What do Clare Balding, Simon Cowell, Kylie Minogue, Tom Cruise,
Steven Spielberg, Anne Hathaway, Lily Allen, Benedict Cumberbatch and
George W. Bush have in common? They - along with thousands of others -
have all completed the Ice Bucket Challenge.
Over the summer months, the world has gone crazy for the social media
campaign, which aims to raise money and awareness of the
neurodegenerative disease ALS, also known as motor neurone disease.
Launched in America, the Ice Bucket Challenge consists of participants
getting doused with buckets of ice water while being filmed, posting the
video on a social media website, then nominating others to do the same
within 24 hours. Nominees can accept the challenge or make a donation to
charity - or do both. The craze has spread like wildfire.
After completing the challenge himself, Facebook founder Mark
Zuckerberg nominated Microsoft man Bill Gates, who then nominated TV
presenter Ryan Seacrest, who then nominated David Beckham, who then
nominated Leonardo DiCaprio, who then nominated Stephen Harper, the
Prime Minister of Canada. The list of people willing to sign up for a
soaking appears to be endless.
One who has taken the plunge is Cara Macfarlane, deputy editor of The
War Cry’s sister paper 'Kids Alive!' ‘I knew that it was only a matter
of time before I was nominated,’ she says. ‘I wouldn’t say I enjoyed
having water poured over my head, but it had been funny watching other
people’s videos. I knew I had to do it.’
As the water continues to wash over people’s heads, so the
charity-giving keeps going up. The ALS Association reported that in just
one week, donations had increased from some £13 millarbara Newhouse, said that she was thrilled not only by
people’s generosity in respondingion to more than
£53 million. The figure continues to rise. The president of the ALS
Association, B to the challenge, but also by what it
meant for the future. ‘Every day the scope of what’s possible when it
comes to fighting this disease has changed and continues to change,’ she
said.
She’s right. Whatever challenge threatens to swamp us, there is a
power that cannot be matched when people unite. Possibility can sweep
away hopelessness. Problems which once seemed insurmountable can be
dissolved. Strength is found in numbers more so than in going it alone.
When circumstances cause us to feel as though we are drowning in our
problems, we need to find a similar source of strength. We need to know
that there is someone we can turn to, no matter what. In every
situation, God can be that someone. The Bible reassures us that, in all
things, God is by our side. He says: ‘When you pass through the waters, I
will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not
sweep over you’ (Isaiah 43:2 New International Version). When we ask God
for help, he promises to stay with us always, so that we need never
feel alone again. He promises to pour out enough strength and power so
that we can overcome the most impossible problems. He promises that, if
we trust him, life can be different.
Is it time to take the plunge?
UK & Ireland War Cry September 2014
Showing posts with label Pause for Thought. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pause for Thought. Show all posts
Friday, September 12, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Singing From The Same Hymn Sheet
The cake has been cut, the speeches completed and the happy couple
toasted. Now on the dancefloor, as their guests look on, the bride and
groom embrace, and the sounds of the opening bars of a song - their song
- fill the room. The first dance at many wedding receptions is given
over to the newly-weds. They hold each other close while a song that
encapsulates their emotions is played. The lyrics tell of a deep love
that will last for a lifetime and of a commitment that nothing can
break. The words reflect their feelings, and the melody complements them
perfectly.
There is something about meaningful words set to great tunes that can stir passionate feelings in us. That does not apply only to love songs. Stand in any packed international sporting arena where a team’s national anthem is being sung with gusto, and it is not long before the hairs on the back of your neck rise as thousands of voices unite, sharing the common bond of national heritage.
A good song can rouse emotions within us, particularly if it connects us to something we hold dear - whether that is our loved ones, country or football club. That is especially true for Christians when they sing songs of praise. The poetry of the compositions articulates their love of God. When sung within a congregation, the song also unites them with other believers. Literally and figuratively, people are singing from the same hymn sheet.
When Christians sing to God, the commitment and conviction they express can go even deeper than those expressed by a newly married couple. They believe that God has made it possible for them to experience his presence and power within their lives. One biblical songwriter put it this way: ‘I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me’ (Psalm 13:6 New International Version).
God wants everyone to experience his goodness. By following him and asking for forgiveness for what we have done wrong, we are able to sing his praises as we connect with him and know his presence in our life.
UK & Ireland War Cry September 2014
There is something about meaningful words set to great tunes that can stir passionate feelings in us. That does not apply only to love songs. Stand in any packed international sporting arena where a team’s national anthem is being sung with gusto, and it is not long before the hairs on the back of your neck rise as thousands of voices unite, sharing the common bond of national heritage.
A good song can rouse emotions within us, particularly if it connects us to something we hold dear - whether that is our loved ones, country or football club. That is especially true for Christians when they sing songs of praise. The poetry of the compositions articulates their love of God. When sung within a congregation, the song also unites them with other believers. Literally and figuratively, people are singing from the same hymn sheet.
When Christians sing to God, the commitment and conviction they express can go even deeper than those expressed by a newly married couple. They believe that God has made it possible for them to experience his presence and power within their lives. One biblical songwriter put it this way: ‘I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me’ (Psalm 13:6 New International Version).
God wants everyone to experience his goodness. By following him and asking for forgiveness for what we have done wrong, we are able to sing his praises as we connect with him and know his presence in our life.
UK & Ireland War Cry September 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
Fortune Cookies
When it comes to performing well, many sportspeople seem to depend on something other than ability. Despite years of dedication, months of preparation and days of visualising the game plan, in those last few minutes before stepping onto the pitch some players look elsewhere for that winning edge.
Superstition plays a big part in sport. A footballer puts his kit on in a certain order, a rugby player insists on being last onto the pitch, a cricketer must wear a ‘lucky’ cap. The function of a team mascot is to bring them ‘luck’ - success beyond performance. Commentators talk of teams ‘making their own luck’, ‘having the rub of the green’ and ‘the luck not going their way’. So ingrained is the notion of fatalism that when a player or team unexpectedly wins a match, pundits say it’s a sign that their ‘name is on the cup’.
So is being able to make a fortune all down to fortune? Golf legend Gary Player has had his name engraved on trophies 165 times. During practice, he once told a fan: ‘The harder I practise, the luckier I get.’
Away from sport, that approach is borne out in research on teenagers’ exam performances. A survey by the Centre for Economic Performance has found that, in the words of the 'Daily Telegraph' headline, ‘Better GCSE results start with a mother who does not believe in fate’. The survey says that women who believe that they can affect their own future are the ones who are hands-on with their child’s early-years learning. Apparently we all have a ‘locus of control’ - the extent to which we believe we have power over events.
Belief in fate, then, is not a smart move. Our futures are not in the lap of the gods or written in the stars. We have the God-given ability to make choices. We can also choose to invite our Creator to guide us in every game plan we devise.
UK & Ireland War Cry
Superstition plays a big part in sport. A footballer puts his kit on in a certain order, a rugby player insists on being last onto the pitch, a cricketer must wear a ‘lucky’ cap. The function of a team mascot is to bring them ‘luck’ - success beyond performance. Commentators talk of teams ‘making their own luck’, ‘having the rub of the green’ and ‘the luck not going their way’. So ingrained is the notion of fatalism that when a player or team unexpectedly wins a match, pundits say it’s a sign that their ‘name is on the cup’.
So is being able to make a fortune all down to fortune? Golf legend Gary Player has had his name engraved on trophies 165 times. During practice, he once told a fan: ‘The harder I practise, the luckier I get.’
Away from sport, that approach is borne out in research on teenagers’ exam performances. A survey by the Centre for Economic Performance has found that, in the words of the 'Daily Telegraph' headline, ‘Better GCSE results start with a mother who does not believe in fate’. The survey says that women who believe that they can affect their own future are the ones who are hands-on with their child’s early-years learning. Apparently we all have a ‘locus of control’ - the extent to which we believe we have power over events.
Belief in fate, then, is not a smart move. Our futures are not in the lap of the gods or written in the stars. We have the God-given ability to make choices. We can also choose to invite our Creator to guide us in every game plan we devise.
UK & Ireland War Cry
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Church Is Like A Service Station
Middle-age spread. When I was younger, this was something I thought would never happen to me. More recently, though, I have noticed that my midriff has implemented plans for expansion. I intend to fight those plans. I’m told the best way to do this is through more exercise and watching what I eat. However, as someone who used to be able to eat whatever I wanted and not put on an ounce in weight, diets are a whole new world to me.
I could, of course, join a slimming group. There I would be guided as to the best way to lose a few pounds, be able to read books that would help me and meet like-minded people who also wanted to lose weight. We could support and encourage each other in our dieting quest. Whether it is through dieting, going to the gym or joining a rambling club, many of us find it more enjoyable and beneficial to do things with a group of people.
