Acceptance

Cover of "Accepted (Widescreen Edition)"

Everyone wants to feel accepted. There is a deep need to be accepted by other people, spouses, family, friends, colleagues and society. Yes, we need love, but we also need the respect and acceptance from those around us. We need to know too that God accepts us just as we are, unconditionally. We should accept other people too, particularly people who are different, and celebrate our differences, not despise them. But first of all we must learn to accept ourselves and then we will be free to accept other people. Continue reading “Acceptance”

Love and Justice

Justice“LOVE WITHOUT JUSTICE IS SENTIMENTALITY
JUSTICE WITHOUT LOVE IS LEGALISM.”

God’s love in Action…

For many years the strap line for Kingscare (the former name of  Karuna Action) was, “God’s love in action”. Love is voluntary, and is an excellent motive for giving.

  • We need to be sure that our love is not condescending.
  • It needs to be more than just sympathy.
  • It must not be out of a sense of superiority.
  • We can stand alongside the needy in the world, and stand up for them. That is where justice comes in.

Continue reading “Love and Justice”

Aid Dependency: Good or Bad

Beggars in India
Beggars in India

Dependency has become a bad word in the charity business. Fighting poverty is good, but meeting the needs of people in poverty can produce dependency, which is not regarded as a good thing.

But before we “throw the baby out with the bathwater”, consider our children. A newborn baby is completely helpless and completely dependent on its parents. We do not say to the parents,” Do not feed your child: you may produce dependency”. In this case, dependency is good and it’s natural.

At the other end of the scale, if a poverty relief programme simply gives out to needy families, Continue reading “Aid Dependency: Good or Bad”

Blessed are the Meek

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth

Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth“. The word ‘meek’ has become devalued over time and this statement sounds as though Jesus was saying “Blessed are the weak …”. So, who are the ‘meek’, and how will they inherit the earth?

The meaning of meekness

  • Meekness in not weakness.
  • It means having strength but under control.
  • It involves speaking out against injustice when it involves our fellow-man more than when our own rights are affected. Continue reading “Blessed are the Meek”

Extreme Wealth and Extreme Poverty

goldThe net income of the top 100 billionaires in the world is enough to end extreme poverty four times over! This is according to a report by the charity Oxfam entitled “The Cost Of Inequality: How Wealth And Income Extremes Hurt Us All,”. The report states that efforts to address the issue of global poverty were being hindered by what it terms an “explosion in extreme wealth.”

  • The total income of the world’s richest had a income of $240 billion (£150 billion) or a average of $2.4 billion each
  • Around a billion people live in extreme poverty which is defined as an income of $1.25 per day, or $450 (£300) a year. This represents 0.000002% of the top ‘earners’ income. Continue reading “Extreme Wealth and Extreme Poverty”

What Jesus DIDN’T say

  • Golden AppleBlessed are the rich and prosperous, for they already have their reward.
  • Blessed are those who seek a trouble-free life, for they will be comforted.
  • Blessed are the strong, for they think they can rule the world.
  • Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after fame, but they will not be satisfied.
  • Blessed are they that look after number one, for noone else will do that for them.
  • Blessed are they that make up their own rules, for they will be seen as successful.
  • Blessed are the warmongers, Continue reading “What Jesus DIDN’T say”

Paul and Slavery

Painting entitled "Le marché aux esclaves...
The Slave Market (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The apostle Paul has been accused of discrimination against women, and of being supportive of slavery, amongst other things. But the fact is that he made some revolutionary statements considering the accepted wisdom and culture of his day, striking at the heart of discrimination. Let’s explore the matter further.

Throughout human history slavery has been an accepted feature of society. It has been in existence for thousands of years. All of the ancient civilisations such as the Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Aztecs, Assyrians, Persians, Babylonians and Romans were economically dependent on the institution of slavery. Continue reading “Paul and Slavery”

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 5,100 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 9 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.