Carrying on camping

Here's my magazine article for September:

Like many people, this summer my family and I had a holiday which involved camping.  One of the joys of camping is sitting outside with a drink watching the world go by, and over the week we saw the campsite constantly changing as people came and went.  Some people were staying for two or three weeks, others for a few days and some just for one night.  But no matter how long we were staying for, for all of us this was a temporary home.  It is possibly this knowledge that made the short trek to the toilet block in the driving rain bearable!

By camping we were all experiencing a little of what a nomadic lifestyle is like, and more so for those who just stopped for the night, a resting place on their journey to somewhere else.  For those who choose this way of living it can be a joy, even a release from the materialism and consumerism of society.  But for those, such as refugees or the homeless, who have this life forced upon them it can be demoralising and dehumanising.

For the Israelites in the Old Testament the experience of being a nomadic people was deeply ingrained in their identity.  They descended from Abraham who left his home in Ur in what is now south eastern Iraq, travelled to Harran, on what is now the southern border of Turkey, and was called by God to leave there to go to 'The Promised Land' of Canaan, now Israel.  Abraham's grandson, Jacob, then took his family to Egypt to join his son Joseph, who was by then the Prime Minister of Egypt.  The family stayed there and grew in number, were enslaved by the Pharaoh and eventually left Egypt led by Moses.  Their re-entry to the Promised Land was delayed because they didn't trust God (Numbers 14) and so their punishment was to wander in the desert for forty years.  And even when they were to re-enter the Promised Land, God commanded them “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers” (Leviticus 25:23).

The wanderings in the wilderness meant that the Israelites got used to living in tents, but the remarkable thing about this is that God chose to join them in their camp.  He told Moses “let them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8), and then gave instructions on how to build the tent.  When it was finished, the glory of the Lord filled it and “In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out – until the day it lifted” (Exodus 40:36-37).  God dwelt with his people to guide them and so they could meet with him.

In describing the coming of Jesus, the gospel writer John says that the “Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14).  The Greek word translated 'made his dwelling' literally means 'encamped' or 'pitched his tent'.  In Jesus we see the fulfilment of God's promise to live with and amongst his people and to guide us as we travel through life.

What does it mean to be human?

Here's my article for the August magazine:

A lot of magazines at the moment will be giving advice on how to get the perfect beach-body, although it might be a bit late for this year! We often have a love-hate relationship with our bodies and both those attitudes have their down-sides.

On the one hand our society tends to idolise the body. Body-worshippers, both male and female, can be found at the gym, in the beauty salons, and strutting the streets in their designer clothes. Beauty and physical fitness are seen to be the ideal; we are judged on both and if we fall short of the standard we are deemed less worthy, less love-able than others. At its extreme this leads to designer babies and aborting children with disabilities, but it also shows itself in the social media pre-occupation with selfies, 'likes' 'ops' and 'rates'. Idolising the body leads not only to vanity but also to body shaming and self-esteem issues.

On the other hand there can be a despising of the body where the 'spirit' of a person is seen to be the only authentic 'person' and the body is merely a vehicle for the spirit. In Christian Theology this is known as the heresy of 'Gnosticism' but it is a common belief of Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, and the New Age beliefs inspired by them. This separation of body and spiritual means that the body can be used and abused in any way particularly if it will 'enhance' the spirit's well-being.

Christianity, however, gets a different perspective on the body from the Bible, and in particular from its key doctrines of creation, incarnation and resurrection. The Creation story in Genesis teaches that God made humans, male and female, as 'ensouled flesh' i.e. as physical bodies infused with his living spirit. Our bodies are essential to our being, so much so that God says that he forms us in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5) and the Psalmist speaks of God knitting and weaving us in our mothers' wombs so we are wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-16). There is no separation between our bodies and our spirits: we are our bodies as much as we are our spirits.

The incarnation reminds us that not only did God make us to be flesh and blood, but that in Jesus he became human, complete with flesh and blood. Another heresy in the early church said that only Jesus' body was human, while his mind was divine. However, Jesus was like us in every way, flesh and blood (Hebrews 2:14,17) and mind too (Hebrews 4:15). Body and spirit together make up a human being and God affirmed the value of human beings by becoming one!