Many Christians take the same approach with regards to church. Going to church gives them the opportunity to spend time with like-minded people who share their faith and who can encourage them to develop it further. When they go to church they find they are given guidance on how best to live a Christian life. They read the Bible and find it helps them to understand God better.
But that is not all. Going to church is far more than attending a social club for self-improvement. It is also a time when, collectively, Christians worship and connect with Jesus Christ, knowing that he is with them. Jesus said: ‘Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them’ (Matthew 18:20 New International Version).
Meeting together with Jesus and other Christians brings a new dimension to a person’s experience of praising and worshipping the living, creator God. It is possible to try to be a Christian and not go to church - but it is so much better to have other people to support and encourage us and to know that Jesus is there too.
UK & Ireland War Cry
I could, of course, join a slimming group. There I would be guided as to the best way to lose a few pounds, be able to read books that would help me and meet like-minded people who also wanted to lose weight. We could support and encourage each other in our dieting quest. Whether it is through dieting, going to the gym or joining a rambling club, many of us find it more enjoyable and beneficial to do things with a group of people.
Many Christians take the same approach with regards to church. Going to church gives them the opportunity to spend time with like-minded people who share their faith and who can encourage them to develop it further. When they go to church they find they are given guidance on how best to live a Christian life. They read the Bible and find it helps them to understand God better.
But that is not all. Going to church is far more than attending a social club for self-improvement. It is also a time when, collectively, Christians worship and connect with Jesus Christ, knowing that he is with them. Jesus said: ‘Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them’ (Matthew 18:20 New International Version).
Meeting together with Jesus and other Christians brings a new dimension to a person’s experience of praising and worshipping the living, creator God. It is possible to try to be a Christian and not go to church - but it is so much better to have other people to support and encourage us and to know that Jesus is there too.
UK & Ireland War Cry
Friday, August 29, 2014
Sharp-End Christianity
Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there.’ With these words, Colonel Tim Collins sent the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment into battle in 2003. Eleven bloody years later, some parts of the cradle of civilisation are struggling to retain civility.
Earlier this month, Canon Andrew White, the Vicar of Baghdad, appeared on 'Newsnight' to describe the plight of minorities in the north of the country. He told viewers that his church was regularly a centre of worship, relief and medical care to a range of minorities - Sunni, Mandaeans, Yazidis and Christians. He also said that he and his co-religionists were in the north of Iraq to help those suffering at the hands of Islamist extremists. ‘Despite us being Christian, we are there for everybody. Everybody is being massacred and slaughtered,’ he said. ‘What they are experiencing is worse than you can imagine.’
Just days later, Canon White reported via Twitter that a five-year-old Christian boy was slaughtered during an attack by the Islamic State on the Christian town of Qara Qosh. ‘I’ve just had somebody in my room whose little child was cut in half,’ he said. ‘I baptised his child in my church in Baghdad. This little boy, they named him after me - he was called Andrew.’
In the comfort of Andrew White’s English homeland, where the only bombardment faced is of news reports and images, it is easy to feel helpless. It is easy to give up - mentally to abandon these people and others like them in the world’s troubled regions.
We can, though, give money to humanitarian relief efforts. And we can pray. Andrew White says that he and his congregation pray for protection, provision and perseverance. 'The War Cry' invites readers to join in those prayers.
UK & Ireland War Cry August 2014
Earlier this month, Canon Andrew White, the Vicar of Baghdad, appeared on 'Newsnight' to describe the plight of minorities in the north of the country. He told viewers that his church was regularly a centre of worship, relief and medical care to a range of minorities - Sunni, Mandaeans, Yazidis and Christians. He also said that he and his co-religionists were in the north of Iraq to help those suffering at the hands of Islamist extremists. ‘Despite us being Christian, we are there for everybody. Everybody is being massacred and slaughtered,’ he said. ‘What they are experiencing is worse than you can imagine.’
Just days later, Canon White reported via Twitter that a five-year-old Christian boy was slaughtered during an attack by the Islamic State on the Christian town of Qara Qosh. ‘I’ve just had somebody in my room whose little child was cut in half,’ he said. ‘I baptised his child in my church in Baghdad. This little boy, they named him after me - he was called Andrew.’
In the comfort of Andrew White’s English homeland, where the only bombardment faced is of news reports and images, it is easy to feel helpless. It is easy to give up - mentally to abandon these people and others like them in the world’s troubled regions.
We can, though, give money to humanitarian relief efforts. And we can pray. Andrew White says that he and his congregation pray for protection, provision and perseverance. 'The War Cry' invites readers to join in those prayers.
UK & Ireland War Cry August 2014
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
We're Not Left To Our Own Devices
When we buy a new device - whether a mobile phone, a tablet or something for the kitchen - how often do we read the instructions before trying it out? Men are said to be particularly bad at reading the manual.
There’s some truth in that. Sometimes, I’ll try to work out how to use something without looking at the diagrams. More often than not, I get it wrong and have to go to the book and by the book. However, my real problems begin if I’ve already thrown the instructions away with the packaging. Then I have to go through a process of trial and error, during which I lose time and patience.
Using such a hit-and-miss approach in other areas of life can result in mistakes that seriously hurt us or other people. If we don’t know how best to act, we can easily make a wrong decision at work, a wrong response in a relationship or a wrong choice with our finances. At such times, we might feel it would be good to have an instruction book.
Christians believe that the Bible is the ‘Creator’s handbook’, because it contains practical guidance and principles that have been written by God-inspired people. Among other things, it provides them with guidelines on how they should approach their working life, build relationships and deal with their money. One early Christian teacher put it this way: ‘Everything in the Scriptures is God’s word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live’ (2 Timothy 3:16 Contemporary English Version).
That’s why Christians read their Bibles. Although it does not mean that they will never do anything wrong, it can show them how to put their problems right and help them avoid the errors which can make life a trial.
UK & Ireland War Cry August 2014
There’s some truth in that. Sometimes, I’ll try to work out how to use something without looking at the diagrams. More often than not, I get it wrong and have to go to the book and by the book. However, my real problems begin if I’ve already thrown the instructions away with the packaging. Then I have to go through a process of trial and error, during which I lose time and patience.
Using such a hit-and-miss approach in other areas of life can result in mistakes that seriously hurt us or other people. If we don’t know how best to act, we can easily make a wrong decision at work, a wrong response in a relationship or a wrong choice with our finances. At such times, we might feel it would be good to have an instruction book.
Christians believe that the Bible is the ‘Creator’s handbook’, because it contains practical guidance and principles that have been written by God-inspired people. Among other things, it provides them with guidelines on how they should approach their working life, build relationships and deal with their money. One early Christian teacher put it this way: ‘Everything in the Scriptures is God’s word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live’ (2 Timothy 3:16 Contemporary English Version).
That’s why Christians read their Bibles. Although it does not mean that they will never do anything wrong, it can show them how to put their problems right and help them avoid the errors which can make life a trial.
UK & Ireland War Cry August 2014
A Way To Channel Our Emotions
Why do Christians pray?
I’m embarrassed to say it, but I’ve reached a stage in my life when I answer back to the television. I contradict interviewees when I disagree with their point of view and tell quiz show contestants they are daft because I can answer the question that they can’t.
I don’t know why I’m embarrassed by this, because programmes such as Channel 4’s Gogglebox prove that, for many of us, watching television is an interactive pastime. (Besides, how many armchair football fans shouted encouragement at their team during the World Cup this summer!)
The reality is, though, as well as annoying anyone watching with us, talking to the television is a waste of time. The people on the screen cannot hear us. It makes no difference. We might just as well talk to ourselves.
To some people, praying seems just as pointless. They think it is just talking out loud to nobody in particular and without any result – so why bother?
Christians believe that prayer connects a person with a loving God who hears their every word, reads their every thought and responds.
Christians know that God wants to hear people speak to him through prayer and that they can go to him about anything on their mind. Nothing is too small or too big.
In one passage in the Bible, God says: ‘I was ready to answer my people’s prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find me, but they did not even try. The nation did not pray to me, even though I was always ready to answer, “Here I am; I will help you”’ (Isaiah 65:1 Good News Bible).
We are not limited, however, to praying only for ourselves. We can also pray for other people and know that God can help them.
God always hears when we talk to him. In his way and in his time, he also answers.
UK & Ireland War Cry August 2014
I’m embarrassed to say it, but I’ve reached a stage in my life when I answer back to the television. I contradict interviewees when I disagree with their point of view and tell quiz show contestants they are daft because I can answer the question that they can’t.
I don’t know why I’m embarrassed by this, because programmes such as Channel 4’s Gogglebox prove that, for many of us, watching television is an interactive pastime. (Besides, how many armchair football fans shouted encouragement at their team during the World Cup this summer!)
