In this season we shifted into ministry-and-family mode, neglecting our intimacy and failing to work through our issues. This became apparent to me when my pregnant wife came home from a hair appointment with her…
Thomas Jefferson
So true. This is how I try to live my faith now.
The argument has been made well by better scholars and theologians than myself that merging the Kingdoms of God and the World ends in disaster for the church and for the world. The church’s growing obsession with using Political power as a strong right arm to enforce their morality is a cancer on the true calling of Followers of Jesus to love, serve and surrender to people.
This I believe.
I am, however, becoming more and more politically active and the causes for which I am fighting are those I feel that are integral to the Gospel. I am standing for social justice, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, speaking for the voiceless, healing the sick. I am standing for equality for women, ethnic minorities, homosexuals, transgendered people. Standing against hate crimes and violence against women and children. Standing against war and death. Against the destruction of public services on which so many of the most deprived families in this country rely.
But is using politics to achieve this any different than using politics to enforce morality? Am I being a hypocrite?
I think there is a difference.
It is first important to note that Jesus said, “My kingdom is not from this world.” (John 18:36). Politics in itself will never create the Kingdom of God - this must be true.
But Paul makes a very interesting argument in 1 Corinthians Chapter 9:
Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel…For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
Paul is clear that while on this earth we should not just believe the gospel but live it. The good news of freedom from oppression, freedom from hatred, from discrimination, from pain and suffering is not just a promise beyond this life but a principle to be applied in this life.
He also makes a clear distinction between this good news and the law. It is absolutely crucial to distinguish between the values of those of us who have chosen to enter into a covenant with God (however we may individually interpret those values) and the values of the world that has not made that decision. We must never expect someone who has not chosen a relationship with God to conform to the rules of the Bible. Paulfurther says that to those without the law we should come as one without the law! The opposite of the “turn or burn”, judgemental, arms-length-lest-we-be-corrupted relationship we have been taught to have with our “unsaved” friends.
So living the gospel in this world has nothing to do with forcing so-called Christian Morality down people’s throats and expecting them to come running to the church. Nor is it, when that fails, seeking to use the rule of law to enforce our beliefs on the un-yoked. These are matters of the heart and no heart is ever changed by force or power. Hearts are changed the way Jesus did it. By becoming less than them. By humbly serving them, loving them and, yes, giving his life for them. The ultimate picture of victory in the Kingdom of God is a man bloodied and beaten and dying ashamed on a cross. That is our goal.
So we cannot change hearts by force. But can we use political activism and power to achieve social justice? Yes and No.
Firstly, the use of peaceful protest and marching to stand up for the least among us is a tool I feel entirely comfortable with. It forces no one but merely makes a statement to raise awareness and affect change organically. I have no reservations about this form of activism.
My country, I am pleased to say, is a democracy and the values and moralities of our society are decided by the people of that society. This country grants me a voice in what happens and I can use my vote to support what I believe is important. My values in this are obviously guided by the teachings of Jesus. This is why I will always vote for social justice and equality. What did Jesus talk about the most? Was it enforced prayer in schools? No. Was it same-sex relationships? No - don’t think he even mentioned that once. Was it abortion? He never, ever, ever mentioned that. These sort of social issues were not the ones that Jesus spoke about again and again and again. But what, then, did he go on about?
He spoke over and over again about social justice. About caring for the poor, the sick, the weak, the defenceless. He called us to give up everything to follow him. He told us that a rich man would have a pretty hard time getting into heaven (and before you say it, I reject the ridiculous interpretations of that scripture that claim he was just joking and it was a big gate called the eye of the needle). He told us if we had two shirts we should give one to someone without a shirt. Above all he said this, which is the soul and centre of what I believe about social justice and the Kingdom of God:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “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.
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, 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.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Now, there are many issues around the idea of hell and eternal fire (as Rob Bell well knows!) that I won’t get into here but even if the classical interpretation of hell is true - it’s clear who’s going!
The central message of the gospel is this: Whatever you did or didn’t do to the least of these, you did to me.
Whenever you judged and condemned an unwed mother, someone who’d had an abortion, a divorced couple, a homosexual – you did it to Jesus. Whenever you used politics to hurt and condemn someone – you did it to Jesus.
