...and I'll be nice to you!

Recently I came across this quote attributed to the American rapper, Eminem:

"I don't care if you're black, white, bisexual, gay, lesbian, short, tall, fat, skinny, rich or poor. If you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you. Simple as that."

I'm not sure where the quote originates from, whether it was in an interview or what, but the sentiment seems to be shared by a number of people, resulting in this quote being widespread across the Internet and undoubtedly "Liked", "Shared" and "Retweeted" across social media to further encourage this honourable philosophy.

I agree with it too, and can see why it's popular. The thing I think it conveys most is a sense of having no prejudice. People are keen to ally themselves with this method of thinking in order to publicly state "Look, I'm not racist, homophobic, sizeist, or otherwise discriminatory!"

And so we shouldn't be. Numerous places in the Bible show that God looks on us as equals, regardless of who we are and it is always important to remember that we are no "better" or "worse" than anyone else we meet. It's quite a humbling experience to know that.


"There is neither Jew nor Gentile [non-Jew], neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ." ~ Galatians 3:28

"Then Peter began to speak, 'I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism'" ~ Acts 10:34

"For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him" ~ Romans 10:12


But despite the quote having the focus on prejudice, or rather a lack of it, it's the conclusion that I think we should focus on. Yes, I agree that if someone is nice to you, you should be nice to them. What sort of person is nasty or rude to someone who is pleasant or respectful? It's just common decency, surely? I think that the issue being addressed here is that some otherwise lovely people turn into more arrogant or intolerant people when they meet someone against whom they have a prejudice and suddenly their common decency disappears.

But moving beyond this philosophy of equality, let's look at the crux of the matter:

"If you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you. Simple as that."

Yes, that's perfectly simple. Or is it? What about when people are rude, abusive, nasty, unpleasant, judgemental or aggressive to you? How do you respond then? Do you give as good as you get? Fight fire with fire? Ignore them? Get revenge? Or what?

This, I believe, is where human nature and God's instructions are going to differ. Human nature is riled by rudeness. If someone isn't very nice to you, likelihood is you're not going to like it and you will react in a negative way in return. How one reacts depends on the severity of the situation and the personality of the people in question. There may be retaliatory violence, harsh words or just muted ill-feeling that gnaws away at the victim.

But God taught us a revolutionary way to handle abuse and aggression, but it goes against our human nature and that's what makes it so difficult to carry out.

Christ taught us repeatedly to love and pray for those who aren't pleasant to us, and this can be extremely tough. But Jesus led by example and he suffered more than most of us will ever experience yet he did not retaliate. His most trialling time came within the last week of his life when he was subjected to verbal and physical abuse at the hands of the Jewish and Roman authorities. He was insulted, lied about, slapped, beaten, tortured and eventually crucified yet even at this most anguished time in his life, he called out to God, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

Jesus forewarned us to expect abuse and hatred. Everyone suffers it to a greater or lesser degree in their lives. Sometimes there is little justice or rationale behind someone's nasty attitude and sometimes it is more expected. But God looks at the way we handle ourselves in such situations. Jesus and his disciples suffered a lot as the early Church sought to spread its message far and wide and most of Christ's followers met early deaths and suffered greatly for their faith. But throughout the New Testament, the overriding principle in matters of persecution is one of compassion and forgiveness. Love is the strongest emotion of all.

So I conclude this blog entry with some quotes of Jesus and his followers on the subject of how to handle ourselves when we encounter people who aren't nice to us first:


"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" ~ Matthew 5:43-48

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." ~ Romans 12:14

"Do unto others as you would have them do to you." ~ Luke 6:31

"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty give him water to drink" ~ Proverbs 25:21

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil." ~ Romans 12:17

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." ~ Matthew 5:11-12

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." ~ Matthew 5:38-42

"But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and enduring it? But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable before God." ~ 1 Peter 2:20

Life after delivery

I found this little story the other day (paraphrased). Very thought-provoking:

In a mother's womb were two babies. One asked the other, "Do you believe in life after delivery?"

The other replied, "Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what will be later".

"Nonsense," said the first. "There is no life after delivery. What sort of life would that be?"

"I don't know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and talk with our mouths".

The first answered, "That's absurd! Walking is impossible. And eat with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition. Life after delivery is to be excluded; the umbilical cord is too short - we'd die out there".

"I think there is something," pondered the second, "and maybe it's different from how it is here".

The first replied, "No one has ever come back from there. Delivery is the end of life. The after-delivery is nothing but darkness and it takes us nowhere".

