gave up because of health reasons.  The conversation went on to discuss their surprise that now neither of them liked being around people who were smoking.  They could even smell on their clothes if they had just smoked a cigarette.  The mere thought of smoking now just churned them up.  Their sense of smell and taste had improved beyond expectation and generally they felt better in their health with more energy and less coughs and wheezing.  Strange how the environment they thrived in had now become something they avoided whenever possible.  Their ideas about smoking had changed their outlook almost to the complete opposite way of thinking.

Just the other day I received an email from a friend explaining just how people should treat a dog for the blind that is in working mode.  Normally if a friend is out with his or her dog and we meet up, the immediate reaction is to greet the friend, sometimes with a hug or handshake, and also to make a fuss of the dog.  But in the case of a dog accompanying a blind person, you should never get hold of the person's hand or arm in case the dog reacts in defense of his owner.  A dog for the blind also has special times when he is given fuss and attention and that is not when he is working.  Then his full attention is on the directions of his owner.  Different situations need different responses.

Looking back over my life, although I have never smoked, I can agree with the two men who see things differently now.  How I have changed my thinking on many issues over the years!  Life experiences have taught me many lessons to the point that some things I see in a different way from how I used to see them.  I like to think that this has made me a better person, more tolerant and accepting.  There is the old saying about not criticizing someone unless we have walked in the other person's shoes.  Although the two gentlemen preferred now not to smoke, they fully understood those who still do and how difficult some find it to relinquish the habit.  They have been there and understand but now see things differently.  

Again as with the working dog, there are situations when what works with one doesn't work with another.  In life there is no one size fits all solution.  Situations are different and people are different.  We need not only to empathize with others but see them as unique and different.  Many religious people seem to think that obeying the rules, the 'do's and don'ts' is how you become affiliated to God.  There is no set formula, no specially worded prayer that saves.  Each must come to God as we are and he deals with us as we need.  That is different for everyone.  Some might find a church building inspiring where they want to worship while for others the silence and beauty of a walk in the country is where they meet and talk with God.  There was a time when I considered that part of being a Christian is going to a place of worship but now I know that anywhere can be a place of worship and that's how I now prefer to live.  What works for one does not necessarily work for someone else.  

Different people, different situations, different ways of thinking but God is one and loves all equally and is happy to meet with us anywhere, anytime and in any circumstance in which we find ourselves.  

Either/Or

Those of us living in the UK are well aware of the fact that we are in the run-up to a general election.  It's almost impossible to escape the fact.  We are bombarded on all sides with adverts, slogans, leaflets and those on social media making their preferences clear.  The other evening there was a 2 hour debate on television with 7 leaders of parties, each trying to put their view and policies across and trying to convince us to vote for them; making us decide; either or; which one shall we choose?  The truth is that many people listen and are in agreement with one party over a certain policy and with another party over a  different  policy.  The problem is that on the day of election, you can only vote for one party.  You can't vote for the different parties to deliver different policies.  It's about either one or another.

Depiction of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.

I am reminded that in the early Church, Paul had disagreements with some of the other disciples over the conversion of Gentiles.  Oh they were very happy that there were those non-Jews who were willing to listen to the story of Jesus and His teachings and wanted to follow His way but they also wanted them to become Jews.  The disciples were Jews, Paul was a Jew and so it was considered that all those who affiliated themselves to their cause should also be Jews.  That was their way of thinking.  You are one of us now.  You are either with us or you're not.  Paul never stopped being a Jew in every sense of the word.  He kept all the Jewish customs, observances,vows he had made and laws and had a number of arguments with others when they insisted that Gentiles should to do the same.   