The reality is, though, as well as annoying anyone watching with us, talking to the television is a waste of time. The people on the screen cannot hear us. It makes no difference. We might just as well talk to ourselves.
To some people, praying seems just as pointless. They think it is just talking out loud to nobody in particular and without any result – so why bother?
Christians believe that prayer connects a person with a loving God who hears their every word, reads their every thought and responds.
Christians know that God wants to hear people speak to him through prayer and that they can go to him about anything on their mind. Nothing is too small or too big.
In one passage in the Bible, God says: ‘I was ready to answer my people’s prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find me, but they did not even try. The nation did not pray to me, even though I was always ready to answer, “Here I am; I will help you”’ (Isaiah 65:1 Good News Bible).
We are not limited, however, to praying only for ourselves. We can also pray for other people and know that God can help them.
God always hears when we talk to him. In his way and in his time, he also answers.
UK & Ireland War Cry August 2014
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Hope In Their Hearts
It's kicking off north and south of the border. Referees around the country will be blowing their whistles to mark the start of the new football season. While the multimillionaire footballers of the Premier League still have another week before they tackle their new campaign, the teams of the English and Scottish Professional Football Leagues will be hoping for a winning start this weekend.
For them and their thousands of fans, the coming weeks will bring new hopes and dreams. Some will hope that the new season will make up for the disappointments of last year. Hibernian, Hearts, Fulham, Cardiff and Norwich all want to make an immediate return to their respective top flights after suffering the misery of relegation last season.
Supporters of other Football League clubs such as Derby, Leyton Orient and Southend will hope that they can go one better than before. They were some of the teams who reached the play-offs but lost out at the end-of-season knockout stage.
Such hopes will be all the stronger for the Football League’s two Albions. For the past two seasons, Brighton and Hove Albion and Burton Albion have reached their division’s play-offs but missed out on promotion both times. The new season gives them the chance to put the so-near-yet-so-far disappointment behind them and reach their goal of going up. A new fixture list, some new signings and fresh opposition mean it’s all to play for as everyone has the chance to try again.
When things in life don’t go according to our game plan, many of us would be glad of a replay - a second or third chance to get it right.
But sometimes when we mess up in the important areas, it’s hard to see how we could ever get another chance. Relationships break down, financial problems mount or our dreams for the future are shattered. We try to save the situation, but nothing works and we look set to pay the penalty for what we have done. When we face those times, life can seem hopeless, we fear for the future and we wonder how we can keep going.
But help is available. There is someone who wants to give each of us a second chance - and that is Jesus Christ. He is willing to help us start again and get our lives back to winning ways.
Before he became a Christian, Bible writer Paul made big mistakes that he later bitterly regretted. But Jesus offered him a second chance. Paul took it. He later wrote: ‘Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 Contemporary English Version).
To belong to Christ we need to admit to him the things we have done that are wrong and ask him for forgiveness. Then he will show us how situations that appear hopeless now can be turned around. He can save us. With Jesus, we have it all to live for.
UK & War Cry 9 August 2014
For them and their thousands of fans, the coming weeks will bring new hopes and dreams. Some will hope that the new season will make up for the disappointments of last year. Hibernian, Hearts, Fulham, Cardiff and Norwich all want to make an immediate return to their respective top flights after suffering the misery of relegation last season.
Supporters of other Football League clubs such as Derby, Leyton Orient and Southend will hope that they can go one better than before. They were some of the teams who reached the play-offs but lost out at the end-of-season knockout stage.
Such hopes will be all the stronger for the Football League’s two Albions. For the past two seasons, Brighton and Hove Albion and Burton Albion have reached their division’s play-offs but missed out on promotion both times. The new season gives them the chance to put the so-near-yet-so-far disappointment behind them and reach their goal of going up. A new fixture list, some new signings and fresh opposition mean it’s all to play for as everyone has the chance to try again.
When things in life don’t go according to our game plan, many of us would be glad of a replay - a second or third chance to get it right.
But sometimes when we mess up in the important areas, it’s hard to see how we could ever get another chance. Relationships break down, financial problems mount or our dreams for the future are shattered. We try to save the situation, but nothing works and we look set to pay the penalty for what we have done. When we face those times, life can seem hopeless, we fear for the future and we wonder how we can keep going.
But help is available. There is someone who wants to give each of us a second chance - and that is Jesus Christ. He is willing to help us start again and get our lives back to winning ways.
Before he became a Christian, Bible writer Paul made big mistakes that he later bitterly regretted. But Jesus offered him a second chance. Paul took it. He later wrote: ‘Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 Contemporary English Version).
To belong to Christ we need to admit to him the things we have done that are wrong and ask him for forgiveness. Then he will show us how situations that appear hopeless now can be turned around. He can save us. With Jesus, we have it all to live for.
UK & War Cry 9 August 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
We Need A Hero
Superhero movies are big business. When the X-Men film 'Days of Future Past' opened earlier this year, within the first week alone it took more than £200 million at box offices around the world. The X-Men are not the only superheroes enjoying big-screen success. According to film site Box Office Mojo, since 2000 there have been more than 60 films featuring heroes such as Wolverine, Rogue, Batman and Iron Man. Peter Parker recently returned to perform more heroics in 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2'.
It appears that cinemagoers can’t get enough of all-action adventure stories where, despite the many personal problems the screen hero goes through, by the closing credits he or she will have saved the day. The world does not end, evil does not triumph and those who are saved live happily ever after.
Sometimes, we may wish that a superhero would do the same in our lives. Such a wish might seem rather excessive. After all, there are not many times when we feel our lives are threatened or that evil forces want to rob us of our future.
Yet Christians believe that the future of every person is in the balance. They believe the world will end when Jesus returns from Heaven. At that point, everybody will discover what their eternal future holds. Because none of us can lead a perfect life and we all do things that are wrong, we deserve to spend eternity separated from our perfect Creator.
However, Christians also believe they have been saved from this fate because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus died and took the punishment for our sins so we can enjoy eternal life with God.
The Bible puts it like this: ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its saviour’ (John 3:16, 17 Good News Bible).
Jesus will be our saviour if we ask him to forgive us for the wrong things we do. Then we can experience the eternal love of God that will save us from an eternity of misery, defeat and separation.
UK & Ireland War Cry 9 August 2014
It appears that cinemagoers can’t get enough of all-action adventure stories where, despite the many personal problems the screen hero goes through, by the closing credits he or she will have saved the day. The world does not end, evil does not triumph and those who are saved live happily ever after.
Sometimes, we may wish that a superhero would do the same in our lives. Such a wish might seem rather excessive. After all, there are not many times when we feel our lives are threatened or that evil forces want to rob us of our future.
Yet Christians believe that the future of every person is in the balance. They believe the world will end when Jesus returns from Heaven. At that point, everybody will discover what their eternal future holds. Because none of us can lead a perfect life and we all do things that are wrong, we deserve to spend eternity separated from our perfect Creator.
However, Christians also believe they have been saved from this fate because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus died and took the punishment for our sins so we can enjoy eternal life with God.
The Bible puts it like this: ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its saviour’ (John 3:16, 17 Good News Bible).
Jesus will be our saviour if we ask him to forgive us for the wrong things we do. Then we can experience the eternal love of God that will save us from an eternity of misery, defeat and separation.
UK & Ireland War Cry 9 August 2014
Friday, August 8, 2014
Know Your Routes
Celebrities. Their designer clothes, expensive cars and lavish lifestyles often have people asking: ‘Who do they think they are?’ Over the past ten years, 100 celebrities have gone on a quest to find out the answer in BBC One’s 'Who Do You Think You Are?' On Wednesday 6 August, the BBC celebrates a decade of the programme with a one-hour special that looks back at some standout moments.
In previous episodes, celebs such as Patsy Kensit, Bruce Forsyth, J. K. Rowling and Stephen Fry have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions as they discovered the stories of their ancestral history. Some of the stars have discovered that they have royal blood. Others have been saddened to learn that their forebears were mistreated.
'Who Do They Think They Are?: 10 Years, 100 Shows' looks back at the episode when TV inquisitor Jeremy Paxman reluctantly delved into his family history. As he discovered the troubles that his great-grandparents faced, Jeremy’s tough exterior broke. ‘When you discover somebody’s life story and the adversity they faced,’ he says, ‘of course it has an effect on you and I was terribly moved, as was evident.’
Our own history affects who we are today. Good experiences can give us a positive outlook and provide us with confidence. Bad experiences can have the opposite effect and we unknowingly become cynical and unforgiving. Such negative traits can ruin our expectations of the present and tarnish our outlook of the future. But we don’t need to be weighed down by our past. Focused on dealing with his past, Bible writer Paul tried to ‘forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead … I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above’ (Philippians 3:13, 14 Good News Bible).