"Well I don't know," said the second, "but maybe we'll see our mother and she will take care of us".

"Mother? You believe in mother? Where is she now, then?"

"She is all around us, we live in her. Without her, there would not be this world".

"Well I don't see her so it's only logical that she doesn't exist. Prove she's there".

The second replied, "Sometimes when you're in silence, you can hear her, you can perceive her. I believe there is a reality after delivery and we are here to prepare ourselves for that reality".

I'm sure you can see correlation between this story and our lives. We are not babies in the womb any more, yet I really do believe that in some ways we are. We are here, on earth, right now, to prepare for something new and much better which will not come to fruition until we die.

To the first baby above, delivery is a death sentence. It is the end of the world he knows and the end of certainty and existence. Delivery is something which is inevitable but because he can't see beyond it, it is a very daunting and final event.

The second baby takes a different view and sees that perhaps there is something more, something better which won't happen until the babies are born. Walking with legs and eating with mouths seems a ridiculously ambitious concept to a baby in the womb. Some things that children and adults do is totally beyond the comprehension of the baby. Yet isn't life outside the womb so much better?

The reasoning employed by both babies closely resembles discussions between those who believe in life after death and those who don't. If it cannot be seen and proved and measured, then let's not believe in it. But the second baby does not deny that no one has come back to tell of their experiences outside the womb. He just believes that it is possible that something better might exist afterwards and that the womb is merely a preparation area for something much better.

I think heaven is like this. No one can tell you exactly what to expect with heaven and I would be cautious about believing that it's full of clouds and harps! Phew! But I do believe that it is incomprehensibly better than what we know and love at the moment. Yes, this world is impressive, beautiful and feels like home but it's temporary. At the most we will live here for a few decades. But heaven is going to be like the prelude ending and the main story beginning.

Jesus Christ often spoke to his disciples and followers about heaven to give them glimpses of how much better it will be and why it is worth living with an eternal perspective rather than one focused entirely on this life. For example, in Matthew 13:31-32, Jesus says,

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches".

Mustard Seed

Mustard Tree

This allegory is a wonderfully vivid picture. We see seeds all around us on all types of plants. They are beautiful in themselves but the seed has to fall to the ground, shrivel up and die before the true beauty happens - it grows into a much bigger and more impressive or stunning plant. Shrivelled acorns, for example, aren't a sight to behold but a glorious oak tree is phenomenal.

I enjoy being an "acorn", I really do, but I'm looking forward to being that "oak tree" more!

God in a box

It's Christmas time! Everywhere I go there are decorations, Christmas music and uplifted spirits at the idea of seeing family, sharing gifts and eating plenty on and around 25th December. It's the same every year and we're familiar with the format. The video below sums up Christmas nicely, and I'm sure you'll be able to identify with some of it!

If you watched the video to the end, you'll see that there could be so much more to Christmas than just simply the commercialism and great expenditure we are used to. It celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, and I see in society around me that Jesus is dusted off temporarily over the Christmas period and features on the odd card or two and is sung of in carols on the doorstep. But come Boxing Day, it's time to pack him up again until perhaps Easter when Jesus might get a mention alongside the bunnies and the eggs.

I find this tragic.

The UK now would probably class itself as a multi-cultural, multi-faith society founded on Christian roots, and I don't disagree. But whilst there are many devout followers of a huge array of religions and faiths present in the country right now, I'd still say that the majority fall into the category of "Christian apathetic". What do I mean by that? I mean that a significant percentage of the population would tick Christian on the census, tell people they believe in God and see themselves going to heaven one day because they've tried to be decent people, but otherwise Christ has no bearing on their lives. God comes out for special occasions such as Christmas, weddings, funerals, christenings and Easter. He also features in conversation when someone needs to assign blame when there's no one else to point the finger at, or when we're in need of help or comfort. Suddenly someone who otherwise had no time for God begins to pray and begs for answers.

God loves to hear our prayers and does answer them, but He is not a genie, there when we want Him and then disappears once our wishes have been granted. To know and love God requires more than just attending church once or twice a year (or even 52 times a year!), being in possession of a Bible or being related to a vicar. It is a personal commitment that each and every one of us makes independently of one another, but which is open to anyone and everyone regardless of what's happened in the past or how bad we've been.

