"You need to be scared, and you need to be concerned, and you need to get your butts out of New Orleans right now." Ray Nagin, New Orleans Mayor 30/8/08.
This is good advice about Hurricane Gustav. It struck me that it's the sort of advice Christians want to give people about hell.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
Catholicism is not OK
I believe I was riddled with sin.
I believe that though I did some good I wasn't good enough for God.
I believe that trying harder would never have overcome my sin.
And I believe that God hates sin.
I believe he cannot tolerate or overlook even one petty evil deed.
So I believe that until Jesus was born I was screwed - we all were.
I believe that Jesus lay down his life for us.
I believe that on the cross he became sin for us and received our judgment.
I believe that if we say sorry for the way we have lived and thank you for his sacrifice, we are completely forgiven and made able to start following him as we should.
This is why Catholicism distresses me. Because at the same time as praising Jesus and affirming the things I have written above, it spits in his face. In so many (subtle) ways, Catholicism says that Jesus' sacrifice was not enough, that we also need priests and Mary and saints to intercede for us, that we also need baptism and the Eucharist and penance and purgatory to be wholly saved.
He deserves greater honour than this. He deserves the honour given him by the angels "numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand" who in heaven sing:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:11, 12).
I believe that though I did some good I wasn't good enough for God.
I believe that trying harder would never have overcome my sin.
And I believe that God hates sin.
I believe he cannot tolerate or overlook even one petty evil deed.
So I believe that until Jesus was born I was screwed - we all were.
I believe that Jesus lay down his life for us.
I believe that on the cross he became sin for us and received our judgment.
I believe that if we say sorry for the way we have lived and thank you for his sacrifice, we are completely forgiven and made able to start following him as we should.
This is why Catholicism distresses me. Because at the same time as praising Jesus and affirming the things I have written above, it spits in his face. In so many (subtle) ways, Catholicism says that Jesus' sacrifice was not enough, that we also need priests and Mary and saints to intercede for us, that we also need baptism and the Eucharist and penance and purgatory to be wholly saved.
He deserves greater honour than this. He deserves the honour given him by the angels "numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand" who in heaven sing:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:11, 12).
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Plagiarism: Materialism
This was written in about 1000 AD (italics mine):-
"It is natural for a man to desire what he reckons better than that which he has already, and be satisfied with nothing which lacks that special quality which he misses . . . . If he is clad in a rich garment, he will covet a costlier one; and no matter how rich he may be he will envy a man richer than himself. Do we not see people every day, endowed with vast estates, who keep on joining field to field, dreaming of wider boundaries for their lands? Those who dwell in palaces are ever adding house to house, continually building up and tearing down, remodeling and changing . . . . And nowhere is there any final satisfaction, because nothing there can be defined as absolutely the best or highest. But it is natural that nothing should content a man’s desires but the very best, as he reckons it. Is it not, then, mad folly always to be craving for things which can never quiet our longings, much less satisfy them? No matter how many such things one has, he is always lusting after what he has not; never at peace, he sighs for new possessions. Discontented, he spends himself in fruitless toil, and finds only weariness in the evanescent and unreal pleasures of the world. In his greediness, he counts all that he has clutched as nothing in comparison with what is beyond his grasp, and loses all pleasure in his actual possessions by longing after what he has not, yet covets. . . .
"It is so that these impious ones wander in a circle, longing after something to gratify their yearnings, yet madly rejecting that which alone can bring them to their desired end, not by exhaustion but by attainment. They wear themselves out in vain travail, without reaching their blessed consummation, because they delight in creatures, not in the Creator. They want to traverse creation, trying all things one by one, rather than think of coming to Him who is Lord of all. And if their utmost longing were realized, so that they should have all the world for their own, yet without possessing Him who is the Author of all being, then the same law of their desires would make them contemn what they had and restlessly seek Him whom they still lacked, that is, God Himself. Rest is in Him alone. Man knows no peace in the world; but he has no disturbance when he is with God. And so the soul says with confidence, ‘Whom have I in heaven but Thee; and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of Thee. God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. It is good for me to hold me fast by God, to put my trust in the Lord God’ (Ps. 73.25ff)."