When we put our faith in Jesus, he helps us deal with our past. He forgives our wrongdoing. He helps us forgive those who have hurt us. He also helps us to face the future with a sense of peace. Whatever happens, he will be with us. Is it time we got to know who Jesus is?
UK & Ireland War Cry 2 August 2014
In previous episodes, celebs such as Patsy Kensit, Bruce Forsyth, J. K. Rowling and Stephen Fry have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions as they discovered the stories of their ancestral history. Some of the stars have discovered that they have royal blood. Others have been saddened to learn that their forebears were mistreated.
'Who Do They Think They Are?: 10 Years, 100 Shows' looks back at the episode when TV inquisitor Jeremy Paxman reluctantly delved into his family history. As he discovered the troubles that his great-grandparents faced, Jeremy’s tough exterior broke. ‘When you discover somebody’s life story and the adversity they faced,’ he says, ‘of course it has an effect on you and I was terribly moved, as was evident.’
Our own history affects who we are today. Good experiences can give us a positive outlook and provide us with confidence. Bad experiences can have the opposite effect and we unknowingly become cynical and unforgiving. Such negative traits can ruin our expectations of the present and tarnish our outlook of the future. But we don’t need to be weighed down by our past. Focused on dealing with his past, Bible writer Paul tried to ‘forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead … I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above’ (Philippians 3:13, 14 Good News Bible).
When we put our faith in Jesus, he helps us deal with our past. He forgives our wrongdoing. He helps us forgive those who have hurt us. He also helps us to face the future with a sense of peace. Whatever happens, he will be with us. Is it time we got to know who Jesus is?
UK & Ireland War Cry 2 August 2014
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Mountains Offer A Peek At God's Power
verest, K2, the Eiger, Mont Blanc. Whether they are in the Himalayas or Europe, majestic mountains have thrilled and inspired countless generations. Their very names conjure up an idea of beauty and strength. Many people find that such peaks indicate God’s power in creation and help them to put their lives into perspective.
Thousands of years ago, people sincerely believed that God lived on mountain tops. Today, some peoples still regard certain mountains as sacred places of worship. Such an outlook is echoed in the opening verse of Psalm 121: ‘I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there?’ (New Living Translation). Then the psalm writer moves on in his understanding of God and answers his own question: ‘My help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth’ (121:1, 2).
He goes on to describe the care and protection that God lavishes on humankind, his greatest creation: ‘The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and for ever’ (121:7, 8). This particular phrase has led to the Psalm being known as the ‘Threshold Blessing’.
Many Jewish homes have a small metal cylinder containing a rolled parchment of God’s commands fixed to their doorpost (following the instruction of Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and 11:18–21). It is customary for families to touch it and quote this promise of divine protection as they leave or return home.
Asking for God’s help and guidance at the start of each day is not a new idea. Neither is asking him to bless our homes and family relationships. Many have found that such prayers enrich their daily life.
This Psalm is often read at special times, such as weddings and funerals. But its words are not there to be packed carefully away in tissue paper until the next special occasion. God’s promises are relevant in our ordinary and everyday ‘comings and goings’ too. The psalm writer does not put limits on God’s watchful care. There are no ‘ifs’. His care is available to everyone, no matter who we are, whatever the need or circumstance. All God requires is our confidence and trust.
UK & Ireland War Cry 2 August 2014
Thousands of years ago, people sincerely believed that God lived on mountain tops. Today, some peoples still regard certain mountains as sacred places of worship. Such an outlook is echoed in the opening verse of Psalm 121: ‘I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there?’ (New Living Translation). Then the psalm writer moves on in his understanding of God and answers his own question: ‘My help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth’ (121:1, 2).
He goes on to describe the care and protection that God lavishes on humankind, his greatest creation: ‘The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and for ever’ (121:7, 8). This particular phrase has led to the Psalm being known as the ‘Threshold Blessing’.
Many Jewish homes have a small metal cylinder containing a rolled parchment of God’s commands fixed to their doorpost (following the instruction of Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and 11:18–21). It is customary for families to touch it and quote this promise of divine protection as they leave or return home.
Asking for God’s help and guidance at the start of each day is not a new idea. Neither is asking him to bless our homes and family relationships. Many have found that such prayers enrich their daily life.
This Psalm is often read at special times, such as weddings and funerals. But its words are not there to be packed carefully away in tissue paper until the next special occasion. God’s promises are relevant in our ordinary and everyday ‘comings and goings’ too. The psalm writer does not put limits on God’s watchful care. There are no ‘ifs’. His care is available to everyone, no matter who we are, whatever the need or circumstance. All God requires is our confidence and trust.
UK & Ireland War Cry 2 August 2014
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Missed Saigon?
Musical is back on in the West End writes Claire Brine
The heat is on – not only in Saigon, but also in the Prince Edward Theatre in London, where a new production is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Miss Saigon. Best known for its Les Mis-style songs, including ‘The Last Night of the World’ and ‘Bui-Doi’, the musical follows the life of a Vietnamese girl named Kim after she falls in love with a US marine fighting in the Vietnam War.
It’s 1975 in Saigon. War is bloody. Having lost both her parents in the conflict, Kim becomes a prostitute in the sleazy Dreamland club. She meets Chris and the pair fall in love.
While Kim and Chris are growing closer together, Saigon is falling apart. Chris knows that it is only a matter of time before the Vietcong take the city, so he plans to fly back to America with the other troops. He promises to take Kim with him.
But then everything goes wrong. When Chris arrives at the Embassy, he is ushered onto a helicopter. By the time Kim arrives, the gates are too crowded and she cannot get through to meet him. Heartbroken, the pair are separated.
Three years later, Kim is bringing up her child in Bangkok. She dreams that one day Chris will return to her and finally meet their son, Tam.
But unbeknown to Kim, Chris has moved on. Believing he would never see his Vietnamese sweetheart again, he has married Ellen and started a new life back in America.
When Chris learns of Kim’s whereabouts and that he has a son, he travels to Bangkok to meet them. Kim is distraught to learn that Chris is married, then begs him to take Tam back to America so that he can experience a better life.
‘As long as you can have your chance,’ she sings to Tam, ‘I swear I’ll give my life for you.’
To give up her son is a gut-wrenching decision.
Chris knows that, whatever he does, Kim or Ellen will be hurt. Kim knows that a life without her son will be even bleaker than it was before. Is there any way this can end well?
Sometimes, whatever our backstory, life isn’t fair. Heartache is inevitable.
Our choices hurt people – but sometimes we have to make them anyway. At other times, we face a dilemma and don’t know what to do for the best or how to make a wrong situation right. There just seems to be no pain-free answers.
To be in the pits of despair is a lonely experience. Even if we try to tell people how we are feeling, they don’t quite understand, leaving us feeling worse than before. And when the magic wand to solve our problems doesn’t materialise, we may think all hope is lost.
It doesn’t have to end like that.
Unlikely as it may seem, there is always one more place to turn, one more person to call on. Whether we believe it or not, hope can be found in Jesus.
He makes us this offer: ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28 New International Version).
When life looks impossible from every angle, we can trust that we are never alone. We can talk to Jesus and tell him everything. He listens. He understands. He comforts.
Our script can have a happy ending.
UK & Ireland War Cry 26 July 2014
The heat is on – not only in Saigon, but also in the Prince Edward Theatre in London, where a new production is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Miss Saigon. Best known for its Les Mis-style songs, including ‘The Last Night of the World’ and ‘Bui-Doi’, the musical follows the life of a Vietnamese girl named Kim after she falls in love with a US marine fighting in the Vietnam War.
It’s 1975 in Saigon. War is bloody. Having lost both her parents in the conflict, Kim becomes a prostitute in the sleazy Dreamland club. She meets Chris and the pair fall in love.
While Kim and Chris are growing closer together, Saigon is falling apart. Chris knows that it is only a matter of time before the Vietcong take the city, so he plans to fly back to America with the other troops. He promises to take Kim with him.
But then everything goes wrong. When Chris arrives at the Embassy, he is ushered onto a helicopter. By the time Kim arrives, the gates are too crowded and she cannot get through to meet him. Heartbroken, the pair are separated.
Three years later, Kim is bringing up her child in Bangkok. She dreams that one day Chris will return to her and finally meet their son, Tam.
But unbeknown to Kim, Chris has moved on. Believing he would never see his Vietnamese sweetheart again, he has married Ellen and started a new life back in America.
When Chris learns of Kim’s whereabouts and that he has a son, he travels to Bangkok to meet them. Kim is distraught to learn that Chris is married, then begs him to take Tam back to America so that he can experience a better life.
‘As long as you can have your chance,’ she sings to Tam, ‘I swear I’ll give my life for you.’
To give up her son is a gut-wrenching decision.