But making a commitment to Christ - being a Christian - is so much more than just acknowledging that perhaps God exists, and getting Him out of His box at seasonally appropriate moments. Jesus called us to take up our crosses and follow him (Matt 16:24) which means more than just having a vague sense of the divine - it means going out of our way to live for Him and inevitably even suffer for Him. It's not an easy request, but Jesus also said "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it". (Matt 7:13-14) He knew that He was asking a lot but it is such a worthwhile commitment because its consequences are eternal. Contrary to popular thinking, heaven is not a reward for good behaviour but a totally undeserved gift. It's offered to you right now, but you cannot just have God on your terms when it suits you. Look to Christ, read what he says about himself and about his Father in the gospels and see if he can meet your needs better than anything this material world can offer you.

A dog thinks it's human; a cat thinks it's God...

I have heard it said before that "A dog thinks it's human; a cat thinks it's God", and on the whole I can certainly see where that thinking comes from! Generally we have the picture that dogs love to please their owners. They are easily delighted, loyal and friendly. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule! Cats on the other hand can be a bit snooty, arrogant and self-sufficient - or they like to think they are. I used to have a beautiful tortoiseshell cat called Summer who reached the ripe old age (for a cat!) of 18. She was very loving and enjoyed cuddles but definitely had an air of importance around her and wanted everything to be on her terms.

A lot of the time it was fine for things to be on her terms. She knew what she wanted and we as owners were happy to let her have them because they resulted in a contented cat and a lot of purring. The problem was that what she thought she wanted to do was not always beneficial for her. For example, she went through a bit of a habit of climbing on the kitchen work surfaces and walking across the cooker. Whenever she would do this, I would raise my voice and tell her to get down. If she didn't, I would scoop her up and put her on the floor. If she did it again, I would repeat the process. This made her irritable. I had vetoed something she wanted to do, and it made her want to do it again. Eventually she got into the habit of not going up there and didn't attempt it again. The purring recommenced.

So what's my point? Cats do not understand English or any other language. They may get the general gist of what we are saying to them by our actions, tone of voice, and may even recognise a few words, but you cannot hold a meaningful conversation with a pet. In Summer's mind, my getting angry with her when she walked across the cooker was irrational and the action of a killjoy. I was simply telling her to get down because I could. What she never realised was that there may one day be an occasion when we went to walk across the cooker and it was still hot from when it had been on, or perhaps there would be a boiling saucepan on it. My concern for her was that she would stay safe and avoid obvious danger. I didn't want her to hurt herself and warned her against it. She never understood why I did what I did or how close she came to getting hurt but grudgingly she obeyed and respected my wishes.

In a similar way, we humans can rage against God when He tells us not to do something. We can say that He is being a spoil sport or exerting His authority where it is not wanted, but God does not tell us to do or not to do things for no reason. If God tells us in the Bible that something is wrong and that He will be displeased if we do it, it doesn't mean He doesn't have His reasons. Just as Summer never fully understood why I behaved the way I did, we are not on par with God and cannot fathom all He tells us, but we are reminded constantly in the Bible that He does things for our own good and for our benefit. His anger is short-lived, He forgives quickly and guides us back to how we should be. When he is displeased with us, He still loves us more than we could ever know - and certainly much more than I ever loved my cat, or even members of my family.

God gives us a lot of guidance in the Bible - some instructions are black and white but a lot of it requires wisdom and judgement on our part in order for us to apply His instructions to particular situations. Even with the best of intentions, we will get it wrong but most of the time our intentions aren't right anyway. I find it hard to trust God to know best when I think I can see how I want my future to be. When He closes doors in my life and I just don't get it, sometimes later on I can see why - He was holding open a better door. Other times, I will not know why things have happened until I die. But knowing that God loves us as much as He does, enough to sacrifice His only Son for us whilst we are still rebellious and sinful, I know that I can trust Him even if I don't know what it is He is doing or where my life is heading. When it comes to my attitude towards God, I should rein in my cat-like arrogance and adopt the delight and obedience of a well-trained dog, knowing full well that my Master will look after me and give me everything I need.

Just a number?

Now here's an interesting concept I heard a while back. Imagine this: each of us is the number 0. Here's a photo of me, and sometimes I feel as worthless as I look in this pic!

But God is number 1 (and you can take that in more ways than one - no pun intended there, by the way!):

Now this isn't going to become some binary weirdness, I promise! God has value all the time, and when we're right with Him, we become valuable too!

In fact, when we all band together as children of God, and let him take the lead, that's when we make up a huge number!

But when we're on the wrong side of God, His value doesn't change, but we don't strengthen:

But if there is no God, then we're without value and meaning, no matter how many band together:

So yeah, just a little thought-provoking illustration. Sticking with the theme of numbers, I also once heard the simple phrase One plus God = the majority. So even if you're the only one in the room who has God, then you're in the majority! 

