Cherry Picking

Our cherry tree laden with fruit (inedible to humans)

When we moved into our current home I was pleased to find there were two large cherry trees in the back garden.  The first spring we were here, they both blossomed and so we looked forward to the fruit later that year.  Ah!  Oh dear!  One of the trees didn't give any cherries at all - nothing, zilch, zero, nada!  It was unbelievable, after all that lovely blossom. After 6 years we still get loads of lovely blossom but haven't seen any fruit, not even one very small cherry on that tree.  The other tree however was absolutely laden with fruit.  Oh, good.  That sort of made up for the disappointment of the other tree.  I picked a couple to eat - well you have to try things before you give them to others in the family!  Ugh!  They were so bitter.  I was determined to make use of them so I decided to pick some and cook them in a pan with a load of sugar and then make a cherry pie.  Well, that went down a treat - very nice.  Until the next day that is, when both my son and I spent much of the time in the smallest rooms of the house (thankfully we have the bathroom upstairs and a downstairs WC) until the cherries had completed their journey through our digestive system!  Needless to say, we haven't had any cherries from the garden since then,  The birds seem to enjoy them so we leave them for the feathered population that visit our garden.  It seems that cherry-picking doesn't always have the results you hope for or expect.

Life's like that.  You look forward to something.  You make plans in your head of what is going to happen and what you're going to do when such and such happens ... ... but then it doesn't turn out the way you hoped.  You're left with a strange feeling inside, not the experience you'd hoped for.  But you deal with it, learn from it and life goes on.

The problem I find though is that so many people look at circumstances and ask 'What did I do to deserve that?'  'Why has God allowed this to happen to me?'  It's as though God is some sort of super Santa Claus who's checking us out to see who's been naughty and who's been good and gives rewards accordingly.  God is not a Santa Claus for grown-ups!  He's not in the business of rewarding us for 'good works' and punishing us if we fail. That's not how he is or how he works.  He simply loves us no matter what.  C S Lewis said,

 'If God is love, he is, by definition, something more than mere kindness.' 

In Matthew's gospel we read that God sends the rain on the just and the unjust and that the sun shines on the good and the evil in like measure.  Some things are just the stuff of life.  And things happen to us whether we are believers or unbelievers.  Religious faith and belief are not an insurance policy against bad things happening.  What is in the 'insurance policy' of faith though is that God will walk with us through the difficulties.  When Jesus talks about leaving his peace to his followers, he didn't mean peace as in lack of turmoil, difficulties, heartache or problems.  It's a different sort of peace.  It's the sort of deep-down peace.  If you picture the ocean in a storm and the wind and waves are lashing about, tossing about anything on the surface of the water.  But deep down underneath, there is calm - no wind, no waves, no tossing about.  Just deep peace.  I don't need to spiritualise the picture - you get it.

On Twitter I follow a man called David Hayward.  He has a blog called nakedpastor.com  He describes himself as a graffiti artist on the walls of religion.  (Click on the link to check him out)  The other day he wrote on Twitter 'I certainly can't rely on external circumstances to achieve peace.  Peace must begin in my mind.' 

We can't cherry-pick our life's experiences.  We can plan ahead but don't get upset if things don't turn out the way you hoped.  Disaster has a habit of rearing its ugly head.  No matter who you are or what your beliefs are, life happens!  It's how we react and deal with the situation that matters.  But we don't need to struggle on our own - God wants to walk with us.  His love wants to envelop us and give us that deep peace amid the storm.  Accepting his offer of peace doesn't stop the storm but it helps to get through it.

Living It

I have to admit that when I was at school (many, many moons ago!) I was more of a Maths person.  I loved Algebra.  To me it seemed more like a game, solving a puzzle.  What I never really liked was the science subjects. (Sorry to all you scientists out there.)  We had to take at least one science subject so I decided on Biology.  I always found reading the scientific books very hard going, especially when they used Latin terminology.  But I did enjoy the practical lessons.  After carrying out some experiment, the dull, boring books somehow came to life.  On doing the experiments and discovering the results, the written word began to make some sense.  Even now I love watching nature documentaries and seeing things that you can only imagine when you read about them.