Chris knows that, whatever he does, Kim or Ellen will be hurt. Kim knows that a life without her son will be even bleaker than it was before. Is there any way this can end well?
Sometimes, whatever our backstory, life isn’t fair. Heartache is inevitable.
Our choices hurt people – but sometimes we have to make them anyway. At other times, we face a dilemma and don’t know what to do for the best or how to make a wrong situation right. There just seems to be no pain-free answers.
To be in the pits of despair is a lonely experience. Even if we try to tell people how we are feeling, they don’t quite understand, leaving us feeling worse than before. And when the magic wand to solve our problems doesn’t materialise, we may think all hope is lost.
It doesn’t have to end like that.
Unlikely as it may seem, there is always one more place to turn, one more person to call on. Whether we believe it or not, hope can be found in Jesus.
He makes us this offer: ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28 New International Version).
When life looks impossible from every angle, we can trust that we are never alone. We can talk to Jesus and tell him everything. He listens. He understands. He comforts.
Our script can have a happy ending.
UK & Ireland War Cry 26 July 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
It's Good To Be On The Safe Side
How often do we count our blessings? If it has been a while, here are a few that we may be able to start with – home, family, friends, food, health, sunshine and the beauty of nature.
Saying ‘thank you’ used to be a habit we learnt in childhood. It’s sad that so often these days grumbling and complaining have replaced gratitude. Ultimately, our attitude begins and ends with us. We are the only ones who can put it right.
Some of the Psalms, and other parts of the Bible, are used to bring comfort, especially on life’s sad occasions. But there are also many joyful passages that celebrate the goodness of our faithful Creator God.
Psalm 100, for example, tells us: ‘Make a joyful shout to the Lord … Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing. Know that the Lord, he is God; it is he who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture’ (Psalm 100:1–3 New King James Version). Or, as a modern paraphrase suggests: ‘Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence’ (The Message).
Whatever impression the news headlines may give, life is not all doom and gloom. There are still good things happening, even if we don’t always get to hear about them. There are still millions of people doing good things worth celebrating and thanking God for.
Why should we praise God? ‘For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations’ (100:5 NKSV).
Living a day at a time can help us to cultivate the practice of counting our blessings. In the words of another Psalm: ‘This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it’ (Psalm 118:24). That means committing whatever is in the diary for that day to God – whether work, holiday, problems or difficult choices – and asking for his help. And even more importantly, thanking him when he gives it.
UK & Ireland War Cry 26 July 2014
Saying ‘thank you’ used to be a habit we learnt in childhood. It’s sad that so often these days grumbling and complaining have replaced gratitude. Ultimately, our attitude begins and ends with us. We are the only ones who can put it right.
Some of the Psalms, and other parts of the Bible, are used to bring comfort, especially on life’s sad occasions. But there are also many joyful passages that celebrate the goodness of our faithful Creator God.
Psalm 100, for example, tells us: ‘Make a joyful shout to the Lord … Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing. Know that the Lord, he is God; it is he who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture’ (Psalm 100:1–3 New King James Version). Or, as a modern paraphrase suggests: ‘Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence’ (The Message).
Whatever impression the news headlines may give, life is not all doom and gloom. There are still good things happening, even if we don’t always get to hear about them. There are still millions of people doing good things worth celebrating and thanking God for.
Why should we praise God? ‘For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations’ (100:5 NKSV).
Living a day at a time can help us to cultivate the practice of counting our blessings. In the words of another Psalm: ‘This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it’ (Psalm 118:24). That means committing whatever is in the diary for that day to God – whether work, holiday, problems or difficult choices – and asking for his help. And even more importantly, thanking him when he gives it.
UK & Ireland War Cry 26 July 2014
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Friday, July 18, 2014
All Change
Transformers. They are ‘robots in disguise’, able to take the shape of a truck or a supercar or a helicopter. But some things never change and in 'Transformers: Age of Extinction' - the fourth instalment of the film series, released at cinemas on Thursday (10 July) - the good transformers, Autobots, are still trying to save humanity from its enemies.
The leader of the Autobots, robot-cum-truck Optimus Prime, has passed many a test of his courage in battles with the evil Decepticon transformers. But when he is discovered in truck guise, broken down and gathering dust in a ruined building, he looks as if he would struggle to pass his MoT.
Not realising the truth about the truck, off-the-wall robotics inventor Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) takes it home to his workshop to see what he can make of it. He is amazed when - to the consternation of his angsty daughter Tessa and his slacker employee Lucas - the vehicle turns out to be an Autobot. Suddenly, there’s a lot to get angsty about. Having Optimus in his workshop alerts a CIA black ops team, which arrives in force.
Optimus is not in the mood to submit. He hits the road. The CIA’s interest in him is not friendly. Although the Autobots have defended humanity, maverick CIA man Harold Attinger is fed up with Transformers coming here, fighting battles, living on our planet. He wants them to go back where they came from. And he’s in cahoots with Joshua Joyce, a fanatical businessman who wants to use the programmable matter known as Transformium to monopolise the robotics industry. Harold’s vision is to create a US Army of Autobot-like soldiers that will rule the world.
Optimus and his fellow Autobots decide to help Cade, Tessa and her boyfriend Shane stop Harold and his gang from doing something stupid. It seems that the Autobots need to save humanity from itself. As one Autobot asks: ‘What’s wrong with you humans?’
The answer is: quite a lot. They care too much for power, they are happy to deceive others and themselves and are terminally selfish. They - rather than the Autobots - need to be transformed. It’s no wonder the Autobots talk in terms of humanity needing atonement.
Despite all the ways in which the Transformers story imaginarily alters the world as we know it, there’s no disguising the reality of its theme that humans are capable of causing mayhem for themselves. It has been obvious for centuries that we need to change. It is why one Bible writer urges readers: ‘Be transformed by the renewal of your minds’ (Romans 12:2 Revised English Bible).
The Bible insists that God revealed his life-changing love for us through Jesus, who pointed out the direction in which we need to take our lives but also, when he was murdered by the state, demonstrated God’s willingness to forgive us for what is wrong with us. As another of the Bible’s writers says: ‘He is himself a sacrifice to atone for our sins’ (1 John 2:2).
The message is that if we put our trust in God, a new future begins to take shape. He will transform us.
UK & Ireland War Cry 12 July 2014
The leader of the Autobots, robot-cum-truck Optimus Prime, has passed many a test of his courage in battles with the evil Decepticon transformers. But when he is discovered in truck guise, broken down and gathering dust in a ruined building, he looks as if he would struggle to pass his MoT.
Not realising the truth about the truck, off-the-wall robotics inventor Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) takes it home to his workshop to see what he can make of it. He is amazed when - to the consternation of his angsty daughter Tessa and his slacker employee Lucas - the vehicle turns out to be an Autobot. Suddenly, there’s a lot to get angsty about. Having Optimus in his workshop alerts a CIA black ops team, which arrives in force.
Optimus is not in the mood to submit. He hits the road. The CIA’s interest in him is not friendly. Although the Autobots have defended humanity, maverick CIA man Harold Attinger is fed up with Transformers coming here, fighting battles, living on our planet. He wants them to go back where they came from. And he’s in cahoots with Joshua Joyce, a fanatical businessman who wants to use the programmable matter known as Transformium to monopolise the robotics industry. Harold’s vision is to create a US Army of Autobot-like soldiers that will rule the world.
Optimus and his fellow Autobots decide to help Cade, Tessa and her boyfriend Shane stop Harold and his gang from doing something stupid. It seems that the Autobots need to save humanity from itself. As one Autobot asks: ‘What’s wrong with you humans?’
The answer is: quite a lot. They care too much for power, they are happy to deceive others and themselves and are terminally selfish. They - rather than the Autobots - need to be transformed. It’s no wonder the Autobots talk in terms of humanity needing atonement.
Despite all the ways in which the Transformers story imaginarily alters the world as we know it, there’s no disguising the reality of its theme that humans are capable of causing mayhem for themselves. It has been obvious for centuries that we need to change. It is why one Bible writer urges readers: ‘Be transformed by the renewal of your minds’ (Romans 12:2 Revised English Bible).
The Bible insists that God revealed his life-changing love for us through Jesus, who pointed out the direction in which we need to take our lives but also, when he was murdered by the state, demonstrated God’s willingness to forgive us for what is wrong with us. As another of the Bible’s writers says: ‘He is himself a sacrifice to atone for our sins’ (1 John 2:2).
The message is that if we put our trust in God, a new future begins to take shape. He will transform us.
UK & Ireland War Cry 12 July 2014
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Is God To Blame?