Like a child?

When Jesus was asked by his disciples "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?", he called over a little child and used them to illustrate his answer, "Unless you become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:14).

Jesus quite often spoke to his disciples, followers and opposition using examples or parables to make his message more memorable. What does he mean here by saying that we should be like children?

Children have many qualities that adults do not really have any more; normally they have grown out of them or know better, but some qualities children possess are admirable and should be emulated by older people.

Jesus is not saying that his followers should become childish. His disciples were already very good at arguing over petty issues! But instead they should become childlike. How is this different?

Note firstly that Jesus uses the word "humbles" - children have very little status or importance compared to adults. They are more often than not dependent on adults to help them and support them through their lives, and this is a humbling experience. We should depend on our loving Father to support us through life rather than trying to make it work by ourselves.

Secondly, children have an inbuilt trust that adults seem to lose as they grow more worldly-wise. It's adults who panic and stress about their lives - what to eat, what to wear, where to go, how to afford things, how to be popular, etc. As adults we get bogged down by details like this every day of our lives and yes, they can be important, but the great news is that we have a loving heavenly Father, God, who knows all about these issues and is quite capable of handling them for us. He loves us more than we can imagine, and certainly more than our earthly fathers! Jesus is calling us to be like children before our heavenly Father (that makes sense, really!) by trusting in Him like little kids do with their earthly fathers. Consider the following quotes of Jesus:

• "...do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" ~ Matthew 6:25-27
• "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." ~ Matthew 11:28

Do you see five year olds stressing out about the same things adults do? A kid doesn't worry where their next meal is coming from - they trust that mum and dad will provide, and they do! When a little boy or girl tugs at daddy's sleeve and asks to be spun around in the air, and daddy obliges creating much laughter and enjoyment, the child doesn't believe that daddy will drop them. It might not even cross their mind! Sometimes we as humans can't live up to others' expectations, though. Maybe on some occasions we have failed our children by not being able to collect them from school, for example, but God the Father, on the other hand, never fails his children. Imagine then how content we can be in our lives when we know that our Father wants us to trust Him like we do our earthly fathers, but also to know that He will never make a mistake or let us down. When things don't seem to work out how we wanted or expected, it's only because God has a bigger and better plan over all and can judge our circumstances objectively.

So like children who don't think about the mortgage (their parents quietly have it under control), we too shouldn't worry about how our Father will provide for us in life. He will.

Little insignificant me

Our lives are so filled with the mundane - the people around us, our homes, our jobs, our hobbies - that we often don't give much thought to what's beyond our little world, let alone all the details of our town, our country, our planet.

So take a minute to think about these facts:

• Our planet is about 4.54 billion years old.
• Earth is 93 million miles away from the nearest star, the Sun.
• The Sun is 865,000 miles in diameter and Earth could fit inside it more than a million times.
• That said, our Sun is tiny compared to some stars. Some are as wide as 250 million miles in diameter.
• The nearest star to us after the Sun is Proxima Centuri and is 4.2 light years away. Bear in mind that light travels at 186,282 miles per second.
• Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is 100,000 light years in diameter and contains between 200-400 billion stars.
• The Milky Way is one of about 30 galaxies in a cluster known as the Local Group. The Universe contains millions of galaxy clusters.

Have a quick watch of this video for a mind-blowing summary of the sheer size of our universe!

We can't properly process this information. It is just too awesome. If we start talking in figures bigger than we can picture, we find the information difficult to comprehend.

Christians believe that God brought Earth, the Sun, the Milky Way and indeed the entire Universe into being. This is likely to have come about at the time of the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago.

Imagine you are the God who brought all this into being. Seventy sextillion stars, all designed and created by yourself. As humans we can't really grasp the notion of knowing every detail of every star in existence, let alone everything else in the Universe. What do we know of other planets in our own solar system let alone those billions of light years away, when there is so much of Earth we haven't discovered?

God is concerned with huge things well outside our comprehension, true, but He can and really does care about the mundane, just like we do. He cares for us, little insignificant beings that we must feel at times.