The written word, although necessary and good for reference is only part of the whole picture.  So many people refer to sacred texts as though they are the be all and end all of religious thought.  We call the Bible the Word of God.  Many take that to mean that there was no word from God before the Bible or has been since.  For them the written word in the Bible is the sum total of what God is and what his truth means almost to the point of worshipping the written word.  But God's first words were of creation - and God said ... ....  Throughout the Bible we have stories of God's word.  He gave the commandments, written words, rules of dos and don'ts as a guide.  He spoke through prophets in order to bring his words alive.  Often the prophets would actually live out their prophecies so people could see what they meant.  And then of course, Jesus came to show us what God is like - the (written) word made flesh.  We can read something and not really grasp the full meaning until we actually see it lived out.

I like to think of nature as the first Bible - the spoken word of God as opposed to the written word.  Our faith should not be just about the written word, theology, the things that we believe.  It's not about reciting creeds, dogmas and belief systems.  The written word should always point to the living word.  We are each a living example of our faith.  The Celtic British monk Pelagius (c 354 - 418) once said, 

'It is not what you believe that matters, it is how you respond with your heart and your actions.  It is not believing in Christ that matters, it is becoming like him.'  

Red Admiral butterfly

We learn from nature, the living word of God how all of creation is interdependent.  One species does not exist to the exclusion of all others.  Even within a species there is diversity.  A white cabbage butterfly is not 'wrong' because it is not coloured like a red admiral butterfly.  We smile at that ridiculous thought.  Yet we look at others who look, think and act a bit differently from us and presume that they must be wrong.  No!  They're just different.  Jesus (the written word made into the living word) shows that God's love is all-embracing.  As Richard Rohr in one of his meditations this week says,

Unfortunately we moved all-knowing of God largely into the realm of argumentative words, which extremely narrowed the field of knowing and actually experiencing.

I wish we could take on board God's living word and learn from it more and not be so dogmatic about our personal and particular interpretation of the written word so that our experience of him becomes deeper and more meaningful - his living word becoming flesh in and through us.

Growing and Evolving

It's that time of year when many young people are in transition.  They have finished school or college, completed their exams, some already knowing the results and are contemplating the future.  With each year, they have moved on, moved up into the next year at school until now when their formal education is all but finished.  And such is life.  Everything has a season.  Things change and evolve.  We change and evolve.  Our lives are not the same as they were 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago.  Sometimes the change is so gradual we don't even notice it while at other times it is a result of certain decisions we have made.

At the moment in the garden we are enjoying our strawberries.  They started off a few years ago as very small plants.  In the spring we look for the flowers appearing, a sign of what sort of harvest we might enjoy.  The more flowers should produce more fruit.  If the plants did not produce flowers then I would be tempted to dig them up and discard them. They are obviously not going to come to anything, certainly not produce the fruit that we planted them for.   We look for the first signs of those small buds and then for the flowers to open.  But on the other hand it wouldn't be natural for the plants to keep flowering all summer, even if they do look nice and the bees like them.  In creation the buds have to give way to the flower.  Then the flower must die in order to allow the fruit to grow through.


Each stage is necessary and we build on it for the next season.  That doesn't make the original stage wrong, it's just that now we need something more, something different.  A baby begins by drinking milk.  But if an adult consumed only milk, we would know that there was definitely a problem.  Just because the total milk diet was right and proper at the beginning doesn't mean that it must always be so.  An adult needs more than milk to be healthy.  The milk was right for that time but not now.  It reminds me of the words of Paul when he says to the Corinthians, 'I gave you milk not solid food, for you were not ready for it.  Indeed you are still not ready.'


