Advent - Peace

When we think of the word 'peace' we generally think of the absence of war.  When world leaders hold peace talks, it is to try and solve the problems that are behind a particular situation where opposing sides are fighting, usually with deadly weapons.  It seems that there is always a war situation somewhere in the world at any given moment in time; the world is constantly having to tolerate the devastation and knock-on effects caused by conflict.  Can we hope amid all the killings that occur daily, that at this Christmas time there can indeed be peace on earth? 

Of course peace is not only the absence of war and conflict.  I guess most young parents with small children who are healthy, active and boisterous look at their offspring lovingly but sigh 'Oh for some peace and quiet.'  Peace for them is not the cessation of hostilities but a few moments of silence and tranquility, usually when the children have gone to bed exhausted after all their activity during the day.  Or who looks at the sunrise or sunset over still water or a country scene and doesn't get a sense of peace and tranquility?

Above our front door at our home we have the word 'Shalom', which is a Hebrew word meaning 'Peace'.  In Hebrew, however, it has a much wider and deeper meaning than just what we understand as peace.  It is a form of greeting, either of welcome or of farewell but means much more than peace, hello or goodbye.  It has a sense of wholeness, completeness, contentedness, well-being and harmony.  So the greeting the angels gave was more than peace.  They said, 'Peace and goodwill to all men'.  That includes completeness, health, safety, fulness, rest, absence of discord.  

Jesus came as God's answer to a troubled world that had lost its way.  He came as a baby who with his parents had to flee as refugees to Egypt from the fear of death at the hands of a despotic ruler.  After returning to Nazareth as a young child, he lived all his life in a country that was invaded and controlled by the mighty, imperialistic force of Rome. It seems that in 2000 years not a lot has changed in the way that humans treat each other.  Yet Jesus says that he leaves us his sort of peace, not as the world gives but a different kind of peace, a deeper, fuller, complete peace.  It might seem very difficult, if not impossible to imagine peace in the world today but maybe if I follow his teachings, then maybe I can bring peace and harmony in the spheres in which I live and move.  Shalom is more about connectedness, completion and harmony, where everything fits right together.  All creation is connected to each other and to God.  We all have his DNA in our being.  He breathed his life into all of creation.  It is his will that we should all be one in him, living and sharing together, making the world whole.  Jesus came as God's answer to the problems of the world.  His ways are still God's answer.  Peace and goodwill to all this Christmas and always.  Shalom.

Don't Forget

I must admit that I struggle with this particular time of the year.  I am really more of a pacifist and try to avoid confrontation of any sort if I can.  So I find the reminder of war and military conflict difficult.  I know and understand the arguments in favour of such action but can't help thinking that if those in power who lead their country to war were themselves to be affected by it in the same way that service people are, then there would be much more time spent in trying to avoid war in the first place.  It's fairly easy to say that there is no other way when you are not going to be killed or maimed yourself.  I must admit that I tend to dream with John Lennon's song that says ... 'Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do, nothing to live or die for and no religion too.  Imagine all the people living life in peace.'  Everybody caught up in war loses something so there are no real outright winners.  My uncle who was held prisoner by the Japanese on the infamous Siam railway used to say, 'War makes people on both sides do some terrible things.'  It would seem that the only ones who come out of it all happier are those who invent and trade in the arms industry and as long as there are wars and conflicts they are laughing all the way to the bank!

The problem is that although you might kill the ones who are considered to be the instigators and leaders of 'the enemy', you can't kill an idea so easily.  Hitler was killed but today neo-naziism, fascism and ultra-racist nationalism exist all around the world in the guise of a pseudo 'patriotism' and 'looking after your own'.  Osama Bin Laden may be dead but his ideas live on.  So, does war actually achieve anything?  In Europe we are straining under the crisis of displaced people and those fleeing war situations.  It seems a bit hypocritical to bomb places where people are living and then try to avoid helping them when they flee for their lives and no longer have a home to live in as a result.  Sometimes I wonder.  Is it just a sort of macho power thing among world leaders, a case of not losing face, more about one-upmanship?  It certainly seems to be more of a case of who has the biggest weapons and best strategies rather than who is actually right, a bit more of a power thing than a better way of living.  It reminds me of the school bully or children fighting over a toy each claiming 'it's mine ... ... no, it's mine'.  Wars are usually caused by disputes over power, who is 'right' or possession of land.  And so some people prefer to wear a white poppy to signify the desire for peace to safeguard any tendency to glorify war and conflict.  I think we need to accept both the red and white and understand the stance of the other instead of judging them as lacking patriotism. 

Prince William painting a wall.

I was very moved the other week watching DIY SOS, the Big Build.  They took on a whole street and converted some of the houses especially for veterans.  If you didn't see it you can watch it on BBC iPlayer, DIY SOS, Homes for Veterans.  It makes you wonder if being killed is maybe an easier if not better option than surviving but being disabled.  The programme showed veterans who suffered mentally, emotionally and physically as a result of their severe injuries.  The saddest thing is that so many of these veterans return as heroes but are soon left on their own.  They can no longer serve in the military, so they find themselves unemployed and unable to do the job they have been trained for.  Many have severe bouts of depression and trauma and any sudden noise triggers off terrible memories.  Some struggle to cope.  And it also affects their families.  One veteran cried at the thought that now he had a house with a lift so he could get upstairs to put his children to bed.  He had felt that he was no longer able to be the father he wanted to be.  And so there are so many tragic stories.