The resurrection accounts of Jesus make it very clear that he was raised physically and spiritually. Jesus even says to his disciples “Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Luke 24:39). This tells us that we're not waiting for death to release our spirits from our bodies but that we're waiting for our bodies to be renewed to be imperishable, glorious and powerful (1Corinthians 15:42-44). So, whether you're beach-ready or not: love your body, care for your body and worship the God who created your body.

High School Musical: Same but different

Here's my article for Scawby's June magazine:

I have to admit that the High School Musical phenomenon passed me by. The 2006 Disney film was a smash hit as soon as it was released and has spawned sequels, spin-offs and seemingly endless merchandise. The plot is fairly simple: basketball captain Troy meets academically gifted Gabriella on a winter holiday. They connect with each other while singing karaoke, then go their separate ways at the end of the holiday. Gabriella moves to Troy's school and their friendship is rekindled as they both try out for parts in their high school's musical. Their friends want them to concentrate on other things rather than singing, and the two who usually get the lead roles in the musicals also try to stop them. Think Romeo and Juliet or Grease and you'll get the idea.

One of the themes of HSM is the pressure that Troy and Gabriella face to conform with their 'tribe'. However, in breaking the stereotypes, they encourage others to do so too, so there's a basketball player who likes to bake, a 'nerd' that likes hip-hop, a skater-boy plays the cello – as one character explains: “people suddenly think that they can do other stuff; stuff that's not their stuff”. The crucial song is “Stick to the Status Quo”, where those who try to 'rebel' are told: “Stick to the stuff you know / If you want to be cool, follow one simple rule / Don't mess with the flow / Stick to the status quo.” For teenagers especially, the desire to want to be in a group and blend in is very strong, but the message of HSM is that it's OK to not conform with the stereotypes, and that peer pressure to conform can and should be resisted.

In adults this tribalism can manifest itself in identity politics – people grouping themselves together on the basis of a single shared characteristic, often with a claim of victimisation and discrimination, and often with the aim of getting recognition and power. Now, of course, seeing someone as of less worth than someone else because of a characteristic they have is always wrong, but although it seems a good idea, identity politics has undesirable consequences. From the point of view of society there is the problem of the hierarchy of identities: how do we decide which of the marginalized groups needs to be heard the loudest; what happens if someone has more than one marginalized characteristic; when does a marginalized group campaigning for themselves start discriminating against others? This last question is increasing seen in the way freedom of speech is stopped whenever the speaker wants to challenge the assumptions of a marginalized group.

But on a personal level there is something very worrying about investing so much of your identity in one characteristic. If you do this you will inevitably see yourself as being in competition with everyone else, and life becomes all about dominating others to your advantage. There is only one characteristic that truly matters: that we are humans beings. And for Christians that means we have a dignity because we're made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). If we identify ourselves first and foremost as human beings problems of victimisation and discrimination start to fall away. As the Wildcats sing at the end “Everyone is special in their own way / We make each other strong / We're not the same / We're different in a good way / Together's where we belong / We're all in this together.”

Joseph and the problem of identity politics

Here's my article for Broughton's July magazine:

This year's production by Broughton Primary school is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This story is one of the central stories of the Jewish people, helping to give them their sense of identity. The most defining story for the Jewish people is the story of the Exodus, indeed many times God introduces himself by saying “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt” (e.g. Exodus 6:7, Leviticus 26:13, Psalms 81:10). This event is also the basis for their moral code: the Ten Commandments start with this statement (Exodus 20:2). But the story of Joseph tells how the Israelites (named after Joseph's father, Jacob, who was also called Israel (Genesis 32:28)) got to Egypt in the first place.

Foundational stories are really important for galvanising a group of people together, and they can also pass on values and valuable lessons to future generations. Whilst the Exodus speaks of a nation rescued by God, the story of Joseph shows that favouritism, pride and jealousy lead to a need to be rescued. Jacob loved Joseph more than his brothers, which made Joseph vain and lazy, which made his brothers so angry and envious that they sold him into slavery (Genesis 37). This seems to have had a profound effect on Joseph who became a diligent and trustworthy slave, who learnt that the gifts God had given him were for him to use for everyone's benefit, not just for his own boasting.