I have on occasions asked why certain things are done in a particular way only to hear the reply, 'Well we've always done it that way'.  Sadly in our church system we find that we can go week after week, do the same things in the same way and nothing changes.  Change seems to be frowned upon.  Many seem stuck in a time warp, not willing to grow and evolve.  I have even heard church leaders saying things like,'We've been here before', and yet they continue to go around in circles coming back to the same thing again and again.  It's as though in our spiritual lives our growth is stunted as we continue to drink the milk and haven't progressed to solid food.  We are happy to just sit passively and be fed.  We just drink what is easily digested instead of taking in real meat to chew on.  On many occasions Jesus said that even though Moses had given them the Law, he was saying something different.  He came to fulfil the Law, in other words to move on from it.  It was right at the time but now they need to have a different way.  It's not natural or right for mature adults to have their parents keep telling them what they can and can't do or organising their lives for them.  They have the maturity to make their own choices. 


We can't go in to the next chapter if we keep on re-reading the last chapter.  The questions I need to ask myself are - am I just going round in circles in my spiritual life? what have I learnt about God that I didn't know or understand before? do I prefer to just sit and be fed or am I willing to seek food for myself? am I still holding on to and reliving past experiences or am I continually moving on? have I grown in the past year?  

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.

Flightless

This week I watched a very interesting programme by David Attenborough.  The truth is that I find all of his programmes interesting.  He always seems to come up with new things and very interesting details about creation.  I like his style and way of presenting so when the new programme was televised, of course I had to watch.  It was about birds but not the usual garden kind or even exotic types like birds of paradise.  They were birds that don't fly.  The point was made that when we think of birds we think of creatures that fly, sing and have feathers.  But there is a group of birds that don't fly, can't sing and their 'feathers' are more like fluff and certainly not suitable for flying as the different strands don't have hooks to make them click together in an aerodynamic way.  In fact some of these birds barely have wings at all.  


Scientists still put them in the category of birds because of their DNA and evolutionary history.  Apparently they became land based after the dinosaurs died out and they were no longer predated and so didn't need to fly away to safety.  It was then that they were able to stay on land and grow really big,  unlike the birds that they had evolved from.  There are five birds in this group: the ostrich (Africa), rhea (South America), emu and cassowary (Australia) and the kiwi (New Zealand).  The point that got to me was that although this group of birds were not at all like the usual sort of bird, they were still categorised as birds.  Scientists accepted that even though they were nothing like their distant cousins, they were still birds.  


We humans tend to categorise other people all the time, whether it be by religion, politics, gender, profession, nationality, likes and dislikes, disability and health ... ... and so on.  We have cartoon images in our minds of a beret-wearing, onion-selling Frenchman, a loud American tourist, a pasta-eating Italian, a yodeling Swiss goatherd, a beer-swilling, wurst-eating German ... etc.  Of course we know that not every Frenchman wears a beret and not all of the Swiss yodel.  Just as we don't expect other nationalities to think that all British men wear bowler hats.  But there is a tendency that until we get to know someone then we have a certain image in our minds depending on the category we have placed them in.  I remember many years ago someone who didn't want to tell her Christian friend that she was getting a divorce because she thought that she would disapprove and probably give her a lecture about 'til death us do part'.  Actually the friend would not have reacted in that way, just the opposite but how often we prejudge what people are like because they have been given a label and put into a category. 

An ostrich can't fly, a cassowary can't sing and the 'feathers' and wings of the kiwi are almost non-existent.  Yet they are birds.  Not all Germans drink beer but they are still Germans.  People express their love for and relationship with God in different and varied ways.  Just because someone doesn't fit exactly into our thinking of what a Christian is or  should do doesn't mean that they are not Christians.  Doing things differently doesn't mean it's wrong.  It's just different.  It's a shame that we can easily accept such diversity in the natural world yet find it difficult to do the same with God's human part of creation.  Like the flightless birds, people grow, evolve and change.  God is BIG and all-encompassing and all of his creation is varied and that's the wonder of it.  

Some Hope!