A week is a long time in politics. Thirty seconds was the start of eternity for more than 200,000 people killed in an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale in Haiti on 12 January 2010. Sadly, such massive casualties are not unique. In a matter of minutes on Ascension Day 1902, the entire population of about 30,000 people in St-Pierre, Martinique, died when Montagne Pelée volcano poured a cloud of burning ash and gases across the town. To complete an unholy trinity of earthquake, fire and flood, on 12 November 1970, 500,000 people drowned when the Bhola cyclone hit the Ganges Delta region of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Although seemingly the most mundane of disasters, floods are the world’s biggest killer.
What can we say in the face of such mind-numbing statistics? For Christians, they raise the insistent question of why an all-powerful, loving God can allow such disasters to happen. For secularists and atheists, they challenge the self-confidence that, in this technological age, humankind can control its environment. Despite an explosion in scientific knowledge, the numbers of people affected or killed by disasters is increasing relentlessly. It is likely that before long an earthquake will occur that kills more than one million people. Since 2010, more than half the world’s population has lived in cities, where people are extremely vulnerable to disasters.
We are accustomed to calling such catastrophes ‘natural’ disasters, as if humans play no part in them. Yet once we scratch beneath the surface, it becomes clear that almost always it is the actions, inactions or neglect of humans that turn natural processes into disasters. To this extent, ‘natural’ disasters is highly misleading.
Far from being unwelcome intrusions, earthquakes, volcanoes and floods are essential to the wellbeing of this planet. They are what make the earth a fruitful, habitable place where humans, and indeed the whole biosphere, can thrive. Without them, Earth would be a barren planet without life as we know it.
If there had never been any volcanoes on Earth, then the main geological source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would be missing. The likely result is that the planet would have been frozen for most of its history. Volcanic eruptions - explosively fatal to humans caught up in them - produce volumes of minerals essential for life. Volcanic islands, such as Hawaii, are some of the most biodiverse areas on the planet.
Floods distribute fertile soils. For millennia, it was the annual flood of the Nile that enabled Egypt to prosper. When the Nile flood failed in 1784, one sixth of the population died.
Without earthquakes there would be no plate tectonics or mountain ranges. The continual building and erosion of mountains provides a steady supply of nutrient-rich sediments that allows life to thrive. Mountains also trigger rainfall, which makes the surrounding areas fertile. The Himalayas cause annual monsoons that provide water for one billion people in India.
Although natural processes are beneficial in generating a suitable home for humanity, when humans interact badly with them, an otherwise beneficial natural process can turn into a disaster. Unfortunately, it is often the actions of humans that make the scale of disasters worse.
An identical earthquake to the one that killed 200,000 people in Haiti occurred 20 years earlier in Loma Prieta, California. Yet it killed only 57 people. California had building codes that required buildings to be earthquake-proof. In contrast, people died in Haiti when their poorly built concrete slab houses situated on landslide slopes collapsed on top of them. It is no coincidence that Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. It could be argued that 99.98 per cent of the Haiti fatalities were due to human factors - largely derived from decades of endemic corruption, misrule and poverty.
In Hurricane Katrina, a disproportionate number of those Americans killed were infirm, elderly or poor. A report by the University of Louisiana concluded that ‘failure of the NOFDS [New Orleans flood Defence System] was a predictable, predicted, and preventable catastrophe’, and that ‘this catastrophe did not result from an act of “God”. It resulted from acts of “People”.’
The common factor in these disasters is that it is the poor and voiceless people who suffer most. That is also true for one of the most pervasive causes of disasters that humans are wreaking on the Earth - global climate change. Many disasters are directly or indirectly related to climate change, including heatwaves, floods, droughts, landslides and changes in weather patterns that have an impact on agriculture and may lead to famines. Those of us in the high-income countries who have benefited from burning cheap fossil fuels - thereby causing global climate change - have a moral duty to help those in low-income countries, who largely are the people who suffer from climate change. At the very least, they deserve our assistance to help them adapt to the inevitable changes that result.
The problem of suffering is one which has exercised humanity from the earliest times. There are no easy answers. But there are some things we can usefully say about disasters that may help us to respond to them. The first is that ‘nature’ is not a force separate from God. As John Wesley wrote when reflecting on the 1755 Lisbon earthquake: ‘What is nature itself, but the art of God, or God’s method of acting in the material world?’ Natural processes occur under the overarching sovereignty of God, and so too must natural disasters.
Some Christians have tried to get round the apparent problem of natural disasters by saying that processes such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and floods did not occur before the Fall, when humans chose to disobey their Creator. But this is not borne out by the evidence. There is no doubt from geological evidence that all those events occurred on Earth long before humans first walked on it. Indeed, it is those very processes that have made - and continue to make - the Earth habitable.
At the Fall, humans chose to put themselves - rather than God - first. As a result, they broke their intimacy with their Creator and spoilt the relationship between themselves and the rest of creation. It became toil to wrest food from the land. In Genesis 1:28, God gives humankind dominion over all living things. He sets humans to rule over the Earth on his behalf. In the present age of environmental degradation, species annihilation, widespread pollution of the sea, land and air, of all the changes wrought by unprecedented rapid global climate change, our misrule is not hard to see.
As we contemplate disasters, it might be helpful to see how God responded to the trials of Job. Job was a righteous man. Yet he suffered grievously at the hands of Satan, losing all that was most dear to him, including his possessions, flocks, family and even his own health. Some, at least, of the disasters were due to natural processes, such as the wind that blew down his eldest son’s house and killed all his ten children (see Job 1:18, 19). Job’s friends tried to rationalise the disasters that had befallen him, as being the result of some sin or failing on his part. Job rightly rejected those suggestions, but still he wanted an explanation from God.
When that day finally came, and God spoke to Job ‘out of the whirlwind’, he didn’t give any tidy explanations. Instead, God spoke majestically of his power over all his creation, the stars, the sea, the weather and all the animals. Perhaps most tellingly, God showed himself to be sovereign over the most fearsome of animals, the Leviathan. Humans could not deal with Leviathan: ‘When it rises up, the mighty are terrified’ (41:25 New International Version). It is likely that the Leviathan represents Satan himself. Yet God had complete control over him. God’s power is unsurpassably greater than that of Leviathan. We can be reassured from the story of Job that God knows all there is to know about evil, that he constrains its reach and is ultimately sovereign over it.
Though God vindicates Job and indeed praises him, Job finally understands that God’s purposes cannot be thwarted and that God’s knowledge and wisdom are far beyond anything to which Job could aspire.
The lesson for us, perhaps, is that this side of Heaven we should not, and cannot, expect to understand all of God’s dealings - but we can, and should, hold on to God’s faithfulness and goodness, however dire our circumstances seem to be. Though we may not understand fully why disasters happen, or what God’s plans in them might be, we can hold on to the certainty of God’s sovereignty over this present world and that in the fullness of time this creation will be renewed.
The Kingdom of God to which Christians look forward is not just a psychological prop or wishful ‘pie in the sky’. It is a reality that can inform everything about the way we live in the here and now, including our attitude and response to the disasters which plague this world. We are living in the in-between times - between the first coming of God to earth as the man Jesus, and his return, when all things will be renewed in a new creation. That is, when he will make this world the place he intended it to be, free from all death and mourning, free from all that has been made twisted and out of order by the rebellion of humankind against its Creator.
It is natural to wish that disasters wouldn’t happen. But humankind has the capability to construct earthquake-proof buildings. We can detect and track storms, typhoons and hurricanes. We can monitor and predict volcanic eruptions. We should be able to prevent the great majority of casualties from these natural processes. It is a sign of God’s goodness that the world is stable and understandable and that we can use the fruits of science and technology for the good of others. We could prevent disasters and alleviate or lessen the harmful effects of some of our actions, such as burning large quantities of fossil fuels. The fact that we don’t do so as much as we could or should is a sign of our selfishness - what the Bible calls ‘sinfulness’.
The Christian perspective sees the reality of the brokenness of this world and the reality of God’s sovereignty over it and of his ultimate plans for a new creation. That does not mean that we need not strive to improve things now. Rather, it should drive us towards a better scientific understanding of disasters, an enabling of communities to build resilience against them and a striving to remove the unjust disparities in wealth and resources that mean it is so often the poor who suffer the most.
Even though we may not be able to prevent every last casualty of the next disaster, there is an enormous amount we can do from our present understanding of natural processes to reduce the impact of disasters.
• Bob White is Professor of Geophysics at Cambridge University and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He is also Director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, Cambridge. His book, ‘Who is to Blame?’, is published by Monarch
UK & Ireland War Cry 12 July 2014
What can we say in the face of such mind-numbing statistics? For Christians, they raise the insistent question of why an all-powerful, loving God can allow such disasters to happen. For secularists and atheists, they challenge the self-confidence that, in this technological age, humankind can control its environment. Despite an explosion in scientific knowledge, the numbers of people affected or killed by disasters is increasing relentlessly. It is likely that before long an earthquake will occur that kills more than one million people. Since 2010, more than half the world’s population has lived in cities, where people are extremely vulnerable to disasters.
