Don't Rock The Boat

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.

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.    

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.  

 

Targets, Aims, the True Reason

Over a couple of days I heard 3 different viewpoints of targets and aims.  The first one was about targets at work and what could be done to raise productivity or show improvement in the personal file of an employee.  We have heard so much about targets at work.  At times I get quite angry about the whole target-driven society in which we live.  Targets create an insatiable monster that keeps telling us that our best is never enough.  It seems that no matter how much we achieve, more is expected.  In many parts of society, schools, police, nhs to name but three, targets have often become the most important aspect of the work and not the life/work balance of employees or the people such jobs are meant to protect and help.  The whole system goes off course and the targets must be met at all costs.  It is a subtle form of bullying that has invaded all levels of living.  I can understand why targets and aims are put in place, often for very good, plausible reasons but so easily the target takes over and reigns supreme over the reason for doing the job in the first place.  The result is a false sense of reality of a situation; we are made to believe one thing when the reality is something different.


The second instance was with a young man who had decided that he would help his mother in the garden.  To date he has done a lot of digging, trimming, lifting and carrying, using a lot of energy and being a great help.  Some of the things he has done just wouldn't have been done at all if it had been left to the mother's efforts alone.  She was really pleased with the way he was offering to do so much and commented that maybe his dislike of gardening was changing.  His reply was not what she had expected.  Some time before his new found willingness to help with gardening, it had been suggested to him by a medical professional that he should really do a little bit more exercise in order to lose his quite substantial surplus weight.  When it was suggested that he was beginning to like gardening, he straightened up from his work and said quite clearly that he didn't like gardening, had no real interest in growing things and that when he had lost the required weight then she probably wouldn't see much of him in the garden.  At least he knew exactly what his target was and open and honest about the true reason for his efforts.


Then the next day I read a blog where the writer was telling about a young woman at church with whom she was having quite a deep conversation about relationship with God.  She commented about having a deep love for God and how we need to keep falling in love with Him.  The young woman replied that she didn't think that she had ever found that place of love or been 'in love' with God.  The older lady was a little surprised, knowing that her friend had been part of the church since childhood and always appeared devout and active in much of what was going on in the church.  Trying to understand just why she was a Christian, the young woman's reply was 'Jesus has been about getting into Heaven, Jesus has been about getting saved, Jesus had been about getting good'.  Some would say they go for the friendship of like-minded people (except they rarely see each other or know anything about each other's home life apart from what they see or hear on a Sunday).  For some, church and the whole Christianity thing is about the benefits to be got from it, a sort of check list that helps us to reach our target - heaven.  The aim is not so much about God and a loving relationship with Him but about the end rewards if we tick all the boxes and keep up the good work until we die.  This has taken the place of a deep friendship with Father Creator.

It may be good to have targets but lets make sure that they are our servants and don't become our insatiable, ruthless masters.  Let's be honest about what our targets really are and not try to pretend they are something they are not.  And please! let's not confuse the reason for our targets with what should be our real focus and objective, whether that be at work and the reason for our work, helping others or whether it be our faith and why we call ourselves a believer.  We need to ask ourselves 'What am I really aiming for?  Why do I do what I do?'    

... And ...

It is often by reading some thoughts of others that sets us off at a tangent with some thoughts of our own.  The meditations of Richard Rohr often have that affect on me.  Last week he was referring to our faith and belief systems as Yes, And ... and looked at the word 'and' and what that conjures up in our minds.  And so my thoughts began to dwell on this small word that is so often just used as a linking word between different parts of a sentence.  When I started seriously to consider this small, seemingly insignificant word, I realised that it can have quite significant properties of its own and often change the whole idea of the sentence.


The word 'and' leaves a space for more to be added.  It reminded me of the Irish comedian, Jimmy Cricket who during his act used to approach the edge of the stage and beckon to the audience saying, 'But wait, there's more!' and then continue to expand on his story.  The problem with many Christians is that as they seek to convince others that they have the truth about God (and they often do) they can forget that God is so much bigger than what they can understand.  We so often want to confine Him to our understanding and forget that there is so much more to Him than any mere mortal can possibly understand.  So in my beliefs I need to learn to say 'This is what I believe - Yes, and... ... there's more'.