The downside of national identity is the problem of tribalism. These days tribalism can manifest itself in identity politics – people grouping themselves together on the basis of a single shared characteristic, often with a claim of victimisation and discrimination, and often with the aim of getting recognition and power. Now, of course, seeing someone as of less worth than someone else because of a characteristic they have is always wrong, but although it seems a good idea, identity politics has undesirable consequences. From the point of view of society there is the problem of the hierarchy of identities: how do we decide which of the marginalized groups needs to be heard the loudest; what happens if someone has more than one marginalized characteristic; when does a marginalized group campaigning for themselves start discriminating against others? This last question is increasing seen in the way freedom of speech is stopped whenever the speaker wants to challenge the assumptions of a marginalized group.

But on a personal level there is something very worrying about investing so much of your identity in one characteristic. If you do this you will inevitably see yourself as being in competition with everyone else, and life becomes all about dominating others to your advantage. There is only one characteristic that truly matters: that we are humans beings. And for Christians that means we have a dignity because we're made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). If we identify ourselves first and foremost as human beings the problems of victimisation and discrimination start to fall away. Add to this a recognition that we are slaves to our sinful nature and that we can't save ourselves but need God to rescue us, and you have the start of the Kingdom of God on earth. And that's a kingdom we should all want to identify with.

Eternity on our fields

Here's my article for June:

It's time for another World Cup and the singing of “It's coming home” may once again be heard in the pubs and on the playing fields of England - only this year it's cricket that's coming home! Although we possibly shouldn't get our hopes up too much: since it's inauguration in 1975 the ICC Cricket World Cup has been hosted by England four times (though matches have also been played in Wales, Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands when England have previously hosted it!) but they have yet to win it. However, they have a better record than the England football team in that they have made it to the final three times.

Image by starj on from pixabay.com

I have to admit that I don't really understand cricket. We played it a bit at school but those who were keen played on the square with the PE teachers and the rest of us organised mini games on other parts of the playing field. I usually volunteered to field close to the boundary so I could lie down in the sunshine for most of the lesson!

The American director Jim Jarmusch said “Cricket makes no sense to me. I find it beautiful to watch and I like that they break for tea. That is very cool, but I don't understand.” Even for those who don't follow or understand cricket, the game has a certain allure to it – the thought of an afternoon in the sun watching a game being played that is competitive but not (usually) aggressive is very appealing. It has a relaxing and even meditative quality, at least in watching it.

George Bernard Shaw, somewhat unkindly, said that “The English are not a very spiritual people, so they invented cricket to give them some idea of eternity.” It's fairly easy to make tenuous links between cricket and the Christian faith: three stumps and the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit); four bails and the four Gospels; two umpires and the Old and New Testaments etc. But the idea that we can understand something of the supernatural through the natural world is one that is deeply embedded in Christianity.

We believe that creation bears the fingerprints of its Creator; Psalm19:1 says “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” And Paul writes in Romans1:20 “since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” But ultimately humans, made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27), can reflect something of God through our creative endeavours, including sport. And because God has put a sense of eternity into our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11) we long to seek out those things which connect us to that yearning for eternity.

Whether cricket is an like an eternity of heaven or hell, I'll leave you to decide!

God: despot, genie or Father?

Here's my article for May:

All you have to do is rub the lamp and out will pop a genie who will grant you three wishes (as long as they aren't about falling in love, killing someone or having more wishes!) I wonder how many times you have thought what your three wishes would be?

Of course, most of us would say that we want our loved ones to be safe; or a cure for various diseases; or perhaps world peace. But deep down there is a temptation to ask for power or wealth or beauty, and given the choice I don't know whether I would be able to resist the opportunity for selfish gain – and I suspect I'm not alone!

I also suspect that often we think of God as being like that genie; someone who we go to as a last resort when we can't solve things ourselves and expect him to grant our every wish. The Rogation Days are the traditional days of asking God's blessings on our world and our work. However, if we do think of God as some sort of divine vending machine then we will be disappointed. And that disappointment might be the reason some people don't believe in God. It probably isn't because he hasn't given us a fast car, or the winning lottery numbers, but more likely it will be because he hasn't answered a genuine prayer, perhaps to save a loved one from dying.