We are accustomed to calling such catastrophes ‘natural’ disasters, as if humans play no part in them. Yet once we scratch beneath the surface, it becomes clear that almost always it is the actions, inactions or neglect of humans that turn natural processes into disasters. To this extent, ‘natural’ disasters is highly misleading.
Far from being unwelcome intrusions, earthquakes, volcanoes and floods are essential to the wellbeing of this planet. They are what make the earth a fruitful, habitable place where humans, and indeed the whole biosphere, can thrive. Without them, Earth would be a barren planet without life as we know it.
If there had never been any volcanoes on Earth, then the main geological source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would be missing. The likely result is that the planet would have been frozen for most of its history. Volcanic eruptions - explosively fatal to humans caught up in them - produce volumes of minerals essential for life. Volcanic islands, such as Hawaii, are some of the most biodiverse areas on the planet.
Floods distribute fertile soils. For millennia, it was the annual flood of the Nile that enabled Egypt to prosper. When the Nile flood failed in 1784, one sixth of the population died.
Without earthquakes there would be no plate tectonics or mountain ranges. The continual building and erosion of mountains provides a steady supply of nutrient-rich sediments that allows life to thrive. Mountains also trigger rainfall, which makes the surrounding areas fertile. The Himalayas cause annual monsoons that provide water for one billion people in India.
Although natural processes are beneficial in generating a suitable home for humanity, when humans interact badly with them, an otherwise beneficial natural process can turn into a disaster. Unfortunately, it is often the actions of humans that make the scale of disasters worse.
An identical earthquake to the one that killed 200,000 people in Haiti occurred 20 years earlier in Loma Prieta, California. Yet it killed only 57 people. California had building codes that required buildings to be earthquake-proof. In contrast, people died in Haiti when their poorly built concrete slab houses situated on landslide slopes collapsed on top of them. It is no coincidence that Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. It could be argued that 99.98 per cent of the Haiti fatalities were due to human factors - largely derived from decades of endemic corruption, misrule and poverty.
In Hurricane Katrina, a disproportionate number of those Americans killed were infirm, elderly or poor. A report by the University of Louisiana concluded that ‘failure of the NOFDS [New Orleans flood Defence System] was a predictable, predicted, and preventable catastrophe’, and that ‘this catastrophe did not result from an act of “God”. It resulted from acts of “People”.’
The common factor in these disasters is that it is the poor and voiceless people who suffer most. That is also true for one of the most pervasive causes of disasters that humans are wreaking on the Earth - global climate change. Many disasters are directly or indirectly related to climate change, including heatwaves, floods, droughts, landslides and changes in weather patterns that have an impact on agriculture and may lead to famines. Those of us in the high-income countries who have benefited from burning cheap fossil fuels - thereby causing global climate change - have a moral duty to help those in low-income countries, who largely are the people who suffer from climate change. At the very least, they deserve our assistance to help them adapt to the inevitable changes that result.
The problem of suffering is one which has exercised humanity from the earliest times. There are no easy answers. But there are some things we can usefully say about disasters that may help us to respond to them. The first is that ‘nature’ is not a force separate from God. As John Wesley wrote when reflecting on the 1755 Lisbon earthquake: ‘What is nature itself, but the art of God, or God’s method of acting in the material world?’ Natural processes occur under the overarching sovereignty of God, and so too must natural disasters.
Some Christians have tried to get round the apparent problem of natural disasters by saying that processes such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and floods did not occur before the Fall, when humans chose to disobey their Creator. But this is not borne out by the evidence. There is no doubt from geological evidence that all those events occurred on Earth long before humans first walked on it. Indeed, it is those very processes that have made - and continue to make - the Earth habitable.
At the Fall, humans chose to put themselves - rather than God - first. As a result, they broke their intimacy with their Creator and spoilt the relationship between themselves and the rest of creation. It became toil to wrest food from the land. In Genesis 1:28, God gives humankind dominion over all living things. He sets humans to rule over the Earth on his behalf. In the present age of environmental degradation, species annihilation, widespread pollution of the sea, land and air, of all the changes wrought by unprecedented rapid global climate change, our misrule is not hard to see.
As we contemplate disasters, it might be helpful to see how God responded to the trials of Job. Job was a righteous man. Yet he suffered grievously at the hands of Satan, losing all that was most dear to him, including his possessions, flocks, family and even his own health. Some, at least, of the disasters were due to natural processes, such as the wind that blew down his eldest son’s house and killed all his ten children (see Job 1:18, 19). Job’s friends tried to rationalise the disasters that had befallen him, as being the result of some sin or failing on his part. Job rightly rejected those suggestions, but still he wanted an explanation from God.
When that day finally came, and God spoke to Job ‘out of the whirlwind’, he didn’t give any tidy explanations. Instead, God spoke majestically of his power over all his creation, the stars, the sea, the weather and all the animals. Perhaps most tellingly, God showed himself to be sovereign over the most fearsome of animals, the Leviathan. Humans could not deal with Leviathan: ‘When it rises up, the mighty are terrified’ (41:25 New International Version). It is likely that the Leviathan represents Satan himself. Yet God had complete control over him. God’s power is unsurpassably greater than that of Leviathan. We can be reassured from the story of Job that God knows all there is to know about evil, that he constrains its reach and is ultimately sovereign over it.
Though God vindicates Job and indeed praises him, Job finally understands that God’s purposes cannot be thwarted and that God’s knowledge and wisdom are far beyond anything to which Job could aspire.
The lesson for us, perhaps, is that this side of Heaven we should not, and cannot, expect to understand all of God’s dealings - but we can, and should, hold on to God’s faithfulness and goodness, however dire our circumstances seem to be. Though we may not understand fully why disasters happen, or what God’s plans in them might be, we can hold on to the certainty of God’s sovereignty over this present world and that in the fullness of time this creation will be renewed.
The Kingdom of God to which Christians look forward is not just a psychological prop or wishful ‘pie in the sky’. It is a reality that can inform everything about the way we live in the here and now, including our attitude and response to the disasters which plague this world. We are living in the in-between times - between the first coming of God to earth as the man Jesus, and his return, when all things will be renewed in a new creation. That is, when he will make this world the place he intended it to be, free from all death and mourning, free from all that has been made twisted and out of order by the rebellion of humankind against its Creator.
It is natural to wish that disasters wouldn’t happen. But humankind has the capability to construct earthquake-proof buildings. We can detect and track storms, typhoons and hurricanes. We can monitor and predict volcanic eruptions. We should be able to prevent the great majority of casualties from these natural processes. It is a sign of God’s goodness that the world is stable and understandable and that we can use the fruits of science and technology for the good of others. We could prevent disasters and alleviate or lessen the harmful effects of some of our actions, such as burning large quantities of fossil fuels. The fact that we don’t do so as much as we could or should is a sign of our selfishness - what the Bible calls ‘sinfulness’.
The Christian perspective sees the reality of the brokenness of this world and the reality of God’s sovereignty over it and of his ultimate plans for a new creation. That does not mean that we need not strive to improve things now. Rather, it should drive us towards a better scientific understanding of disasters, an enabling of communities to build resilience against them and a striving to remove the unjust disparities in wealth and resources that mean it is so often the poor who suffer the most.
Even though we may not be able to prevent every last casualty of the next disaster, there is an enormous amount we can do from our present understanding of natural processes to reduce the impact of disasters.
• Bob White is Professor of Geophysics at Cambridge University and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He is also Director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, Cambridge. His book, ‘Who is to Blame?’, is published by Monarch
UK & Ireland War Cry 12 July 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Help Is Available When Going Gets Tough
What do we do when faced with a crisis? Go into panic mode? Put the kettle on? Phone a friend? Everyone has their own way of dealing with emergencies, whether big or small. Newspapers and magazines are full of stories about people who get caught up in serious and life-threatening situations. We can only wonder how they survived to tell the tale, and thank God that it wasn’t us.
The writer of Psalm 46 had his fair share of troubles and disasters. Like us, he lived in turbulent and uncertain times. Unlike us, he didn’t have the benefits of modern technology to update him when circumstances had improved.
The one sure and constant thing in his life was the awareness he had of his Creator. It was this that enabled him to say with confidence: ‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging’ (Psalm 46:1-3 New International Version).
The psalms were written by ordinary people who voiced their feelings of joy, sorrow, frustration, anger and fear. Their circumstances and lifestyle may have been very different from ours, but their feelings and honest reactions were not. That’s why their words often speak volumes at life’s big occasions, such as weddings and funerals.