Some hope!  When we hear that expression used, it often means that actually there is no hope as opposed to some hope.  It's like saying 'there's no chance that will happen'.  When we look at various situations in the world where there is so much pain and poverty, we could easily be forgiven for thinking that there is no hope for some people.  All efforts seem futile, especially if we're not in some position of authority where we can actually make a difference.  Some things are just beyond our control or our sphere of influence.  The problem is that when we think that we cannot make a difference on a world scale then it's pointless to try to make a difference anywhere.  So we just retire to our own little bubble and let the world go by.  I'm not suggesting that we should become an 'activist', join demonstrations or lobby members of parliament.  Not everyone feels they want to write to someone in authority to complain and often we have the idea that they wouldn't take any notice anyway so what's the point.


You know when a child falls and hurts themselves?  How often have we looked all sorry for them and promised to make it better.  We bend down and kiss the part that hurts declaring that now it's mended, the pain's gone and the tears stop flowing.  We know of course that a kiss doesn't actually heal the physical hurt (unless scientists come up with the theory that human saliva has healing properties) but the fact that you stopped doing what you were doing, paid attention and were prepared to sympathise made the child feel much better.  They were no longer suffering on their own.  Someone had bothered that they were hurting.  Part of the problem in society is that we are so busy doing stuff that we don't have time to spend just listening and sympathising with those who hurt when really that is what they need most.  It has been said that so often in a conversation, we listen only to think of what our reply will be when sometimes we need to just listen and let the other person offload their problems, share their situation with someone.  They don't always need you to find a solution, they just want to be heard or recognised and accepted.  

Making a difference doesn't need to be in terms of some mission far away in another country (unless of course you feel that is what you need to be doing).  Neither is it necessarily about being committed or involved in some project.  So the question is 'How can I make a difference where I am?'  Do you know your neighbours?  When was the last time you stopped and had a conversation with them, not just passing the time of day?  Do you disagree with some of the things that big corporations want to inflict on us?  Have you thought about signing a petition?  The more people who show they disagree, can have some effect.  Nowadays sharing things on social media can have long reaching results and has the potential to really make a difference. Is there a community centre where you live?  Or some charity you could give some time volunteering with or doing a charity run or walk or the like?  Do you go to any activity or meeting that is not connected to your particular church or faith centre?  Do you have any friends who are not connected to the religion you follow?  The answer really is - get out of the box, move out of your bubble.  There is a world out there that is desperate for someone just to listen and maybe lend a helping hand.  It's amazing the difference you will make just by saying, 'can I help?', or 'I can do that if you want.'  There has recently been a photo that went viral of a young police constable who helped to carry the shopping bags of an old man and accompanied him to his house.  What a shame that such things go viral because they are becoming more unusual and things like that happen less frequently.  We can reverse the trend and make the positive things happen more often.  

I read the other day words by the Dalai Lama from his Little Book of Wisdom entitled 'For the Good of All':

Even if only a few individuals try to create mental peace and happiness within themselves and act responsibly and kindheartedly towards others, they will have a positive influence in their community.

We tend to think that things work by trickling down from the top towards those at the bottom when actually it works the other way round.  When those on the bottom, the ordinary, everyday, move and are noticed making a difference then it influences those in higher places of authority. I finish with this video I saw the other day that caught my attention.  It is a very good lesson in that even the smallest can make a difference to the big picture.

You don't need to understand the science behind it in order for it to have an effect.  Never consider that what you do won't make a difference.  It can.  You will.  Be the answer.

What Hierarchy?

Most of the young people at school have now finished their exams.  There has been quite a fuss about one particular question on a Maths paper that really puzzled the students to the extent that the whole business has become very public and mentioned in News bulletins.  The problem seems to be that it would seem that the whole future of a student depends on the exam results, which in turn often depends on pure academic ability and not so much to do with character or amount of effort put into the study.  There are those who try very hard but academically they just don't cut it.  And yet end of year exams seem to have such a bearing on their future - what sort of job they will be able to get and subsequently how much money they will earn as a result.  For some, the most important thing is to get a place in Uni and get some degree, any degree as long as they can say that they have one.  Otherwise they feel that they are left on the scrapheap of life.