When I studied Judaism, the rabbi who was teaching us said that in classic Judaism the answer to the problem “why does God allow suffering?” is “God is God and he can do what he wants”! Although it is not a completely satisfying answer to the the problem it does give a helpful steer, especially if we don't hear it as being “God is a totalitarian despot.” Instead it invites us to see the problem in the light of who God is.

God is neither a despotic God, for whom we are merely playthings, nor is he a genie God, who is entirely at our command. God reveals himself in the Bible as being all-powerful and all-knowing but he is also all-loving. Jesus encourages us to pray saying “Ask and it will be given to you” but qualifies it by going on to say “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7 and 11). The two important parts of that verse are that God is our Father who longs to give us good gifts.

Just as children don't always know what's best for them and can get upset when they don't get what they ask for, so too we don't always know what's best for us and often have imperfect motives. God is perfect and knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:32), so if he doesn't give us what we ask for, we can be confident that it is because he loves us and wants what's best for us, not because he doesn't care for us or we don't have enough faith. This side of death we will never fully understand God's purposes but we should be confident to pray, as Jesus did “thy will be done.” That prayer lead Jesus to the cross, but he went willingly knowing that through his death he “led many of God’s children to be saved and to share in his glory “ (Hebrews 2:10 Contemporary English Version.)

The Cross: stupid or stupendous?

Here's my article for the April magazines:

The Stations of the Cross is an meditation on Jesus' journey from his trial to his burial, and some of the events involve him meeting various people including the women of Jerusalem, Simon of Cyrene and his mother, Mary. A production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Liverpool Empire that I saw many years ago, started with that journey and on the way Jesus met Judas, with a television news crew. Judas sang to Jesus “Why d'you choose such a backward time in such a strange land? / If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation. / Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication.” The irony, intentional or not, being that even though he chose “such a backward time” he's still being worshipped and followed today.

Judas also expresses some common questions about Jesus' death: “Every time I look at you I don't understand / Why you let the things you did get so out of hand. / … Did you mean to die like that? Was that a mistake?” The answer to that question is found in Matthew 16:21, which records that “Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

But knowing that Jesus willingly went to his death without a fight and without going down in a 'blaze of glory' just raises more questions – it seems to be a foolish and weak way to die. Paul tells us “This so-called “foolish” plan of God is far wiser than the wisest plan of the wisest man, and God in his weakness—Christ dying on the cross—is far stronger than any man” (1 Corinthians 1:25 The Living Bible). However, this can only be seen if you understand why Jesus died.

The wisdom of the world is that if you're good enough you will go to heaven, and that Jesus came to teach us to be better. If this is true, then his death was foolish and weak as it achieved nothing except depriving the world of more years of his teaching and example. However the problem is not that we're not good enough for heaven but that we can never be good enough for heaven. Isaiah spoke about Jesus, about 700 years before he was born saying “We—every one of us—have strayed away like sheep! We, who left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet God laid on him the guilt and sins of every one of us!” (Isaiah 53:6 The Living Bible). Jesus took the punishment that we deserve for our sins and in doing so defeated death itself. His death may look foolish and weak, but he knew it was the only solution to our estrangement from God.

The cross silences all of our human pretensions. If we think we are clever enough or good enough for God the cross will seem to be weak and foolish. However when we recognise we can never save ourselves by our own efforts, the cross becomes powerful and wise, for through it God rescues the people he loves.

P.S. Details of this year's Stations of the Cross service can be found here: https://en-gb.facebook.com/events/407736576626486/

Picture credits:
Top image by congerdesign from pixabay.com
Explanation of pictures: “We all saw what Jesus did both in Israel and in the city of Jerusalem.  Jesus was put to death on a cross. But three days later, God raised him to life and let him be seen. Not everyone saw him. He was seen only by us, who ate and drank with him after he was raised from death.” (Acts 10:39-41)
Bottom image by Ben Steed from heartlight.org