Jesus was born, lived and died a Jew.  He never stopped being a Jew. But Paul realised that the teachings of Jesus were for everyone.  It wasn't about 'us and them'.  All were included.  He could be a Jew who loved and followed his religion and still be a follower of the Jesus way.  The non-Jews to whom Paul was a missionary,
 taking the message of Jesus, could be who they were, follow Jesus' way without having to convert to Judaism.  When the Galatians insisted that new converts should be circumcised Paul tells them 'For freedom Christ has set us free: stand fast therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.' (Galatians 2:11-12) The message of Jesus goes beyond tribal and ethnic observances, beyond culture, beyond religious affiliation.  It is for all.  They were known as 'people of The Way'.  Jesus himself said that he is The Way.  He said 'Follow me'.  It wasn't about observing the rules and laws of Judaism.  Jesus on numerous occasions deliberately did not observe the laws saying it was about doing the right thing not necessarily what the law stated.  It was about doing things his way, following his example, living his teachings.  It was for all people everywhere - all means ALL - a way of living, a way of loving.  Sadly 'people of The Way' became known as Christians and another tribal ethnicity was born.  Nowadays in many parts it's more about conforming to certain dogmas than living the way of Jesus.  It's more about doctrine than practice, those who belong to a certain group rather than God's love for whoever, regardless of culture or way of life.  

This Easter let's remind ourselves of the real message of Jesus - bringing good news to the poor, feeding the hungry, helping those who are hurting physically, emotionally and mentally, being there for the outcast and the unloved. It's not about which side we're on but about doing what's right, even if that disagrees with our particular tribe.  The message of Jesus is love.  He died for love.  If you haven't heard it before listen to the words of this song by Godfrey Birtill.  Love, love,love.  Lord help us to live The Way of Love.

Conundrum

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!

IMHO

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. 

Culture Club

This week began, Sunday 12th October, with a day that is commemorated in many parts of the world.  It remembers the day in 1492 when Christopher Columbus set foot on soil across the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Hispaniola.  Until now, in Spain and the Americas, the day has been celebrated as a day of victory and conquest of the Spaniards over the indigenous peoples they encountered, being a national holiday with parades, ceremonies and speeches.  Recently, however there has been a move to recognize, although not officially, that it should be remembered as a day of the indigenous minority and how they suffered near extinction at the hands of the conquistadors.  Two completely different cultures and religions collided with catastrophic results.



This week in parliament there has been a vote to recognize Palestine as a state in its own right.  There has been conflict between Palestinians and Israel almost without a break ever since the Israeli Declaration of Independence, signed 14th May 1948 that recognized Israel's national home in Palestine.  Since then, Israel has celebrated the day with a holiday for all its citizens.  Again there is a similarity that one nation celebrates a victory and take-over of the land of another nation, leaving them virtually without a land they can call their national home.  The differences based on religious grounds seem insurmountable.  And so we could go throughout the world finding tribe fighting tribe, nation fighting nation because they infringe on 'their territory'.


The problem seems to be that people of a specific culture are so often intolerant of people of another culture, looking on them as evil and needing to be got rid of however that may be.   Within most religions of the world there are different sects that interpret their sacred writings in a particular way.  We are aware of how much animosity there is between Sunni and Shi'ite, noting that terrorists have mercilessly executed Muslims who are not from their particular brand of Islam.  There are other groups of Muslims that differ because of the culture of where they are living.  The same can be said of Jews, depending on whether they are European or Oriental in origin.  Oriental Jews have in the past been persecuted by other Jews but recently have become accepted by the mainstream of their religion.  Of course the same thing applies to Christians.  The differences within the same religion, let alone differences with other religions is often due to the cultural differences of where people live.  Their customs as a nation often colour their perspective on their particular religion and their interpretation of sacred writings, causing different views and practices depending on which part of the world they live in.  If I had been born and raised in India, would I be an evangelical Christian or maybe Hindu?  If I had been born in Saudi Arabia, would I be Muslim?  If so, which strand of Islam would I follow?  Is it any wonder that non-religious people blame religion for most of the wars in the world?

  
 Thinking of different cultures, I was interested to discover that the members of the successful 80s band Culture Club have a very valuable lesson to teach us.  When they first got together to form the band, they realized just what a mixed bag they were.  The lead singer Boy George was an Irish transvestite, the bass player Mikey Craig was a black Briton, Roy Hay on guitar and keyboards was Anglo-Saxon and drummer and percussionist Jon Moss was Jewish.  (Taken from Wikipedia)  Each one of them came from a completely different cultural background and so they decided to reflect this in their name - they were a club of different cultures making harmony together.  Religious people might have considered them out on the fringes of society, outrageous in their dress sense, sexuality and behaviour but if we have eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to understand, we can learn a very valuable lesson from their example. 