Success is counted as to how far up the social ladder you are able to climb.  This is often seen in terms of the size of your house, the sort of car you drive,  where you go on holiday and how many of the latest gadgets fill your home.  It always seems sad to me that success is measured in material possessions and not how we do our job or the sort of people we are.  Are we honest, helpful, caring, accepting, including others and making them feel wanted?  How often those who reach 'the top' do so because they don't care about anyone else or who they tread on in the process of climbing up the company ladder.  Some of the most honest and caring people I have met have worked at menial jobs earning a fraction of those considered to be successful.  And very often they have been so generous in helping others.  The story of the widow's mite comes to mind.

The Winter of Discontent.

A customer once asked a cleaner in a large store where a certain item was and the cleaner replied that he didn't know as he was only the cleaner.  The customer replied that he wasn't only a cleaner as cleaners made a very important contribution to the success of the store.  After all who wants to shop in a dirty store, that is if Health and Safety don't close it down for hygiene reasons?  Some might remember some years ago when the refuse collectors went on strike and the household rubbish wasn't collected for some time.  And yet how often is someone working as a refuse collector thought of as being successful?  He or she might not own a big house but society grinds to a halt if they don't carry out their valuable work (as the above photo shows).  How often we picture a sort of triangle of hierarchy with the manual workers at the bottom and the CEO and Directors at the very top.  It is the aim of most people to gradually climb their way up to the top.  The thing is though that if those who form the basis of society are not thorough and good at their jobs, the whole triangle tumbles down like a house with crumbling foundations.  The base needs to be firm in order to build on it.  If those doing menial tasks don't do their work well then the whole company folds.  Without the cleaner there is no store manager.  There is no store.  The one earning a six figure salary depends on those on minimum wage doing a good job.  There is a problem when there aren't enough at the bottom supporting those at the top.  As the saying goes 'Too many chiefs and not enough indians'.

Jesus' teaching on hierarchy was 'the first shall be last and the last shall be first'. He, who is God was servant of all.  So, let's be honest, are we more impressed with someone who has some grandiose title or is a manager of a large company or the person who sweeps the floor and cleans the manager's office?  Hmmm!  We are all human seeking to do what we can to contribute to society and making the world a better place.  There is nothing wrong with improving ourselves and seeking to 'do better' but let's not adopt a false sense of importance.  In God's kingdom there is no hierarchy.  We are all equal in his eyes and he loves each of us equally.  And that applies equally to those in organised religion.  The most sought after speaker and the person who cleans the church toilets are thought of and loved equally by God.  We should do likewise.

What do I think?

I have been greatly impacted by a couple of videos that I've seen shared on social media this week.  The first one was a deliberate ploy to see how people would react when they discover that someone had dropped his wallet.  A number of people were very honest and immediately called after the young man to tell him he had dropped his wallet.  However there was one young man who picked up the wallet, looked around but didn't see who had dropped it so he put it in his pocket.  He then proceeded to do some shopping using a credit card that was identical to the one that had been in the wallet.  He bought a number of things before continuing on his journey.  He kept taking the wallet out of his pocket and looking through it and also phoning presumably some friend.  The man was probably in his twenties and had one prosthetic lower leg that was clearly visible and so I thought that maybe if he was classed as disabled then maybe he was struggling financially, unable to hold a full time job and so this wallet that suddenly appeared would seem like a piece of good luck for him.  Eventually the video clip ended when he actually went to the house of the person whose wallet he had found.  He was taking it back to its owner.  He had not used the credit card from the wallet but his own credit card that was identical to the one that had been dropped.  He had not used any of the money from the wallet but all the time had used his own money.  How wrong I was to prejudge the young man as were many others including the person who set up the ploy in the first place.

            

The second video that left a lasting impression on me was by a lady called Yassmin Abdel-Magied.  She began by asking what people's reactions were when they saw her dressed with a hijab and typical 'Muslim' style clothes.  Hopefully most would not judge her just because she was obviously a Muslim but would be open to listen to what she had to say.  She went on to ask what they would think of her if she said she was a mechanic.  I guess a few smiled, thinking 'no way!'  She proceeded to take off her outer garment and hijab to reveal underneath the bright orange work clothes of a motor mechanic and put on a hard hat over her hair that was tightly fastened with a scarf.  She said that actually she designed racing cars and that this was her day job.  Surprise!    She went on to talk about how often we are not openly biased but that actually deep inside we still have prejudices and biases that are so hidden that we're quite unaware of them.  She went on to tell a story of a man and his son who were in a car when they had an accident.  The father died on impact and the son was rushed to hospital.  The surgeon came to see the young man before operating but said 'I can't operate on him.  That is my son.'  I must admit that my first reaction was that the man in the car must have been his step-father.  Yassmin then went on to say that the surgeon was his mother.  Ouch! I've done it again.