'And', to me also conjures up the idea of an open door.  As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I cannot understand the totality of God or His ways so I need to leave the 'And' door open and learn to accept that my way of thinking might not be the only way.  As I have said many times before - no-one has the monopoly of truth.  We all see and understand in different ways.  Who am I to say that because someone thinks a little differently from me that they are wrong and I am right.  As God is so big and beyond my understanding, is it not possible that maybe we could both have elements of truth in our different ways of thinking?  It is sad that there exists so much intolerance among people of faith when really their lives should be showing the opposite.  This is not to water down my faith but to accept that I don't know everything and that God's love is all-embracing.


This led me to thinking about Jesus and how He seemed to deliberately seek out those whom the religious of His day perceived as undesirable.  The mish mash of characters among His closest friends - the hot headed Peter, the dreamer John, the tax collector Matthew, the doubter Thomas, the zealot  Judas ... ... and so on.  Jesus sought out people like the lepers (the social outcasts) Zacchaeus who collected money for the enemy, the adulterous woman and told stories like the Good Samaritan praising a Samaritan who was considered by the Jews to be unworthy of God's loving attention.  All such people felt comfortable in His presence while the religious people looked on them with disdain and contempt.  I wonder how many people on the edges of today's society feel welcomed and comfortable in a Christian group?  The open door of 'And' means that all are welcome in His Kingdom.

'And' the small word that can open up a whole new way of thinking.  Do I have Christian beliefs?  Yes, And ... ...

Departments of Life

The thing about large department stores is that you can do a varied shop all under one roof once you know where the different departments are.  The annoying thing, however, is when some manager decides that it would be better to change things around.  This happens especially in supermarkets.  You go in knowing where you want to head for and when you get there, the thing you want is no longer there - it has been moved!  Aarrgh!!  How often have I spent time just looking for what I'm looking for!  We like to know where everything is - everything has a place.  Parents, especially mothers, know very well the frustrated cries of 'where's my ... ...?' or 'have you seen my ... ...?'.  Some things in life seem best if they are in some sort of organised compartments.  We want to know that when we go and look for something that it will actually be there.

We carry that into other aspects of our lives. We talk about work/home balance.  In our minds we separate things into home, chores, employment, leisure, quality family time etc ... ... and God.  We allot God a space in out busy schedule - usually a Sunday morning.  During the week we try to keep to our carefully programmed schedule so that each department of our lives is maintained and in order.

The trouble is that we cannot do that with God.  It's as though we 'cater' fro Him and invite Him into our weekly 'God space'.  The truth is that it isn't possible for God to fill our 'God space' because He is already everywhere.  We are wrongly urged as children or seeking adults to 'let God into your life' when, as Jesus says, the Kingdom of God is already within us.  We are temples of the Holy Spirit.  The Psalmist reminds us,

Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I run away from where You are?  If I go up to heaven, You are there!  If I make my bed in the place of the dead, You are there!  If I take the wings of the morning or live in the farthest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me and Your right hand will hold me.  (Psalm 139:7-10)

Sometimes we get things totally the wrong way around.  We seem to think of God as part of our consumer lifestyle - an object to be possessed and stored in the right place along with all the other objects.  Some try to keep Him in a 'box' and take Him out when they remember or think of Him.  Some expressions imply that He lives in a particular place - God's house.  He is not an object, even a very treasured object.  He is not confined to one place - He tore down the confines of the curtain in the temple.  He is rather the One who wants to share our lives, every part of our lives, each compartmentalised bit of it.  We do not invite Him into our space but instead God invites us to enjoy living in His presence wherever we are.  I am not closer to God on certain days or in certain places (unlike the old saying that you are closer to God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth) even if that's how I may feel at times from my finite human perspective.  God is everywhere and so I cannot be closer to Him than I am at this moment in time, wherever I happen to be.  So I'm not going to ask Him into my life but rather ask Him to reveal Himself to me each day wherever I am and whatever I'm doing.  He is my constant friend and companion on life's journey.  He is in all and through all, ever present. 

Ramadan for Christians?