Take a minute or two to consider these quotes:

• When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother's womb, when I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there - you saw me before I was born. ~ Psalm 139: 15-16
• "Aren't five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one sparrow is forgotten by God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!" ~ Luke 12:6-7
• Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him. ~ Matthew 6:8
• Suppose a woman who has ten silver coins loses on of them - what does she do? She lights a lamp, sweeps her house, and looks carefully everywhere until she finds it. When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together, and says to them, I am so happy I found the coin I lost. Let us celebrate! In the same way, I tell you, the angels of God rejoice over one sinner who repents. ~ Luke 15:8-10

Nothing is too small or insignificant for God's attention. He genuinely does care about the little details, the things that bother us and even things which are too small for us to consider! Never think that you can't confide in your loving Father because your issues are "not important enough". He loves it when we come to Him in prayer at any time of day or night and it doesn't matter whether we feel we are communicating effectively or not. Nor does it matter if we are raising a topic of huge concern, or just wanting someone to listen and to provide the love and comfort He wants to give each and every one of us.

Filling a hole

Do you know those little toys that pre-school children have that have several holes in them, all different shapes. There will be a round hole, a square hole, a triangular one and perhaps one shaped like a star or something. The toy also includes several blocks of corresponding shapes and teaches young children through play how to sort shapes and fit them into their respective holes.

What many people give no thought to, however, is that perhaps we are pretty similar to these toys in that there is a hole in us that needs filling for us to feel completely satisfied in life. The hole is not a physical thing, though; it cannot simply be filled with things we put into our bodies. It is a God-shaped hole because we need our own Father, Creator and Saviour to make our lives complete. We have been made in God's likeness (Genesis 1:26) and Jesus has bridged the gap between mankind and God by his death and resurrection so we naturally have a bond with God.

It's tragic therefore that we cannot feel whole all the while we are ignorant of how to fill the hole! Many people, perhaps most - if not all! - have at some point felt a bit empty and in need of that special something to make us feel full. British culture at the moment seems to be obsessed by this hole and is encouraging us all to fill it however we like. Young people in particular, who are still trying to find their way in life, are encouraged to use whatever hedonistic practices they most enjoy to feel satisfied. Common hole-fillers include (but are certainly not limited to) sex (and lots of it!), booze (and lots of it!) and money (and lots of it!). These are all physical things and none of them is intrinsically wrong - it's just that we are misusing these things to find instant gratification, sometimes even regardless of consequences.

The cheapening of sex, the over-consumption of alcohol and the lust for money is drawing our attention away from that which can truly satisfy, and not just for a Friday evening, but for ever.

Jesus, our only connection to our loving Father and Creator, once said "Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13)

Don't pass up the opportunity to accept Jesus' offer of "living water" - belief in him is enough to fill that hole which we all have.

Dog in the manger?

No, this blog entry is not a bizarre take on the Nativity! "Dog in the Manger" is instead referring to a fable most commonly attributed to the Ancient Greek thinker, Aesop (as is the fable of the Sun and the Wind - see below!) Basically it's a short story about how a dog decides to sleep in and guard a manger full of hay thus preventing the cattle eating it even though the dog can't eat it himself.

I can't help but think of some militant atheists as being like that dog. We all have the right to personal opinions and the freedom to express them but I find it insanely detrimental for such staunch advocates of a Godless world to insist that Christians would be happier and better off if they were to reject God.

Christians believe that God wants to have a deep and loving personal relationship with each and every single person on this planet, so much so that He sacrificed His very own Son to die on behalf of us sinners. No one can earn their way to heaven and perfection; we depend entirely on God's mercy and true generosity called grace. Life is a gift.

To use a different example from the dog in the manger, imagine two little brothers, perhaps four or five years old, who are each given a very exciting new toy by their loving father. One adores his gift and takes great pleasure in playing with his new toy. He is happy with it and his face lights up as he engrosses himself in it. The other boy, however, rejects the gift even though he could really enjoy it too. Imagining this, we may be saddened by the fact that the latter boy has thrown aside his father's gift with out even trying it. Or perhaps we are just sad that the boy doesn't seem to like his and isn't able to enjoy it like the other one. Either way, ultimately it's the boy's decision not to play with his new toy and we accept it as such.

Imagine though if the story did not end there. While the first boy is playing happily with his wonderful new toy, the other boy is not content to have simply thrown his away in disgust. He despises seeing his brother playing with his own toy and in a fit of annoyance tears the new toy out of his brother's hands and throws it out also, declaring "you can be happy without it, like I am". Imagine that child's reaction. He'd cry, scream, and shout at his brother. It was not his brother's prerogative to throw his toy away. He threw his own out, but he didn't need to prevent his brother from enjoying his.