The thing is that my late husband was not English, European or from North America and I lived abroad for about 10 years.  I have mixed freely with many people of different cultures and all walks of life, from highly professional to those in abject poverty.  I also have a person from my extended family who converted to Islam a few years ago.  So I really consider myself to be totally non-biased and accepting of those from other parts of the world and other cultures.  So for me these two videos made me see again that there are sometimes things that are just part of who we are and how we think because we have been brought up in a particular culture  or from a part of the world with a certain way of looking at things.  For me it was a wake-up call to check my reactions to people and situations that might concern religion, gender, sexuality or disability.  I must never presume anything about someone without getting to know them.  As Yassmin says in her talk, very often our first reactions and judgements about people turn out to be wrong.  It was also a reality check for me to not think I'm above having such reactions and thoughts.  Some things are so ingrained in us that it is difficult to acknowledge their presence.  What do I think?  I think I'm not as free from bias as I thought I was.  There is still work to be done and room for improvement.  And you?  What do you think?

Please try to make time to watch the videos.  You'll find it worthwhile.

Saving the World

It is quite easy to get a bit depressed when listening to or watching the news.  There seems to be trouble everywhere.  We wonder just where and when it will all end.  I don't know about you but I get a little irritated when I hear Christians saying that we are in the end times and that Jesus will soon be returning and he will put everything right.  They wait for him to come out of the clouds, descending from heaven to 'sort out' the world.  They expect to be suddenly carried off into the skies and be saved while Jesus destroys what is left of our beloved planet.


They seem to think of him as some sort of superhero that we love to watch on film or television who flies in and with a few strikes, everything is made orderly and perfect.  (Perfect being of course what we want to see according to our own particular beliefs)  He will zap our enemies like some supernatural destroyer.  I can't help thinking that the Jews in the time of Jesus thought the same of the Messiah that they were waiting for and that's why many of them had difficulty in accepting Jesus as the Messiah, the promised deliverer.  I wonder if Jesus returned today, how many Christians would recognise him and accept him maybe for similar reasons.

The thing is that Jesus taught and showed that God is Love.  So does all this destruction of those that we consider to be enemies really tally with a loving entity that loves all people equally.  Does a parent wish to destroy a child when s/he goes off the rails a bit or makes some erroneous decision.  The story of the Prodigal Son tells us otherwise.  What Jesus did teach and tell his disciples was that we should go and tell others of his ways of love and be like him.  God's spirit living in us is what will change the world.  He is not an old man sitting on a throne somewhere in 'the skies'.  We are his temple and he is alive on earth in and through us.  We think of the skies as up there, out there, over the horizon, beyond us but actually where earth ends is where the skies begin.  The horizon is actually the place where earth and sky meet.  So wherever we walk 'the skies' are actually at our feet and that's where God is, walking with us.  Wherever we are, he is because he is within us.  Do we want to save the planet and all its people?  Then we don't sit around waiting for his return (however that may or may not happen).  We take God with us, in us,through us in everything we do and everywhere we go.  We live his inclusive love even towards our enemies.  That's what Jesus taught.  If Jesus returned tomorrow, what would he do?  The following is a cartoon I saw and it made me think.  We need to consider again just what he taught and did on his first visit to earth.  His way can change the world for the better.