Although I have mentioned before about the gospel being all-inclusive and that God loves everyone, my mind has turned to it again this week.  I think that maybe this is as a result of it being Ramadan for Muslims and (as I have also mentioned before) I have someone in my extended family who is Muslim.  I have been thinking about her and following her blog as she writes about her experiences during this time of fasting. (You can click onto her blog here.)  We know that God loves everyone but I must admit that Christians particularly in the western world, believe this with a sort of condescending, patronising attitude of ‘yes but we have the truth’ as though we have the monopoly on the truth.  I say this having been guilty of this same attitude myself.  We tend to look at Muslims with a certain western arrogance.  And so this week as I rethink some of my attitudes and realise that I really know very little about Muslims or Islam, I thought that this would be a good time to try and learn more.

 

Rashid Kahn

Earlier this week I watched a programme called A Very British Ramadan. (You can find it here.)  It lasts just over 24 minutes - sorry about the adverts in the recording.  It is presented by Rashid Kahn, a Muslim with a very northern accent!  What I found quite surprising was how everyone seemed to be actually looking forward to the month of fasting – no food or water from sunrise to sunset.  After sunset the subsequent meal (iftar) is very important.  Many meet together, almost in festive mode and share the meal together.  They break the fast with dates and water and then whatever meal they want.  Some of those of Asian ancestry keep up family tradition but there was a group of very English Muslims, who had converted as hippies in the 1960s, and they celebrated together with vegetable soup! 

 

But Ramadan is not just about fasting and eating in the hours between dusk and dawn  but about prayer and charity to others.  There was a group of Muslim bikers (!) who stopped at a café and knelt down on the ground and prayed.  They were doing a charity ride to raise money – not for a Muslim charity but for Great Ormond Street Hospital.  There were those who shared food with neighbours as a gesture of charity towards others and those of other faiths.  One 24 year old young man was looking forward to part of the time (10 days) when he would be in solitude, praying and reading.  He was looking forward to what God (Allah) would be saying to him and what changes he would need to make afterwards to fulfil God’s will.  He said,

Seclusion is everything.  All hope, all fear of the world, worldly attachments and so on are removed and the only thing you care about is the love and mercy of God and 10 days pure – you and your Lord.

 

So I learnt that Ramadan is not just about fasting from food and drink.  It’s not merely a tradition that must be obeyed.  It’s more – it’s about charity, doing good, looking beyond the physical to our spirituality, learning where we need to improve etc.  I feel Christians could learn a lot from our Muslim friends.  I know of times when Christians have used the prayer and fasting thing more as a kind of spiritual bribe for God to do our bidding rather than it being for us to draw closer to learn what God wants to say to us.  For many the time of Lent is more about doing without sweets or some luxury rather than a time to hone our spiritual appetite.  These times should not be in order to fulfil some expectation that others may have of us or that we may appear somehow more holy by doing them (that is a sanctimonious, self-centred reason if ever there was one!) but for real spiritual growth.  I know that God does not love us more because of our efforts – He loves us just because He is Unconditional Love.  That is His nature.  I am not saying either that we should be tied to such disciplines as a necessary part of our communion with God but I feel that there is maybe a place for such times of discipline.  The mystics and the old Desert Fathers certainly thought so and I know that when I have carried out a 30 day Daniel fast (eating as Daniel and his friends did in the Old Testament) I found it of great spiritual benefit and could understand why those in authority took notice of Daniel and his friends.

 

It’s not about watering down my faith and beliefs to accommodate others – not at all!  There are points where I may disagree with Muslims but I think that if I am trying to understand people of other faiths, then at least I need to accept that for some people, this is a way that they connect with God.  Or as Richard Rohr so succinctly puts it,

When another’s experience of God isn’t exactly the way I would describe it, it doesn’t mean that they haven’t had an experience of God or that their experience is completely wrong. … … Could it not be that this Hindu, this Sufi, this charismatic, this Jewish woman has, in fact, touched upon the same eternal Mystery that I am seeking? Can’t we at least give one another the benefit of the doubt? I can be somewhat patient with people who think they have the truth. The problem for me is when they think they have the whole truth.

 

I feel that in the end what matters is that we connect with God in whatever way we feel is right for us.  I’m sure God accepts the prayer of a person regardless of their background – He looks on the heart.  I’m sure that He who is Unconditional Love doesn’t just listen to Christians and ignores everyone else.  Maybe I should try to understand others more from their point of view; see them how they are and not how I think they ought to be; see them as God sees them; not be judgmental towards others; be more willing to learn from others, whoever they are.  I am still learning.