We need to ask ourselves which club of culture are we in, recognizing that our outlook and way of living is very much influenced by and reflects the culture of where we are living and how we have been brought up.  Wouldn't it be nice if different cultures could join together in harmony instead of killing and persecuting each other?  I might not be in a position of power to change things on a national scale or have any influence in an international debate but I can make a difference where I am.  I can live in the spirit of Culture Club, accepting others, not as wrong but just being different, making harmony instead of discord with people who might have a different idea of God from me or have different ways of.living and outlook on life.  Let's make heavenly music - together!

  

Making Space

It's that time of year when the nights are closing in and the temperature begins to drop a few degrees, when we need to make sure that everything is ready to withstand the winter and whatever bad weather it throws at us.  The trees are shedding their leaves and it's time to trim back, get rid of dead flowers and branches and generally tidy up and sort out in the garden.  For me, part of that preparation for winter has been to give the garden sheds and fence their annual top-up coat of paint/creosote.  This year I've been doing some sorting out in the sheds.  Oh dear, how we accumulate 'stuff', a lot of which I really don't know why it's there. It's so easy to just take something we don't really use much and shove it in the shed, out of sight, out of the way.  At the bottom of our garden we have a very old brick bunker/shelter, possibly used during the war for a family to keep safe(r) during air raids.  When we moved into the house 5 years ago, the shelter had quite a few old doors, wooden posts and other bits and pieces in it.  A couple of weeks ago a very good friend and neighbour from down the street (Pete Davies for those who know him) and his teenage son (Ben) cleared it all out for me .  So that set me off to clear out our other sheds and declutter.


It's amazing just what you find when you have a clearout.  I discovered a small garden hand fork that I had totally forgotten about.  It had been a gift from a friend when we moved in here and was part of a set with secateurs and small trowel.  It was special for me as after years of living in an upstairs flat, where on opening the door to go out, you saw stairs, now I could open the door and see a garden.  I use the secateurs and trowel but can't remember the last time I used the fork - years probably.  The truth is that some things that we think are lost are not really lost at all, they are just abandoned and forgotten underneath a pile of clutter.  When we begin to move things and get rid of all the carefully kept rubbish that we have accumulated, we can come across something we thought had gone forever but all the time it was just waiting there for us to rediscover its whereabouts.

What a difference a declutter makes!

On property programmes they often tell clients that it is best to declutter if they want to sell their homes more quickly.  The truth is that potential buyers want to see the house and not the present owner's personal clutter or family history depicted in photos.  They want to visualize how they would fit in and how they would adapt it to their own needs.  On a spiritual level. many people express that same thought when they say that they want God/Jesus but not the church.  Just like the potential house buyer, they are really not interested in all our personal religious add-ons of our particular preferred expression of faith.  Just like in the bible verse when some people approached one of the disciples saying, 'We would see Jesus'.  Really people just want God and not have to accept all the other bits that some religious people seem to think is a part of God.  They present the gospel as a package deal, you can't have God without all the extra do's and don'ts.  And frankly, they're not buying. 

Over the past few years I have had much spiritual clutter that I have got rid of in order to see God more clearly.  Some people like to live in clutter.  That's not necessarily wrong but it can often cover something that we need or have been looking for.  Much of the spiritual stuff that we accumulate is actually other peoples stuff that is not necessarily what I need or want. and I need to see God for myself, not through the eyes of someone else.  If my relationship with Him is personal as we all claim it to be, then it must be my relationship and not just a copy or cloned duplicate of how someone else tells me it should be.  And so I continue to declutter my life and rediscover treasures.  Less is more - less religious 'clutter' and more God.  We have much to consider and learn from creation and on a regular basis 'declutter' the bits that no longer serve the purpose, discard them and make way for new growth in a new season.