A tongue in cheek comic strip I found by
Brian K White's Comics on glossynews.com

Bubbles

Who, as a child has not enjoyed the delights of blowing bubbles and watching them float away showing all their changing colours as they go?  Children are fascinated by this very simple and cheap pastime, chasing them and trying to catch them.  A bubble is simply some gas enclosed in a thin film of water and it is the reaction of the water film with the light that creates the shimmering colours that causes so much fascination and delight.  The word 'bubble' conjures up a number of ideas.  As a Northerner, I remember parents saying to children, 'Giv' ower bubbling'.  For the uninitiated this means 'stop crying'.  To bubble is to be stirred with emotion, hence the word bubble referring to crying - the strong emotional response to a situation.  Most people will have experienced the sensation of something bubbling up inside as a reaction to a moving situation.  This can be said equally of anger, sadness, apprehension or joy.  Others of course think of a bubbly personality as being someone who is cheerful and positive in their outlook. 


I heard the other day of someone who referred to a person as 'living in a bubble'.  A person who actually needs, for medical reasons, to live in a literal bubble is in a very sad situation.  They are not free to live in the real world as there is so much that can harm them and possibly end their life and so they need to be protected from the outside world by living in a bubble-shaped prison.  They exist within a very limiting way of life and cannot freely share in activities that others enjoy.  When we refer to someone as living in a bubble, we infer that they don't really live in the real world.  They seem to live in a childlike, naive state that only sees what immediately affects them .  They somehow cannot see beyond their own little, limited world and seem incapable of sharing or sensing what others are feeling or their circumstances in life.  There is no other alternative to the way they think or feel.  Everything beyond their bubble is alien to them.  



Sadly many people seem to fall into this category, whether that be about politics, their own sense of being right, thoughtlessness towards others or with religion.  They live surrounded by a protective bubble.  It's as though anything outside of their bubble is alien to them and harmful so they stay inside the bubble where they feel secure and comfortable.  Their bubble might look nice and colourful but it is really a sort of prison limiting their scope and ability to really express themselves freely without restrictions.  It floats away because it's not the real world and yet for so many it is their world as though nothing exists outside of it.  But there is life outside the bubble.  We need to be aware of what goes on around us, how others think and live.  It's good to have the emotions of life bubbling up inside of us but not to live within the confines of a bubble. There is so much more to life than the restrictions that a bubble existence imposes.  There are those who see life from a different perspective but are just as right as we are and are striving to be true to themselves, the people they believe they were created to be, even if that is different from our view point.  Chase the bubble if you want but don't become captive to it and think that that is all there is.  We may not feel so safe and protected but outside the bubble is where the real life is lived, varied, creative, adventurous and interesting.  That's where the true freedom is.  

Change Course Of Action

The other day traveling home on the bus, we reached one of the main roundabouts in town.On the way around there were four cars that had stopped.  Apparently one car had changed lanes suddenly and bumped into another car causing a literal knock-on effect with the cars that followed.  Hence four cars all blocking the roundabout causing mayhem with the traffic.There didn't seem to be anyone hurt but a few irate drivers getting out of their vehicles to protest and look at the damage and take down insurance details.  No doubt for some it will mean a trip to the mechanic at the garage to sort out any problems that might have been caused and maybe a little paint job and the cars will look like new again.


I remember when I was a driver, how every year I would take the car to my friend at his garage in order for him to sort out any problems in order to get it through its MOT.  Wear and tear generally means that there was something to be done in order to get the car up to proper working order and efficiency.  The thing is as with most things, we can make do and mend for a while but there comes a time when we can't really fix the problems any more and things need to be replaced.  There is a time for more drastic action to be taken, when continuing with the same thing doesn't work any more.


This week I had my annual check up at the optician's.  I go every year.  A bit like an optical MOT.  I know that my eyes have gradually been getting worse over the past number of years because of cataracts.  That's partly the reason why I don't drive anymore.  There were all the usual procedures - shining a bright light and looking into my eyes or rather right through my eyes, how far down the board can you read?, can you see more clearly with this lens than with that lens etc etc etc.  The verdict eventually, after getting a second opinion from a more senior optician, was that it was not worth giving me glasses with new lenses as really I had reached the point that the best option was to have eye surgery to remove the cataracts that were causing the bad eyesight.  



