Jesus certainly knew how to be controversial. He taught that love knows no bounds. We are not only to love God, our creator, but to love our neighbours as ourselves. But it doesn’t stop there. We are even to love our enemies, people who treat us badly and certainly do not love us. This is probably one of the hardest things to do and challenges us all. Continue reading “Can I really love my enemies?”
Category: Kingdom of God
Back to the Crossroads
Why am I writing this blog? I hope it is because the heart of God has touched my heart and I write with a passion which comes from Him. Or is it just one big ego-trip? Am I just motivated by a desire to make myself heard in a world with so many confusing voices?
Paul and Race, Class and Gender
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
slave nor free,
male nor female,
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
(Galatians 3:28 NIV)
Paul is often criticised for being pro-slavery and anti-women. But we need to distinguish between the truths he set out and how it was applied to the culture of the day. As a prophet he saw how things ought to be but he was a child of his culture and although what he said was revolutionary in its day, the full implications of what he said would need to wait for progressive revelation in future generations.
Take for instance the matter of slavery. It would take another 1800 years before men like Wilberforce came along and pointed out that slavery was morally and ethically indefensible. People have always considered that their country was superior and even in much of the 20th century, racism was considered normal. Likewise the world is still adjusting to the idea that men and women are created equal.
In this article we will look further into these words of Paul and seek to apply them to the 21st century.
The Common Good
Seeking the common good is a universal concept found in many world religions and in human culture throughout history. The alternative to the common good is selfishness and looking after “number one”. In ancient history it would have been expressed as what is good for the tribe as opposed to what is good for the individual. In more recent times seeking the common good might apply to our local community or to our country. With the world becoming a smaller place the common good can now apply to the whole of humanity.
So what do we mean by the common good, and how does it relate to the biblical command to love our neighbour as ourselves, and to what is called “the golden rule” . This article explores what is meant in further detail.
How ordinary people change the world
In these days when ‘celebrities’ are revered it is tempting to think that it is only the big names like William Wilberforce, Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi who have made any difference to our lives today. But these men could have done NOTHING without many thousands of ordinary people who shared their dreams.
In this article we will see from recent history how people like you and me can make a real difference. Continue reading “How ordinary people change the world”
Capitalism – Curse or Blessing
Karl Marx obviously thought capitalism was a curse and considered that wealth should be controlled by the state for the benefit of all. But in an imperfect world communism failed to deliver and has virtually ceased to exist. Communism and capitalism are based on envy and greed respectively. In this article we will look at the plus side, and the negative side, of capitalism and ask the question, “is there a better way”?
The Causes and Results of Poverty
I have travelled to many countries and seen poverty wherever I have been. Even in ‘developed’ countries like the United States or the United Kingdom the curse of poverty still blights the human race. Poverty is often unseen and definitely not photogenic. A tourist in Sri Lanka for instance may not see real poverty at all: but look along the river banks and other places and you will see people living a marginal existence.
There is no simple answer to the question, “What causes poverty?” As we think about the causes of poverty we also need to think about the results, the effects and the symptoms of poverty. In many cases the result of poverty is to cause yet more poverty. So in practice it is difficult to distinguish between the causes and the symptoms of poverty. Continue reading “The Causes and Results of Poverty”
Blessed are the Peacemakers
I write this at a very pertinent time in the United Kingdom. A British soldier walking the streets has been brutally murdered by two young men claiming that the killing was in the name of Allah. They wanted notoriety, and they certainly achieved it with their faces plastered all over the newspapers and our television screens. Tension is high and fear is causing many to say things against Muslims that they would not normally say. Some people have a vested interest in situations like this and the English Defence League and others were quick to promote riots.
It seems as though extremists on both sides had a great opportunity to exploit the situation and polarise views stirring up fear and hatred. But in the noise and clamour there are moderates, Christian, Muslim and Secular speaking out and seeking to produce peace. These are the peacemakers that Jesus said were blessed and called the sons of God. Continue reading “Blessed are the Peacemakers”
Compassion and Justice 