- Bernard de Clairvaux, On Loving God, from http://www.ccel.org/ccel/bernard/loving_god.ix.html, accessed 14/7/08.
"It is natural for a man to desire what he reckons better than that which he has already, and be satisfied with nothing which lacks that special quality which he misses . . . . If he is clad in a rich garment, he will covet a costlier one; and no matter how rich he may be he will envy a man richer than himself. Do we not see people every day, endowed with vast estates, who keep on joining field to field, dreaming of wider boundaries for their lands? Those who dwell in palaces are ever adding house to house, continually building up and tearing down, remodeling and changing . . . . And nowhere is there any final satisfaction, because nothing there can be defined as absolutely the best or highest. But it is natural that nothing should content a man’s desires but the very best, as he reckons it. Is it not, then, mad folly always to be craving for things which can never quiet our longings, much less satisfy them? No matter how many such things one has, he is always lusting after what he has not; never at peace, he sighs for new possessions. Discontented, he spends himself in fruitless toil, and finds only weariness in the evanescent and unreal pleasures of the world. In his greediness, he counts all that he has clutched as nothing in comparison with what is beyond his grasp, and loses all pleasure in his actual possessions by longing after what he has not, yet covets. . . .
"It is so that these impious ones wander in a circle, longing after something to gratify their yearnings, yet madly rejecting that which alone can bring them to their desired end, not by exhaustion but by attainment. They wear themselves out in vain travail, without reaching their blessed consummation, because they delight in creatures, not in the Creator. They want to traverse creation, trying all things one by one, rather than think of coming to Him who is Lord of all. And if their utmost longing were realized, so that they should have all the world for their own, yet without possessing Him who is the Author of all being, then the same law of their desires would make them contemn what they had and restlessly seek Him whom they still lacked, that is, God Himself. Rest is in Him alone. Man knows no peace in the world; but he has no disturbance when he is with God. And so the soul says with confidence, ‘Whom have I in heaven but Thee; and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of Thee. God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. It is good for me to hold me fast by God, to put my trust in the Lord God’ (Ps. 73.25ff)."
- Bernard de Clairvaux, On Loving God, from http://www.ccel.org/ccel/bernard/loving_god.ix.html, accessed 14/7/08.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Perfect Children
I was listening to John Piper articulating a biblical theology of singleness the other day. He was, in part, challenging his listeners to consider if they had bought into the world’s view of marriage and singleness. He asked if, like the world, we place more value on marriage and less value on singleness than we ought.
I wonder if this comes from idealising children. Do we think that cuteness and innocence are synonymous with goodness? Do we think that there is nothing so fundamentally good as raising little children? I’m not for a moment wanting to deny the worth of this or the beauty, charm and sincere kindness of children. But I do want to say that these things will pass. They will not always be children. Before all else, they are people.
Those of us who are single have not drawn the short straw. There is nothing second-rate about only ever befriending, caring for and guiding other adults (and ‘adopting’ a few of their kids along the way). They too are people – little people grown big. It’s an enormous privilege and joy and pain to have involvement and influence in any person’s life.
As Piper makes plain, God’s people are no longer mostly the children of Jewish parents, but can now include all men, women and children from all races and nations. Let’s rejoice in the people that have been given us to care for.
I wonder if this comes from idealising children. Do we think that cuteness and innocence are synonymous with goodness? Do we think that there is nothing so fundamentally good as raising little children? I’m not for a moment wanting to deny the worth of this or the beauty, charm and sincere kindness of children. But I do want to say that these things will pass. They will not always be children. Before all else, they are people.
Those of us who are single have not drawn the short straw. There is nothing second-rate about only ever befriending, caring for and guiding other adults (and ‘adopting’ a few of their kids along the way). They too are people – little people grown big. It’s an enormous privilege and joy and pain to have involvement and influence in any person’s life.
As Piper makes plain, God’s people are no longer mostly the children of Jewish parents, but can now include all men, women and children from all races and nations. Let’s rejoice in the people that have been given us to care for.