There are times when we all express our views and explain our reasoning to other people in the hope that they will see our way of thinking and acknowledge them, and perhaps even adopt them themselves. But trying to take away the most wonderful gift a person could ever receive - the promise of undying unconditional love, salvation and life after death - which is offered to everyone - is not beneficial to anyone. Atheists cannot claim that we would be happier as humans, or that the world would fall into order if we were to start by doing away with Christianity. One can't take away someone's hope, joy and reason for being and replace it with a void, saying that they have done them a favour. People who have a personal relationship with their loving Father God do not want to be torn apart from Him in the interests of satisfying someone who doesn't want a relationship with God themselves.

Eggs, Bunnies and Salvation

It's almost that time of year again! Its date may change from year to year but every spring we celebrate a new lease of life with chocolate eggs and treasure hunts and we call this festival Easter.

It doesn't tend to rank up there with Christmas on the most exciting festival list because, and let's face it, we see Christmas stuff going on sale in September these days, and while it can be alarming to see us spending almost half a year working up to one day in December, when the 25th comes, most of us have a great time. So no, Easter doesn't get that hype even though eggs are often on sale well before Lent, but to a Christian, Easter is the most important festival. Why? Because while Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, Easter celebrates his resurrection shortly after his death.

The main reason we have eggs at Easter is because they symbolise new life, which is what Jesus himself achieved and has similarly promised for anyone who accepts him as their savour.

Saviour from what?! "I don't need a saviour!" you may think, but wait a second. Are you perfect? Are you completely blameless? Or have you done things of which you're ashamed and would die of embarrassment if people could see into the depths of your mind? Don't worry - we're all the same! Human society in this world is far from perfect because it's inhabited by corrupted people, but despite our shortcomings, God wants to repair the relationship we have with Him so that we can still know Him intimately despite the massive gulf that has a perfect, flawless God on the one side and little insignificant us on the other. How do you bridge a gap like that? The answer is for God to become human, share our suffering and even die for us!

So over two thousand years ago God came to live as a human amongst His people in the name of Jesus, and we celebrate this truly amazing move with the festival of Christmas. Thirty three years after Jesus was born, following years of his ministry he was totally despised by the Pharisees, betrayed by a disciple called Judas, and handed over to the Romans for one of the most horrific executions going, crucifixion. Well before all this happened though, Jesus had predicted all these things would come to be, and even the Old Testament scripture had pointed to it. But Jesus also proclaimed his return, saying that on the third day after being killed he would come back to life and show his mastery over death because while he was totally human, he was also completely divine (and death is no obstacle to God!)

With Jesus alive again, he had paid the ultimate sacrifice for all our flaws and imperfections (calls sins) and had bridged the gap between us and God. Through Jesus and his immense sacrifice, we can truly know God. Anyone at all, regardless of everything, who believes that Jesus was God in human form, destroyed their sins with his death, and then returned to life, is similarly promised life after death. Now that's why we have every reason to celebrate Easter!

The details of the run-up to Jesus' death and then his return to life are both covered in more depth on the pages Crucifixion and Resurrection.

This Easter as you think of the Easter bunny, chocolate eggs and TV specials, remember also why we celebrate Easter in the first place, and how it shouldn't just mean something to Christians, but is meant for all people, you included. It doesn't matter who you are, how you were brought up, what language you speak, your race, your past, or anything at all - God loves you enough to send Himself to hell and back to save your soul, and is offering you the gift of an everlasting and perfect life after this one. It's not too good to be true, but like any free gift, it can be ignored or rejected. While you still have air in your lungs and blood being pumped through your heart, seriously consider the implications of accepting Jesus Christ's invaluable sacrifice made for you!

Happy Easter!

A new way of looking at the Ten Commandments

Many people, whether Christian or non-Christian, are aware of the Ten Commandments (also known as the Decalogue), which can be found in the Old Testament book of Exodus, chapter 20.

Perhaps you are familiar with the sayings "Thou shalt not kill" or "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour". For some reason the Ten Commandments always seem to get quoted in the 17th Centuary English of the King James Version (KJV). Christians perhaps quote them in this way since such words seem to hold more authority than modern equivalents (e.g. "Thou shalt not kill" sounds more impressive and assertive than "You will not kill").

Antitheists also like to quote the Bible (though not just the Ten Commandments) in the KJV English as it helps to boost the image that the Bible is old fashioned and out of date. As I have mentioned on my page on the Bible, whilst language and relevant examples have changed over hundreds of years, the basic principles are timeless (e.g. being told not to covet your neighbour's ox is not really applicable to most people today, but "car" didn't mean anything to them when the OT was written!)