Thoughts From Down Under

Earlier this week, my elder son Martin and his partner Lisa came to visit for a few days.  They have recently returned from 3 months travelling around Australia, from Melbourne up the east coast past Cairns and then across and down from Darwin through Alice Springs, Uluru (Ayers Rock) and back to Melbourne.  We were able to share in their adventure through their many photos and stories of their travels.  I found particularly interesting the stories of the aborigines and their beliefs.  They are an ancient race having lived on that land for over 40,000 years and so their stories of creation and other spiritual beliefs go back way beyond anything we as Christians may have.  We consider their stories to be just that - stories, myths and legends - not necessarily literally true but they cling on to their beliefs that have been handed down orally over thousands of years.  

A model of a coracle type of ark as on the ancient tablet

I also watched this week a programme about 'The Real Noah's Ark' where a professor and associates reconstructed a boat according to information on an ancient clay tablet.  It was a story of a flood with instructions on how to build a boat to save a man, his family and animals.  The instructions also interestingly said that the animals were to go in 'two by two'.  This particular tablet predated our biblical story of Noah by over 1000 years.  The boat to be built was actually round, more like a coracle than the ark we think of.  Archaeologists have discovered that in that region of the Tigris/Euphrates rivers there were many such great floods in ancient times and many would indeed make super-sized coracles to save their families and belongings.  It is thought that the Hebrew exile in Babylon was greatly influenced by such stories and maybe had some effect on stories that they also handed down to their descendants.  

Uluru (Ayers Rock) is a sacred Aboriginal site but so many
lack respect for the religious views and beliefs of others as
this notice and undeterred climbers show.

We look at other spiritual traditions and think of them as fables, myths and not fact while other religions often look at our holy book in the same way.  So it seems to beg the question -  how many of our Bible stories are just that, stories that have been told and handed down over generations in order to teach some spiritual truth.  Knowing how Jesus himself was a great story teller, it seems quite possible that much of holy writings, beliefs and spiritual stories (of many different religions) are just a way of trying to explain some truth that is often difficult to put into words but are not really to be taken literally.  (I can almost sense the fundamentalists putting their heads in their hands, gasping in horror and  declaring that I have surely 'lost my faith'!)  But why do we condescendingly smile at aboriginal stories and yet are offended if others do the same to us?  Who are we to go bulldozing our way in and telling someone whose tradition is over 40,000 years old that he is wrong and we are right?  The arrogance of such an empire spirit never ceases to amaze me.

The first plane that started the Flying Doctor Service

Another interesting story that Martin and Lisa told was of Rev John Flynn.  He had been appointed to minister in the outback.  In 1912 he established the Australian Inland Mission in order to attend to the spiritual, medical and social needs of those living in the outback.  He built hospitals but is mostly remembered for implementing with a friend what has become known as The Flying Doctor Service.  His concern was that people were so isolated and his greatest desire was to help people to connect.with others.  Over the years he managed to get an aeroplane and a pilot but the problem was how people could access this service.  Another associate invented a pedal radio and so in 1929 people could call on the Flying Doctor Service.  Later transistor radios replaced the pedal kind and people were then able to contact their 'neighbours' many miles away and families were once again in touch with each other.  John Flynn was a Presbyterian minister but rather than trying to get people to travel in order to gather in one building to worship together, he saw their need and tried to meet that need right where they were.  He cared for aborigines as well as white settlers whether they accepted his Christian beliefs or not.  That is why he is remembered to this day.  That seems like a Jesus thing to do - not being consumed with the idea of getting people to meet on the Sabbath/Sunday in the synagogue/temple/church building but rather seeing a need and working to meet that need.

Mmm!  Thank you Australia for the lessons you share.  Much to ponder.    

Where Are The Superheroes?

It's no news to my friends that I am a big fan of Dr Who.  In our home we have quite a collection of Dr Who DVDs dating right back to the very first story with William Hartnell.  The truth is that I like all that fantasy stuff and superheroes.  It's pure escapism.  The world is in crisis and there's this person with extraordinary super powers that just appears out of the blue, fights our battles for us and saves humanity from disaster.  I wish real life were that simple but we all know that in the various crises that are happening all around us all the time, the superheroes with super powers aren't anywhere to be found.