There are occasions when surgery would seem a rather daunting prospect but in this case it was what I was hoping for.  There comes a time when trying to make the best of a situation becomes tiresome.  We just want a solution.  We want it sorted once and for all.  And after a number of years of having a change of prescription for my spectacles and having some improvement for a few months before it eventually got worse ... again...  it was kind of a relief to know that now at last there was going to be a solution.  How often do we just plod on in life, doing the same thing, sometimes reviving things a bit and then keep going when maybe it's time for a more drastic solution?  How often do we wonder, 'What's the point?  Why do I keep on doing this, going there, supporting that?  Nothing really changes.  Still the same old thing.when I yearn for more.  If things just aren't working any more then maybe it's time for something different.  Be brave, it'll be worth it.
   

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.  

Reassuring

A very important wedding invitation.

We have a summer wedding to look forward to.  My elder son is tying the knot with his partner in June after spending the last 12-13 years as a single man.  The other day I went to the office in town to buy our travel tickets for the occasion from National Express.  (I like to be organised in good time)  I bought my senior coach card that allows me a discount and also the tickets for my other son and myself for a return journey.  The receptionist gave me the receipts and I left.  After I got home I looked for the tickets to put them in a safe place but could not find them.  I rummaged in my handbag - not there - and then in the shopping bag but to no avail.  Actually thinking about it, I didn't remember actually being given the tickets.  So I had to make another trip to the office to tell them that I have the receipts but couldn't find the tickets.  The person behind the desk checked and them handed me the tickets.  Apparently the person who served me had given me the receipts and my senior coach card but hadn't actually handed over the tickets.  Phew!  What a relief!  Partly to know that I hadn't mislaid them and would have to buy another set of tickets and partly to reassure me that I hadn't been so confused that I had forgotten where I had put them.  

A couple of weeks ago I took part in a set of tests for bowel cancer.  It's something I have done every couple of years for quite a long time now.  Still between doing the tests and getting the results, there is always that uncertain feeling, waiting for the results, even if you do feel absolutely fine.  This week I received the results and everything is normal.  Again what a relief.  It is reassuring to know that according to the test, I'm doing ok.  

The capped pipe.

This week also saw us having a visit from the gas man to have our annual service for our heating system.  I know the boiler is getting old but it serves us well and again it was reassuring to know that it passed with flying colours despite its age and so there is no extra expense at least for another year.  While he was here, the engineer noticed that we had taken the front off the gas fire as we never use it (I prefer to just use the radiators for all round warmth) He checked and suggested that he should actually cut the pipe leading to the fire and cap it to make sure that there is no gas escape.  He did exactly that and also taped the end of the open pipe so that no spiders or other small creatures could get in but wouldn't take any extra money (not even a tip to buy himself a pint) even though the extra work wasn't in his original remit.  He then did an extra check just to make sure that there was no escaping gas.  Again what reassurance to know that the expert had given his opinion and that there was nothing to worry about.

There are times in life when we get a little apprehensive about something that may or may not be life-changing but how good it is to receive that reassurance that actually we are doing ok.  Everything has been checked and there isn't a problem where we thought there might or could have been.  When we have doubts about things, especially spiritual matters, we can sometimes feel that we shouldn't talk about them or question what everyone else seems to take for granted.  Do you have any doubts or questions about what we're told we should believe or accept?  We would seldom mention anything to those who are considered to be 'experts' or 'professionals' in the matter in case we're criticized rather than listened to.  We would probably be considered a bit of a loose cannon or even heretic or having 'lost our faith'  So it's really good when someone else airs those same doubts.  It reassures us to know that we're not the only ones thinking that way and maybe we don't have a problem after all.  Many of the writers of the Bible, particularly of the Psalms, had no problem in questioning God and criticizing those considered to be leaders of their faith.  Jesus himself on many occasions disagreed with those in spiritual leadership in his day.  So maybe it's time for us all to stop keeping our doubts to ourselves. Who knows? We might discover that many others are on a similar wave length and actually we are doing ok and can reassure and encourage each other on our journey.