Activity and Passivity
The biblical view of men and women’s roles, as I understand it, is that men are to lead and women to help and follow. Helping and following are fairly passive. To do them well requires a patient ‘sitting back’, waiting to see how things pan out or what we are asked to do. They require women to adapt and mould themselves to whatever situation presents.
But this is too simplistic. Done well, there is a strange activity, alertness and intelligence to the passivity of helping and following. Like ninjas (perhaps) women need to have a ‘readiness’, so that once we see what to do we can take action. There is also a creativity and generativity in changing ourselves and in working out how best to help or how best to achieve what has been asked of us. It’s not a robotic completion of requirements, but an innovative contribution – yet one that has the humility to be ‘overruled’.
The man’s leadership also has an active/passive mix. It is active in that he does lead, and yet, his goal is, in a sense, passive. He aims to serve the woman and sacrifices himself to help her be all she can be.
As I always say, it’s like dancing.
But this is too simplistic. Done well, there is a strange activity, alertness and intelligence to the passivity of helping and following. Like ninjas (perhaps) women need to have a ‘readiness’, so that once we see what to do we can take action. There is also a creativity and generativity in changing ourselves and in working out how best to help or how best to achieve what has been asked of us. It’s not a robotic completion of requirements, but an innovative contribution – yet one that has the humility to be ‘overruled’.
The man’s leadership also has an active/passive mix. It is active in that he does lead, and yet, his goal is, in a sense, passive. He aims to serve the woman and sacrifices himself to help her be all she can be.
As I always say, it’s like dancing.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
How to Please God
Lately I've been thankful for the freedom of the Christian faith. There is something strange yet very good about the fact that we can be sad or ill or disabled or confused or weak or failing and God can still be very pleased with us. In a way, he doesn't care about our situation or standing (though of course he is compassionate and will help us) - he just cares about our character. All we have to do to please our Father is to love him and love the people around us.
The other stuff will trouble us, but it doesn't reduce our value in God's sight. If each day we have strived to think and act and speak in love and repented when we have not, then it has been a good day.
Of course this is a very high calling. It means we must run to patience, kindness, humility, self-sacrifice, mercy, forgiveness, protection, trust, hope, perseverance and rejoicing in the truth. And we must flee their opposites - impatience, cruelty, envy, boasting, pride, rudeness, self-seeking(ness), anger, bearing grudges, delighting in evil, neglect, distrust, losing hope and giving up. But it is a very beautiful calling, and a better thing to worry about than happiness and success.
The other stuff will trouble us, but it doesn't reduce our value in God's sight. If each day we have strived to think and act and speak in love and repented when we have not, then it has been a good day.
Of course this is a very high calling. It means we must run to patience, kindness, humility, self-sacrifice, mercy, forgiveness, protection, trust, hope, perseverance and rejoicing in the truth. And we must flee their opposites - impatience, cruelty, envy, boasting, pride, rudeness, self-seeking(ness), anger, bearing grudges, delighting in evil, neglect, distrust, losing hope and giving up. But it is a very beautiful calling, and a better thing to worry about than happiness and success.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Plagiarism: Mutability
"A woman can't visualize too well because she has too many possibilities. She can be anything. Anything can happen to her. But it's out of her hands. It all depends on this man who's going to find her."
- V.S. Naipaul, Guerrillas
I think this is true of most women, even after marriage. And it's not necessarily a bad thing - we were made to be helpers afterall. I wonder if men long for a helper (as women long to help), or if 'gaining one' is more of a bonus? Of course the situation is difficult if women remain single a while - or if women are so caught up in helping that they forget their own identity. I think the trick is to trust your own worth and usefulness as an individual - and to get on with helping the people who are around you.
- V.S. Naipaul, Guerrillas
I think this is true of most women, even after marriage. And it's not necessarily a bad thing - we were made to be helpers afterall. I wonder if men long for a helper (as women long to help), or if 'gaining one' is more of a bonus? Of course the situation is difficult if women remain single a while - or if women are so caught up in helping that they forget their own identity. I think the trick is to trust your own worth and usefulness as an individual - and to get on with helping the people who are around you.
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