Some people use religion as some sort of fantasy role-play game with God as the superhero.  He is just waiting for some human crisis so he can leap into action, descending from the sky and using his super powers to put things right for us.  If he doesn't appear then we are at fault - we didn't pray hard enough or loud enough (as thought God is deaf!) or more likely we don't have enough faith.  So instead of feeling helped by God we are guilt ridden because the continued crisis is obviously our fault.  According to the Bible, God's way of solving the world's problems was not by zapping everyone into extinction but by loving them into his kingdom through the self-sacrifice of his son.  After feeding the 5000 the people wanted to make Jesus king.  Jesus knew that the people only wanted him as king because he gave them to eat and they thought that with him as king there would be an end to hunger and poverty.  His reaction was to walk away.  That wasn't how God works.

Undoubtedly God does intervene on many occasions in our lives.  We can all testify to some time when God seems to have just taken control and got us out of some crisis   But he's not like some superhero suddenly appearing out of the blue.  He is already here.  In the beginning his spirit breathed life into the earth.  The whole earth is his design with his DNA throughout and we are part of that creation.  Jesus urges us to follow him, be like him.  He showed us how to live according to God's plan.  He said 'I and the Father are one' and so are we.  God doesn't want us to be passive, waiting for him to descend and use his powers.  He wants to solve the world's problems with and through us.  It's not about a superhero/human relationship but a partnership working together.  It's not so much God with us and God in us.


There is the saying that we are the people we have been waiting for.  There is no superhero who will come brandishing his sword or stretching out his arm and thrusting out a power surge to floor our enemy.  God takes no side in war, religious or otherwise.  He wants to work through us to solve the problems of war, famine, poverty, persecution and injustice.  He is not 'out there', he's 'in here', in us and wants to use us.

Mam Said ...

My sister has recently made contact with a lady who used to live near to us when we were all growing up.  That started us reminiscing about her and her family.  One day, the lady who lived 3 doors away from us (the said lady's mother) came and knocked on the door of our home.  She wanted to talk to Mam.  She was obviously upset about something.  Mam invited her in, put the kettle on and 'suggested' to us that we should go outside or upstairs and do something.  We knew that that meant that we were not to be around when they were talking adult stuff!  The woman's young teenage daughter (who had recently contacted my sister)) had told her that she was pregnant, and I'm talking about the late 50s early 60s - not at all acceptable!  Mam sat and listened.  They drank tea and talked for quite a while before the woman went back to her house a little less stressed.  That young teenage daughter, now more than 50 years on, is a mother and grandmother and still very happily married to her childhood sweetheart.  The thing about Mam was that our home was open to anyone who needed help, whoever they were.  My sister and I smiled at the thought that she probably knew some intimate secret about most of our neighbours who had at some point confided in her.  She didn't preach at people or spout Bible verses at them, didn't invite them to accompany us to church on Sunday, didn't even criticise them and never repeated a confidence.  Whenever we made some snide comment about anyone, her reply was always, 'God loves everybody and so should we.  It's not our place to judge.  Our job is to help.'  She didn't just believe in God's all-embracing love, she lived it.

The death of Atahualpa, ruler of the Incas

The news recently has had much to concern us about terrorism, kidnappings and persecution.  Many are sharing thoughts and prayers for Christians who are in such a position in Iraq, and rightly so.  How dreadful that they should be threatened with death just because they don't want to accept the religious biases of their captors.  I couldn't help thinking though about many centuries ago when Christians did the same thing.  We are often reminded of the crusades and how still today they are remembered by many but we sometimes forget about the persecution of those of other faiths during the Spanish Inquisition and hardly ever think about the thousands of Incas who were slaughtered because they couldn't understand the Trinity and didn't want to embrace Christianity.  They were a peace loving race of people who had a very good way of life when they were suddenly invaded by a people who had travelled thousands of miles across the ocean, killing and stealing as they went.  All who didn't accept their way of Christianity were mercilessly annihilated.  The verse 'he who is without sin let him cast the first stone.' comes to mind.  