Besides the issue of what version the Ten Commandments are quotes in, I feel that sometimes they are rejected, along with the rest of the Christian faith, for being negative. Being given a list of no-nos is the act of a killjoy or spoil sport, surely? Well I must say I see their point, but then I think that if the moral instructions of the Bible, in particular the Ten Commandments, were quoted in a different, more positive way then perhaps people would find them harder to criticise. Let me show you what I mean.

Below are the Ten Commandments. I will quote them in four ways each. The first is the KJV which is probably the one you've heard before! Below that will be the New International Version (NIV). I like this translation as it both keeps to the original languages of the Bible well, but also speaks in easy-to-understand modern English. Below that is The Message version. I love this translation of the Bible and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in reading the Bible for themselves, especially if they've never done so before, as it really speaks volumes without being too challenging to understand. Finally I will put my own spin on the Ten Commandments, showing how they can be seen in a more positive light and perhaps sound more encouraging, yet lose none of their meaning.

FIRST COMMANDMENT:

> KJV - "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

> NIV - "You shall have no other gods before me."

> Message - "No other gods, only me."

> My positive spin - "Put God first."

SECOND COMMANDMENT:

> KJV - "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them..."

> NIV - "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them..."

> Message - "No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatsoever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don't bow down to them and don't serve them..."

> My positive spin - "There's something far more spiritually satisfying than any created idol - God will satisfy your needs entirely while idols can't help you at all."

THIRD COMMANDMENT:

> KJV - "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain."

> NIV - "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God."

> Message - "No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter."

> My positive spin - "How would you like it if your name was a swear word? Try to show God some respect by using his name appropriately."

FOURTH COMMANDMENT:

> KJV - "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

> NIV - "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy."

> Message - "Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

> My positive spin - "Have a day off on Sunday in honour of God."

FIFTH COMMANDMENT:

> KJV - "Honour thy father and thy mother..."

> NIV - "Honour your father and mother..."

> Message - "Honour your father and mother..."

> My positive spin - "Show respect to your parents."

SIXTH COMMANDMENT:

> KJV - "Thou shalt not kill."

> NIV - "You shall not murder."

> Message - "No murder."

> My positive spin - "Preserve life."

SEVENTH COMMANDMENT:

> KJV - "Thou shalt not commit adultery."

> NIV - "You shall not commit adultery."

> Message - "No adultery."

> My positive spin - "Be faithful to your spouse."

EIGHTH COMMANDMENT:

> KJV - "Thou shalt not steal."

> NIV - "You shall not steal."

> Message - "No stealing."

> My positive spin - "Respect other's possessions."

NINTH COMMANDMENT:

> KJV - "Thou shalt not bear false witness against they neighbour."

> NIV - "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour."

> Message - "No lies about your neighbour."

> My positive spin - "Be honest about other people - lies can lead to destructive gossip."

TENTH COMMANDMENT:

> KJV - "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's."

> NIV - "You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour."

> Message - "No lusting after your neighbour's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that is your neighbour's."

> My positive spin - "Be content with what you've been blessed with because you'll never feel satisfied if you are forever trying to keep up with the Joneses."

Sun and the Wind?

I don't know if you're familiar with Aesop? He was a Greek who came up with a lot of clever little stories to illustrate real-life situations in an abstract way. One of my favourite fables of his is about the sun and the wind. The sun and the wind were always in competition with one another and were determined to prove themselves more powerful than the other. One day a man was walking along below them and the wind said to the sun, "I bet I can get that man's coat off!" "Go on then," challenged the sun, "and if you fail, I'll have a go!" The wind tried his hardest to blow the coat off the man but he just pulled it tighter around himself. Eventually the wind admitted defeat and the sun had a go. The sun shone brightly and allowed his heat to warm the man. The man got so hot that he just had to take off his coat. Who won that challenge then? The one who was cold and forceful or the one who was warm and persuasive?

So what's my point? Well have you ever been minding your own business in town and heard someone talking to the public in general? You go nearer to hear what they're saying and all you can hear are phrases like "repent or perish", "doomed to hell" and "you sinners". I can't speak for you but people like that make me feel distinctly uncomfortable and irritated and I just want to get away from them and continue what I was doing before I had the misfortune to hear them. Who are they to tell me to sort my life out? They don't even know who I am! The problem I have with these people is not their intentions as I am sure that they are (almost always) good. No, the problem I have is the message they are conveying and the way it is being said. It just reminds me so strongly of the wind in Aesop's fable. Their way of "attracting" people to the gospel is by bullying strangers. Perhaps it works every so often but I'm sure it's more counter-productive than effective.