So how can I use politics to help, heal, restore and love the least in my society and in this world. Well - there are those who need food, water, shelter, medical care, child care, transport, social care. If I fight to get them the services they need I am doing to Jesus and to them. If I protect a strong public service, the NHS, International Aid, charity work and support; if I fight to ensure the laws of our country give everyone a chance regardless of gender, race, sexuality or socio-economic background – I fight for those who are the least among us.
And let us never forget when the world heard the Kingdom of God first and the church resisted – women’s rights, civil rights, racism and, yes in this day, LGBT discrimination.
Even after trying to spell out my beliefs about this I cannot be entirely sure that I am completely right but that’s OK. I can admit there are some questions to which I must answer, “I don’t know yet.” However, even while figuring this out, there are so many who do not have enough to eat and drink, a roof over their heads, a fair voice, basic medical care, equal marriage rights and, as long as this goes on, I will fight for them.
I just heard a supposed spokesperson for Christians on Radio 4 talking about how there is now a “Liberal Tyranny” in this country and that things had gone too far. He called laws against discrimination against LGB people an “enforced immorality”.
Well, while gay men are still prevented from giving blood when white, heterosexual men between 18 and 25 are the most likely to get aids; while it is still acceptable to air homophobic views in society; and, yes, while same-sex unions are given an insulting second-class status the LGB cause will have NEVER gone too far.
I find this man’s views absolutely repellant and I want to make it very clear he does not speak for me or the thousands of other Christians in this country who do not hold these horrific views.
I just visited Subway as on Thursday they almost have my favourite sandwich as Sub-of-the-day. Thursday is Italian BMT which is the same as the Spicy Italian but with Ham as well.
So I did what I have done before and asked for the sub-of-the-day without the Ham. I was told that was the Spice Italian. I said, “I know, but call it the sub-of-the-day without the Ham and it’s cheaper.”
“No. It has to go through as a Spicy Italian.” I was told
“That’s ludicrous” I exclaimed, “It has less on it!”
“Yes, but the manager says we’re not allowed to do that anymore. When it goes through as a BMT and there’s no Ham the stock count goes all over the place.”
“O.K.” I reasoned, “Then just throw the Ham away and it’s sorted”
“No. We can’t do that. They watch us on the cameras.”
“Right. Well hand me the Ham now and don’t put it on the Sandwich.”
“We can’t do that.”
By this time my fellow customers in the queue were joining me in my amazement and expressing it to the staff.
“You’ll just have to get the BMT and take off the Ham,” she told me.
“But I want it with cheese and toasted so that’s not really possible.”
“Well, there’s nothing we can do, sorry, so what do you want to do.”
Well, I had no choice but to relent. “O.K.” I sighed, “Just give me a BMT then.”
This was one of the most ludicrous situations of my life.
This is either Genius Satire or a man in need of serious psychiatric attention.
This man is amazing! It’s awesome how a small thing can so drastically change someone’s life and how dedicated this man is to it. The world needs more people like this man.
Man Lives on cliff and talks down suicide jumpers…for last 50 years
Meet the Australian Who’s Saved 160 People from Suicide
Don Ritchie lives across the street from the most famous suicide spot in Australia: A cliff known as “The Gap.” Most people would move, but Ritchie’s stayed for almost 50 years—saving an estimated 160 people from suicide.
So what’s his big secret? Ritchie wakes up every morning and looks out the window for “anyone standing alone too close to the precipice.” If he sees someone who looks like they might be contemplating a jump, he walks over and… strikes up a conversation.
He just gives them a warm smile, asks if they’d like to talk and invites them back to his house for tea. Sometimes, they join him.
“I’m offering them an alternative, really,” Ritchie says. “I always act in a friendly manner. I smile.”
Ritchie’s house might be the worst real estate ever. One person a week commits suicide at the “the Gap,” the cliff he lives across from. It’s protected only by a small, one-meter fence, despite its legendary reputation as a suicide spot dating back to the 1800s.
But the former life insurance salesman says he doesn’t feel “burdened” by the fact that people are always contemplating jumping to their deaths outside his house. In fact, he and his wife Moya see it as a blessing: “I think, ‘Isn’t it wonderful that we live here and we can help people?’”Ritchie, who basically sounds like the nicest guy in the entire world, is 84, and has spent much of the last year battling cancer. But, as you might expect for a dude who’s managed to live across from a fucked-up, tragic place, and not become a casualty himself, he’s optimistic: “I imagine somebody else will come along and do what I’ve been doing.” I hope so.
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