Making a difference

At the moment I am reading Three Cups of Tea, the story of American mountaineer Greg Mortenson's mission to build schools in the poorest parts of Pakistan. After a failed attempt to summit K2 in 1993, Mortenson stumbled lost, confused and exhausted into a small village in the lee of the Baltoro glacier. The head man of the village took him into his home, placed him under his finest quilt, and nursed Mortenson back to health. Indebted to the village chief, Mortenson vowed to return and build a school where none had ever stood before.
The book traces the difficult process of raising American funds for schools in Islamic Pakistan, the cultural lessons Mortenson had to learn, and the freedom and hope the education can bring. Three Cups of Tea is an engaging read, and I am anticipating an interesting ending as the book was written post September 11.

It also led me to think about God's heart for the disadvantaged. Throughout the Bible, God's compassion is expressed in the protection of the vulnerable, particularly widows, orphans and aliens, that is, foreigners living amongst us (Exodus 22:22 ; Deuteronomy 24:20; James 1:27). As Christians, our love for our neighbours must include those near and far, those like us and those different. In the Shire we don't often see the front line of charity, such as extreme poverty, homelessness and refugees, but we must keep these on the agenda.

Loving Miranda is more than just sharing the gospel, it is extending God's loving heart to those around us. I'd love for us to keep this on the agenda.


34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’  (Matthew 25:34-40)

More thoughts about family

Modern views about family are captured incisively by sit-com writers as they exaggerate, lampoon and lament the way generations relate to one another. The current batch of shows stereotype Baby Boomers as empty nesters, Gen X as families coping with growing children, disobedience and divorce, while Gen Y are looking for love.

One of the things I appreciate about sit-coms is that they tend to value families, and though the family is often a source of tension, they are usually also a source of strength and comfort to the characters in the shows.

What these shows distort is the idea that happiness is only found in love and procreation. The success of shows like 'Friends' (showing my age, I know - perhaps 'How I Met Your Mother' is a more recent incarnation) came from the creation of a new 'family' by friends sharing life together, with all its joys and struggles. While sexual tension was ever-present, the overall message of the show was that friends can form close-knit, loving, supportive communities in the way that biological families do.

For us as Christians, God creates a new family in the church, one no longer defined by biology alone, a bit like the characters in 'Friends'. In Christ we become part of a new family, a larger family, in which all members of the church are our brothers and sisters regardless of their age. And in this new family, love for one another is not restricted to the biological family unit; instead God's people ought to extend the same grace, generosity and care to all members of the family, regardless of family of origin or marital status (likewise age, gender or ethnicity). The church, when understood correctly, will feel like a real family to all.

¹² Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household... (Ephesians 2:12-19)

Q&A - the stuff that really matters to us

A couple of weeks ago, two events took place as part of our church mission week: for Baby Boomers, an address about Xenophobia and the changing face of the Shire; for XYs, a discussion of 'hot' topics identified as issues that prevent people believing the Christian message. These covered science and the irrelevance of religion, the reliability of the Bible,  Christians and homosexuality, and how a good God can allow suffering.

Two things struck me as I reflected on the evening.

First, these issues really matter to our non-Christian friends, and to society at large. The four hot topics were not chosen at random, but were identified by responses on Facebook. The contents page of any book on New Atheism shows that these topics are of universal concern. As Christians, when we bring the gospel to bear in the lives of our friends, we ought to have something to say about the hope we have and why it speaks truth into these important life questions.

Second, these issues matter to us as Christians. Over 100 people were onsite to take part in these two events, and debate was vigorous. The discussion about the church's stance towards homosexuality was particularly heated. I wasn't surprised that many responses from the floor reflected the values and ethics of equality promoted in the media, rather than a well-thought out Biblical perspective on the uniqueness of marriage in light of creation, Christ and the church. I also wasn't surprised that some doubted the legitimacy of speaking Christian ethics into the secular sphere. 

What do you say when these topics arise in conversation? What do you think? What do you believe?

As we read and re-read the New Testament, the teaching of Jesus enlarges our 'moral imagination', as Dr Andrew Cameron describes it. In Jesus we see a new way of imagining the world, where each of the above issues is re-envisaged through the lens of sacrificial love, true community and a new future filled with hope. Jesus teaches us a better story about life today and in the age to come.

It is our job as Christians to believe this better story (which is sometimes the hardest part in a difficult world), and then to share this story with our non-Christian friends and society at large.

15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1Pe 3:15-16)

It's the quiet ones you have to look out for...

So said my boxing coach last night. "It's not the blokes with big arms, big tattoos and big mouths you need to watch out for, it's the quiet ones. The surprise package... the one you would least suspect."

In church we've been thinking about the kind of Messiah that the Jewish people were expecting. Even John the Baptist wondered if Jesus was the one he was expecting (Matt 11:3), perhaps because Jesus hadn't brought the vengeance of the Lord predicted in Malachi 3 and 4 (c.f. Isa 35:4). Where was the refiner's fire (Mal 3:2)? Why were the wicked not trampled down (Mal 4:3)? Where was the Messiah's judgment (Mal 3:5), the great and dreadful day of the Lord (Mal 4:5)?

It turns out Jesus was one of the quiet ones. We are reminded in Philippians 2 that Jesus came to earth with humble intentions, to take on the flesh of a human and to be obedient even to death. His victory over sin and death would come at the cost of his own life. Rather than flex his muscle in judgment of others, Jesus opened his arms to receive in himself the penalty for our disobedience. And in this act he began the process of bringing justice to the nations in the way that only God could do - justice tempered with mercy for all who bow the knee to the Lord.

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
    and he will bring justice to the nations.
² He will not shout or cry out,
    or raise his voice in the streets.
³ A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
⁴     he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
    In his law the islands will put their hope.” (Isaiah 42:1-4)

We often place our hope in the impressive things of this earth. But Jesus reminds us that God has used the weak things of this world to shame the strong (1 Cor 1:18-31).

We should never be afraid to be servants of others, to give our lives away for the sake of the gospel, to pour ourselves out for Jesus. In doing so we follow the example of our Lord...