What upsets me the most about this approach to sharing the gospel is that it does not match that of Jesus' way of communicating with the public. Far from making people feel awkward and driving people away from him whenever he opened his mouth to speak, people flocked from all over to hear what Jesus had to say. He got surrounded by strangers to such an extent that he often had to get out of their reach just to preach to them! Now who can say they've seen and heard someone like that in town?!

Yet Jesus had the same intentions and message to share as those awkward people we meet in town these days but he delivered his message in a totally different way.

Jesus had a message of love, hope, joy, forgiveness and grace. He told it like it is and his gospel (i.e. "good news") spread like wildfire. People of all times and cultures love good news and Jesus' purpose on earth was to share it. He went out of his way to be with people who were considered dirty by the rest of society and even ate in their houses! He spoke with prince or pauper and loved them all the same. Often he described heaven in terms of parties or feasts and was well acquainted with the party lifestyle himself, and was very much the most sociable member of his group... Isn't this just an illustration of his love of people, his love of God and his love of life? He was love personified! "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" he proclaims in John 10:10.

Why then do we still have people proclaiming doom and gloom to a bunch of people who are perhaps hurting enough inside as it is? Shouldn't we be looking out for one another and showing love like Jesus? "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone," said Jesus in John 8:7 as an angry mob got ready to stone a terrified prostitute. The only one there who had an entirely clean conscience and therefore the right to stone her, Jesus himself, did no such thing. Now that's an example to live by.

What do Clover spread and philosopher Aristotle have in common?

...They both think that the middle ground is best! Anyone remember this advert of Clover's, proudly declaring that it has half the saturated fat of butter?

The Greek philosopher Aristotle had a similar belief known as the Golden Mean and reasoned that the midway is the desirable virtue (e.g. coruage) unlike the deficit (cowardice) or excess (recklessness).

I like to have a "middle is best" approach to most things in life too and this extends to my faith. My interpretation of the Bible is somewhere between the hard-line fundamentalism which takes the Bible so literally that it removes it from its cultural time and context, and wishy-washy liberalism which sees the Bible as just a good book which people wrote to sum up their idea of God. I believe the Bible to be divinely inspired but written by people. This gives it a unique authority which no other book can claim, but it must also be read with its original intended context and culture in mind, so no treating it as a science text book please!

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

It's not what you know...

I'm trying to find employment at the moment and part of that process involves attending group sessions designed to help you find work. At one of these sessions I was told of the different ways companies employ people. Some, I was told, have a recommendations policy meaning they find new staff through the people who already work there. So if a member of staff has a friend or family member who would also like to work there, they can get in through the back door, so to speak.

I feel at a distinct disadvantage because of this because I am not related to anyone who can get me a job where they work. But it is one example showing the truth of the statement, "It's not what you know; it's who you know." 

In some ways, being a Christian is much the same, although that doesn't mean you have to know Christians to be one yourself! No, there's only one person you have to know to be a Christian, and he wants you to know him: Jesus Christ. It really is that simple.

Anyone who believes that Jesus was a real person - and acknowledges his authority as the Son of God - is saved. This is the Good News and there are no catches. You don't have to achieve anything before you accept Jesus' offer of eternal life, nor do you have to be of a certain background. No, God loves us all equally and sent His own Son to be our friend and Saviour. He loves you already, and would be overjoyed if His love was returned. The entire message of Jesus is based solely on love - love for God and love for one another, even love for ourselves!

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' " ~ Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)

It is therefore very sad when other things cloud this simple message, or distort it entirely so that the message of love is ignored. Christians and non-Christians alike sometimes feel that this simple message is either too easy, too good to be true or just plain unfair. Shouldn't we be rewarded because of our efforts, not because we know someone who will get us out of trouble? Well, truth be told, our efforts will never be good enough, not even by human standards, and definitely not by God's. Yet He still loves us more than we could ever know, despite our obvious and frequent failings. Trying to earn your forgiveness or way into heaven makes for a very self-dependent culture where some will forever be aiming for perfection (and failing) and others will wonder what's the point in even trying. So the only way we can get right with God is to accept that we're not perfect and admit that we need his saving grace. And grace is something that God is willing to deal out abundantly.

GRACE: God's goodness lavished upon us when we don't deserve it.

MERCY: God withholding punishment when we do deserve it.

So why then do people like to add to the message, insisting you need to do x, y and z before you stand a chance of going to heaven? Don't overcomplicate a simple message, especially an important one! I feel Jesus best expresses his purpose in John's gospel, chapter 3, verse 16:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~John 3:16 (NIV)