I am not saying that we shouldn't be concerned and intercede for those we love, those who belong to our particular religious group.  Of course we should.  But sometimes I think it is easy to feel that somehow God is more concerned about Christians than others.  We often don't give a second thought about a situation unless some westerner or Christian is involved as though somehow it's not as bad if someone from another religion is suffering but woe betide if it happens to a Christian!  Let us be clear, God is not a Christian.  God is God.  God doesn't love Christians more than he loves anyone of another religion.  It's like, yes, but God leans more in favour of Christians than other religions surely.  After all we accept his son as Saviour, others don't.  The story of the Prodigal Son tells us differently.  God loves all whether we accept his ways or not, remain within his household or reject him.  We are all equal in the eyes of God and he never stops loving us, no matter what.  Jesus cried out to God to forgive those who killed him.  God is Love, all-encompassing and unconditional Love.  Of course He hates the persecution of Christians.  He also hates the persecution of Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists or any other religious group.  People suffer persecution for many reasons.  How many times have we heard of  a young woman being killed to restore some idea of 'family honour' when she didn't want to marry the man of her parents' choice?  The 200 young schoolgirls are still missing in Nigeria, taken into captivity just because they were female and seeking to be educated and going to school.  Homosexuals are being killed in parts of the world just because of their sexuality.  There are those who are persecuted because of their nationality/tribe or shunned and left to die because of some disability.

God's love is all-embracing,  all-inclusive, unconditional.  I ask God that he will help me to not be narrow-minded, thinking only of my own particular religious group but

to see all people as he sees them,  be concerned for all his creation, wherever they are and pray for all who are persecuted for whatever reason.  As Mam said, 'God loves everybody and so should we.' 

OT Christians or Jesus People

There is a cartoon that I follow on Facebook called 'Coffee with Jesus'.  A few days ago they published the following cartoon and it set me thinking.  What does 'Jesus people' really mean?

We consider Jesus People and Christians to be synonymous but I have come to the conclusion that there are many things about Christianity as people think of it today that are not in accord with the things that Jesus said and did.  They don't follow his way of doing things and understanding as to what the gospel message is.

There are so many rules and regulations about what we should or shouldn't do, think or believe.  Our thinking and standards are so often based on Old Testament law.  Many times (I don't really know how many as I haven't actually counted but I'm sure someone, somewhere has) Jesus says about the law 'Moses said but I say to you ... ... '  He was known for breaking the law as written in their Scriptures - he healed on the Sabbath, he and the disciples walking in the fields and plucking and rubbing ears of corn to eat were actually working on the Sabbath, he spoke to a stranger, a woman and a Samaritan woman at that (sworn enemy of Jews), he even made a Samaritan the hero of one of his stories.  Sticking to the letter of the law might have been very commendable to a Pharisee but Jesus didn't seem to have anything in common with the Pharisees and showed that people and how they felt were far more important.   

The Old Testament shows how women have second place and on the whole Scripture is written from the male point of view.  Jesus crossed that barrier and spoke to women treating them as equal to men.  He accepted women among his followers and gave the first preaching assignment after his resurrection to a woman - 'Go tell the disciples and Peter ...'   Many Christians today still do not accept the place of women as equal basing their ideas and thinking in the Old Testament saying that Scripture says that women shall serve men.  Looking at it a bit closer we realise that this was as a result of the Fall and was not God's original intention or plan for women.  He made man and woman to be equal partners.  If the coming of Jesus was a means to put things right again between man and God, then women are not the lesser of the species , neither inferior nor subservient to the men.  The Jesus way restores women to their rightful place as equals in all aspects of life - home, work, relationship as well as religion.  All are equal in the eyes of God.

When Jesus began his ministry, he read from the book of Isaiah saying that his ministry was in order to preach good news to the poor, set the prisoners free, help the blind to see and release the oppressed.  (Isaiah 61:1,2)  In other words his gospel was not about comfortable middle class resting and enjoying life.  It was about helping those living in the margins of life, struggling to survive and bringing hope to those who seemed to have none.  Many Christians today rest on their laurels if they go to a place of worship regularly, give in the offering and generally try to live a good life, (especially if they don't swear, drink or smoke).  It's not about keeping spiritually comfortable and safe while waiting for pie in the sky when we die.  The gospel message Jesus told us to declare is not about 'in-house' mutual backslapping and a Sunday morning feel-good factor of (sometimes quite smug) self satisfaction.  It's for those who don't fit in, those 'untouchables' that Jesus had time and compassion for, the mixed-up and lonely, the poor and hungry, to bring back hope where it has been lost, to lift up those who don't see a way out of their despair, to hug the unlovable. 