Bad things such as earthquakes and floods do happen. They always will. We can’t understand or explain them or make them go away any more than we can always understand why friends fall out, relationships break down or families separate.
The psalm writer puts these things in perspective, asserting: ‘The Lord Almighty is with us… He says, “Be still, and know that I am God’” (46:7, 10). In other words, we would do well to concentrate on appreciating the positives, rather than bemoaning the negatives. God hasn’t left us. He is in control.
UK & Ireland War Cry 12 July 2014
The writer of Psalm 46 had his fair share of troubles and disasters. Like us, he lived in turbulent and uncertain times. Unlike us, he didn’t have the benefits of modern technology to update him when circumstances had improved.
The one sure and constant thing in his life was the awareness he had of his Creator. It was this that enabled him to say with confidence: ‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging’ (Psalm 46:1-3 New International Version).
The psalms were written by ordinary people who voiced their feelings of joy, sorrow, frustration, anger and fear. Their circumstances and lifestyle may have been very different from ours, but their feelings and honest reactions were not. That’s why their words often speak volumes at life’s big occasions, such as weddings and funerals.
Bad things such as earthquakes and floods do happen. They always will. We can’t understand or explain them or make them go away any more than we can always understand why friends fall out, relationships break down or families separate.
The psalm writer puts these things in perspective, asserting: ‘The Lord Almighty is with us… He says, “Be still, and know that I am God’” (46:7, 10). In other words, we would do well to concentrate on appreciating the positives, rather than bemoaning the negatives. God hasn’t left us. He is in control.
UK & Ireland War Cry 12 July 2014
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Wuthering Bikes
The Grand Départ has arrived in Yorkshire. The riders will push off from Leeds on Saturday 5 July on the first stage of the Tour de France. Over the next two days, spectators will line the roads of Leeds, Harrogate, York and Sheffield and places in between to catch a glimpse of last year’s winner Chris Froome and a whole peloton of potential winners and team riders.
For weeks, the area has been gearing up for Le Tour with bike-themed plays, exhibitions, films and other art projects. In Leeds City Museum, photographer Casey Orr, writer and musician Boff Whalley and arts producer Jenny Harris are taking an un-Tour-isty look at cycling in the Bicyclism exhibition. Jenny tells 'The War Cry' that the bike has pushed social changes that gave greater freedoms to women and working-class people.
‘Cycling was democratising, because you didn’t have to have a huge amount of money to ride a bicycle,’ she says. ‘At one point it had power to change people’s lives. So we wanted to make an exhibition about ordinary, everyday cycling.’
New portraits and crowd-sourced photographs from family albums - ranging from Victorian pictures, through faded Polaroids to digital images - show what cycling represents to people. ‘There is a point in your childhood when you realise you can cycle off, even if it’s only round the block,’ says Jenny. ‘We’ve picked up lots of stories from people about that moment when you realise you have this ability to leave your parents behind.
‘The Tour de France is focused on Lycra and speed and men,’ says Jenny. ‘Our exhibition is adjacent to the start of the Grand Départ and we wanted to say there’s a whole other side of cycling which is about simply getting around, pleasure, community and companionship.’
Some people are also looking out for another side to Le Tour. Encouraged by Rod Ismay, a member of the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers who describes himself as a ‘bellringer and Tour de France addict’, churches along the route plan to ring their bells in celebration before the cyclists pass.
And churches are opening their doors to fans. As well as staying open for anyone who wants to park their bike, seek shelter from the weather or find a quiet place, All Saints Ilkley is running a sports café and showing Le Tour on a big screen to enable spectators to see what happens to the riders when they’re not speeding past its doors. The Rev Patrick Bateman, Vicar of All Saints, says: ‘For us, the Tour is about more than cycling; it’s about community. Our church wants to show hospitality, care and love.’
The church’s motivation to show love is linked with its desire to help people find connections with God - who, says one Bible writer, ‘is love’ (1 John 4:8 Good News Bible).
Over the course of history, many people have found that God’s love helps them whether what they’re going through is a pleasure or an uphill struggle; forgives them for the ugly attitudes they have shown in the past; and offers them a hope for the future that cannot be punctured. They have discovered the truth that we can trust God - at every stage of our lives.
UK & Ireland War Cry 5 July 2014
For weeks, the area has been gearing up for Le Tour with bike-themed plays, exhibitions, films and other art projects. In Leeds City Museum, photographer Casey Orr, writer and musician Boff Whalley and arts producer Jenny Harris are taking an un-Tour-isty look at cycling in the Bicyclism exhibition. Jenny tells 'The War Cry' that the bike has pushed social changes that gave greater freedoms to women and working-class people.
‘Cycling was democratising, because you didn’t have to have a huge amount of money to ride a bicycle,’ she says. ‘At one point it had power to change people’s lives. So we wanted to make an exhibition about ordinary, everyday cycling.’
New portraits and crowd-sourced photographs from family albums - ranging from Victorian pictures, through faded Polaroids to digital images - show what cycling represents to people. ‘There is a point in your childhood when you realise you can cycle off, even if it’s only round the block,’ says Jenny. ‘We’ve picked up lots of stories from people about that moment when you realise you have this ability to leave your parents behind.
‘The Tour de France is focused on Lycra and speed and men,’ says Jenny. ‘Our exhibition is adjacent to the start of the Grand Départ and we wanted to say there’s a whole other side of cycling which is about simply getting around, pleasure, community and companionship.’
Some people are also looking out for another side to Le Tour. Encouraged by Rod Ismay, a member of the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers who describes himself as a ‘bellringer and Tour de France addict’, churches along the route plan to ring their bells in celebration before the cyclists pass.
And churches are opening their doors to fans. As well as staying open for anyone who wants to park their bike, seek shelter from the weather or find a quiet place, All Saints Ilkley is running a sports café and showing Le Tour on a big screen to enable spectators to see what happens to the riders when they’re not speeding past its doors. The Rev Patrick Bateman, Vicar of All Saints, says: ‘For us, the Tour is about more than cycling; it’s about community. Our church wants to show hospitality, care and love.’
The church’s motivation to show love is linked with its desire to help people find connections with God - who, says one Bible writer, ‘is love’ (1 John 4:8 Good News Bible).
Over the course of history, many people have found that God’s love helps them whether what they’re going through is a pleasure or an uphill struggle; forgives them for the ugly attitudes they have shown in the past; and offers them a hope for the future that cannot be punctured. They have discovered the truth that we can trust God - at every stage of our lives.
UK & Ireland War Cry 5 July 2014
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Families Flock To Shepherd Words
Christenings, weddings and funerals are some of the most important events in family life. For many people, they hold a further significance - such an occasion may be one of the few times they enter a church. When that is the case, readings chosen to enhance these ceremonies tend to be Bible passages remembered from other family gatherings or even school assemblies.
Psalm 23, also known as the ‘Shepherd Psalm’, is one of many written by David, the harp-playing shepherd boy who was chosen by God to become King of Israel. David likens his own experience as a working shepherd to his relationship with God and, because he speaks from his heart, his words strike a chord with us.
There is something wonderfully safe and reassuring about the Psalm’s opening words: ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’ They point to the ever-watchful divine shepherd, who waits to guide us safely through every experience we face. David explains: ‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me’ (23:4 New International Version).
The personal nature of the Psalm tells us that we are not a faceless person in a crowd, but a precious individual loved and valued by God. He shares our times of joy and happiness, as well as our sadness in times of loss and bereavement. He sees when we are running on empty and knows how to refresh, encourage and give us the strength to carry on. It was that knowledge which gave David courage to face the dangers and uncertainties of his own life. He says: ‘Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life’ (23:6).
God is there for us every day, no matter what the occasion. Knowing him as our guiding and protecting shepherd can make all the difference in the world to how we live.
UK & Ireland War Cry 5 July 2014
Psalm 23, also known as the ‘Shepherd Psalm’, is one of many written by David, the harp-playing shepherd boy who was chosen by God to become King of Israel. David likens his own experience as a working shepherd to his relationship with God and, because he speaks from his heart, his words strike a chord with us.
There is something wonderfully safe and reassuring about the Psalm’s opening words: ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’ They point to the ever-watchful divine shepherd, who waits to guide us safely through every experience we face. David explains: ‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me’ (23:4 New International Version).
The personal nature of the Psalm tells us that we are not a faceless person in a crowd, but a precious individual loved and valued by God. He shares our times of joy and happiness, as well as our sadness in times of loss and bereavement. He sees when we are running on empty and knows how to refresh, encourage and give us the strength to carry on. It was that knowledge which gave David courage to face the dangers and uncertainties of his own life. He says: ‘Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life’ (23:6).
God is there for us every day, no matter what the occasion. Knowing him as our guiding and protecting shepherd can make all the difference in the world to how we live.
UK & Ireland War Cry 5 July 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)