Prince Harry supporting disabled veterans in their fund-raising

In one of the episodes, the tradesmen were joined by Princes William and Harry as they showed their support for the project and actually did some work and talked with the workers and the veterans.  Whatever your opinion of the royal family is in general, I must admit that I do admire Harry for the way that he supports in active ways those who have been affected by their faithful military service, walking with them on long treks and adventures to raise funds for charities that help the wounded and highlighting the problems and bringing them to public awareness.  He was so right when he made the comment that we send our young men and women into war situations and when they come back injured and in need of specialist help, what sort of country are we if we don't rally round and help?  Yet these people who were willing to put their lives on the line for the country (unlike many politicians and those in seats of power), slip through the net and have to depend on charities to help them.  Some end up living on the streets.  Is that how we treat heroes?  

The original poem about the poppies in Flanders Field remembered those who had died.  It was not a racist idea - us vs them (whoever 'them' may be).  It was not about national pride.  It was not about British values (it was actually written by a Canadian)  It was not about jingoism.  It was not about glorifying war.  It was actually the opposite of all that.  It was about remembering the senseless shedding of blood and waste of lives and the national sentiment at the time was 'never again'.  Today, sadly for many it seems to be more about judging people on the sort of poppy they're wearing - or not and judging their patriotism accordingly.  It is often thought about as being 'proud to be British'  when that was not the original idea of the poppy at all.  So this Remembrance Day, don't forget the real reason for the day and the original thought behind the poppy and not confuse it with a sort of 'call to arms' or a 'we'll show 'em' kind of gung-ho attitude.  Remember those who have given their all for their country (whichever that may be).  Don't forget those who survived but for whom life has changed forever.  Don't forget those left behind who have to pick up the pieces and carry on.  Don't forget those whose homeland has been destroyed to such an extent that they can no longer live there and raise their families.  They need help.  It might seem that killing will solve the problem.  The truth is though that ideas live on and the aftermath of war and its consequences bring many more problems that need to be addressed.  Don't forget all those affected by war, wherever they are or in whatever way they are affected.  Throw your memory net wide to include all who need help as a result of war.  Don't forget the real significance of the poppy.

Remembering - Then and Now

During these days of remembering, I have been doing just that.  I was born during WW 2 and so have limited actual memories of my own but it's strange how some things stick in your mind.  I have a vague recollection of having to leave the house and take cover in the shelter outside whenever the siren sounded because planes were flying overhead at night.  As a toddler, I wasn't aware of the real danger.  It was more of an adventure.  I remember the blackout blinds at the windows and when we had to put the lights on as little as possible.  I remember the gas lights on the walls of the living room that seemed to cast strange shadows everywhere.  There are other memories of gas masks and sirens.  Even after the war had ended, I would run into the house afraid whenever an aeroplane flew overhead.  Over time things change and we do forget about disturbed nights when you had to run for shelter.  Nowadays we tend to use excessive energy on lighting our homes (and our paths, driveways and gardens)   Aeroplanes overhead now signify holidays abroad and good times, certainly nothing to be afraid of.


My Dad was a miner and so his work was deemed necessary to the war effort so he didn't join others as a soldier.  Instead as well as his regular job as a miner, producing the necessary coal, he had to do some work as a civilian so he was enlisted in the Fire Brigade while one of his brothers had to work as a porter in the hospital.  Two jobs but paid for one, all to help the nation.  Nowadays people might have two jobs for purely selfish gain to supplement their income in order to acquire more stuff and have more exotic holidays.  Money was always a bit tight so Dad used to make our toys (in the little spare time he had)  We had a beautiful, big dolls' house, a rocking horse and scooters each, all made out of wood while Mam would make things to put into the dolls' house.  How things have changed over the years.  How many children (or parents for that matter) would be quite content with homemade toys?


I remember one day my mother heard through the grapevine that there were some bananas for sale at the greengrocers in the town.  So off she went with all the family's ration books to use our food coupons to buy some fruit.  We stood in the queue for about half and hour and  were rewarded with the opportunity of buying a pound (weight) of bananas.  You could only buy what your coupon allowance permitted.  What a difference now!  I can go to the local supermarket and buy how much I want of whatever fruit or vegetable I like from just about anywhere in the world whenever I want.  I don't need to queue for half an hour.  I just go around and help myself to what I want.  I can even get it delivered to my house.

My Mam, Dad, elder brother and sister (my younger sister was born almost at the end of the decade) and me all lived with my grandma in a large 3 storey house along with my great grandma, four generations all together.  Next door to us another family of a woman and her 3 children also lived with relatives.  Her husband and my uncle (my mother's brother) were away doing their bit for the country but I can remember clearly the day my uncle arrived back and I saw him for the first time.  Sadly the gentleman whose family lived next door didn't make it.  So while we were happy there was a poor widow with 3 young children facing the future without the man of the house.  One of my Dad's brothers had been a prisoner of the Japanese on the infamous Siam railway.  He also came home safely and went on to live well into his 90s.  It is not just the soldiers who suffer.  For every one who doesn't make it, there is a family who has to face the future without him/her.


Lest we forget.  Let's remember the struggles, the danger, the make-do-and-mend attitude, limited resources in many areas of life, the challenges faced on a daily basis by those on the front line and those who remained at home to keep things ticking over.  Thank God for those who survived.  Cherish what we have now, taking nothing for granted.  Everything has a price.  We live the way we do today because others paid a high price.  But if we don't remember and learn, if we go on fighting wars and killing each other, if we take all our affluence and abundance for granted without a second thought, then they gave their all for nothing.  They did what they did so that it wouldn't happen again.  They aren't here to struggle for us again.  It's up to us to honour their memory by living and striving for peace and to learn to share the one planet we have with tolerance.  One world, one humanity, one life.  Let's make it work LEST WE FORGET.
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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!