I won't make this post too long so I'll mention just a couple more very quickly and leave readers to ponder more about them.  There are those who take pride in religious buildings - for some the bigger and more ornate the better it would seem.  Jesus walked the countryside considering the lilies of the field that God had made so beautiful, praising God for knowing when even the most inconspicuous bird fell out of the sky.  God's first idea after Eden was a tent that travels wherever people travel - it/He is always with us.  His stories were taken from everyday life that everyone could relate to.  Another consideration is that no-one paid Jesus or his disciples for doing what they did.  Even Paul on his long missionary journeys worked at making tents to help pay his way.  And I say this as one who has in the past received payment for leadership within the religious set-up.  I wonder how many missionary journeys would happen if everyone paid their own way and were not paid to be a special speaker at some event!?

Just a few rambling thoughts on being what I would call Old Testament Christians or Jesus People.  I'll leave you to decide where you are.  But be honest with yourself and God!  Me? - I like and relate to the words of Jim Palmer:

Pointing To The Moon

A couple of thoughts have been going round in my head all this week.  The first is that on a few occasions within the past few days, I have seen references to the story in Zen spirituality about a young man who was diligently studying the holy book and practices when a much older spiritual leader approached him and asked him what he was doing.  When the young man explained that he was studying hard in order to become a better disciple of his religion, the older, much wiser man told him the parable of the finger pointing to the moon.  He likened the moon to truth and the finger pointing the way to that truth.  He added that sadly what the young student was doing was that he was more intent on looking at the finger and missing the moon altogether.  We need to look past the pointer to see the truth.

The second incident was of my online friend Paul Leader who used to be a church leader but seven years ago opted out of organised religion.  There are occasions when people ask him back to speak to them in church buildings and he is always happy to accept.  The fact that he returns to the system that he left leaves some people a little confused.  Those who still engage in the system feel that maybe he hasn't totally left it all behind while some of those, like Paul who have emerged from oraganised church feel that he is somehow giving in and letting down the side of emergents.  It seems he can't win so he smiles and does what he feels is right for him.  


The issue as I see it is that we tend to look at the whole church thing as an end in itself when surely it is a way to the end, a pointer to the truth that is God.  Does it really matter how we reach God?  Surely the important thing is that we do connect with Father Creator.  I remember a number of years ago, when I helped in a charity shop connected to the church group where I used to go every Sunday, one of the leaders was asking how we managed to help those who came into the shop.  It was mentioned that for those who wanted, we would pray with them and try to give helpful advice and guidance.  The leader asked if we invited the customers to the church meeting on Sundays and I replied that 'No, we pray with them and leave it up to God to direct them if that is what they should be doing'.  By the reaction, I thought that maybe I had spoken in Chinese or had grown another head or something.  It's as though the only way to reach God seemed to be by attending a building on a Sunday morning; that helping people was a means of getting them into the system they call 'church' and not just because they need help.


There are many discussions, some more amicable than others, about the rights and wrongs of the practices of people of faith.  Those who are wrong are considered to be those who don't agree with our way of thinking.  We, of course are right.  But if we liken the whole issue to a pointing finger, it seems that too much time is spent on discussing what the hand is like - a young, active hand; an older, worn hand; maybe a hand of a different shade; maybe the finger is adorned with rings or painted nail.  There are many types of hand and the finger that is doing the pointing may be very good and interesting to study and look at but all the time we concentrate on the hand and finger that is pointing, we actually miss the point altogether. I'm sure that God uses many different ways to point to Him.  Why wouldn't He?  He created the whole universe so what makes us think that our way is the only way?  We have to stop looking at the finger.  That is not the truth, only the pointer.  Look past whichever finger you choose to use and look to the truth.