Is my God too small?

On a recent transatlantic flight, I got through several good books. The first was 'Your God Is Too Small' by J.B. Phillips. This book is as provocative as its title suggests. Phillips enumerates different ways in which people diminish the appreciation and influence of God in their personal lives. It left me wondering whether my God (or at least, my personal understanding of God) is impoverished.

In the terminology that Phillips uses, my too-small God is probably the Second-Hand God. I know God on other people's terms, based on other people's experiences, filtered through other people's lives. While it is valuable to read books, listen to others and learn from them, Phillips has encouraged me that I need to get closer to God personally and to start enjoying Him. Another book that I read on my travels was C.S. Lewis' Perelandra. As the hero Ransom converses with the green lady on Venus about obeying her God Maleldil, she utters the best line in the book:

All his biddings are joys.

I wish I could claim the same sentiments for my relationship with God! This would make my devotion feel far more first-hand than second!

Unexpected Kindness

The tale of the Good Samaritan is one of Jesus’ most well known stories. Indeed, the phrase ‘Good Samaritan’ has entered everyday idiom to describe a helpful person. The Samaritans organization is one example: they are well-known for providing emergency support to people in trouble.

Jesus always used stories to teach important lessons. There are several points in the Good Samaritan story which resonate with contemporary themes. (1) Assisting other people when we can is the principle underpinning the political notion of the Big Society. The Good Samaritan himself seems to epitomize the Big Society ideal. He suffered inconvenience and incurred expense because of his willingness to help someone in need. (2) Disillusionment with traditional religion is currently strong, as it was in Jesus’ day. The priest and temple worker in the story were disinterested and skirted round the problem as quickly as possible. They were unwilling or unable to help. (3) Attitudes of suspicion and resentment against foreign immigrants linger now, as in Bible times. Jewish people in general did not respect Samaritan immigrants; however Jesus’ love reached out to people of all races, impartially.

In my opinion, the enduring theme of this story is that help comes from unexpected sources. This idea crops up so often in novels and films: Think about Pip in Dicken's Great Expectations, the eponymous heroine in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, or Polish Jews in Schindler’s List. In each case, the people in need are astonished when they discover the identity of their benefactors. In the Biblical narrative, the most surprising and most radical help of all comes from Jesus’ intervention in human history.

Jesus Christ came from heaven to be a stranger in the world he had created. During the years of his public teaching and travelling, he helped thousands of people yet he was homeless and penniless. Finally he died, hanging on a cross outside Jerusalem. His body was bruised and beaten. His blood was shed. His life was laid down. How could he help us – the ‘Lord from heaven’ who became a ‘man of sorrows’?

We must recognize that we desperately need help. Like the wounded man in Jesus’ story, we have been battered by the storms of life, disappointed by broken promises and deceived by the devil. We are sinful creatures, often unwilling and always unable to improve our condition. Religion may appear to promise some respite but it eventually proves utterly powerless to help, like the priest and temple worker in Jesus’ story.

What we need is a personal intervention, a rescue – spiritual first aid. This is what Jesus offers us. He is the true Good Samaritan; the stranger who has every reason to pass us by but instead he stops and makes every effort to help us. He died to win us forgiveness. He rose again to guarantee our acceptance with God. He lives for ever to care for us. One day he will return to take those who trust him back to heaven.

As we listen to politicians extolling the virtues of a Big Society, let’s remember that Jesus came from heaven and died on the cross to enable us to be citizens of heaven. If we trust in him, we become members of the Biggest Society of all!

The cadence of Christmas

We all have Christmas traditions and rituals. At this time of year we dig out the carol sheets or dust off the Christmas vinyl. We contact people we haven't been in touch with for the past twelve months. We replace all the blown bulbs then hang up our Christmas lights. An old friend of mine used to read Dickens' Christmas Carol every year. All good things to do, but we must not let familiarity dull the splendour of Christmas. My great concern is that we might lose the wonder of Christmas because of its regularity. I feel this particularly as I listen once again this year to the remarkable lyrics of some Christmas carols. Wesley springs to mind: Pleased as Man with man to dwell / God with us Immanuel. Also The holly bears a berry as red as any blood / And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good. Timeworn words for Christmas, but they express timeless truths for Christians.

Is Christianity conservative?

Is Christianity conservative? (That's with a small 'c', i.e. non-political, but thoroughly traditional.) I know that certain wings of the church are labelled as conservative, including the Christian fellowship I currently belong to.

But here is an interesting thought. Jesus Himself was entirely non-conservative. In His day, He was seen as an ultra-radical, a perceived enemy of the establishment. His message of life-changing, joy-filled, sin-forgiven relationship with God shook contemporary religion to the core. How can the church He founded retain its radical origins?

Inertia avoidance is a difficult practice. We humans are good at organising, codifying, regularising - effectively setting up our own teetering towers of tradition on top of the principles of Christ. Every now and then, God uses people to demolish these towers. I think of great people like Hugh Latimer, Martin Luther, Hudson Taylor, George Muller... in effect, true Christian radicalism is simply a return to first principles, as elucidated by Jesus - and transposed effectively into a new contextual setting.

What about today? How can we be 21st century radical Christians? We need to get back to the Bible, and prayerfully see how it applies to us and our society today. Personally, I am challenged by the following points:

• Early disciples were never ashamed to speak about their Master - I rarely represent mine.
• They lived and breathed the Bible. 'Remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said' [Paul] was a common prefix to many of their remarks.
• They had little regard for possessions, career prospects and social status. In our materialistic Western society, Christians are unduly influenced by the value everyone else (especially the media) places on these things. 'Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' [Sermon on the Mount]

The Wedding Planner

Spring is in the air, and the wedding bells are starting to ring. My family and I are really looking forward to a friend’s wedding in a few month’s time. We have RSVP’d and started thinking about presents and outfits and so on.

Jesus tells a story about a wedding reception in Luke 14:7-11. In those days, the bride and groom didn’t draw up a careful seating plan to avoid awkward Great-Uncle Angus having to sit next to miserable Cousin Margaret. Instead, people raced into the banquet hall and grabbed the best seat they could, as near to the top table as possible.

Jesus suggested a different tactic. ‘Sit at the back,’ He said, ‘Then you will get a pleasant surprise when you are called to a better seat, and everyone will respect you.’ If you start in last place, you will be called to the front sooner or later. This is a wise observation that resonates with our culture. Remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare? Who won the race eventually? More recently, Bruce Springsteen sang about, ‘Waiting for when the last shall be first and the first shall be last.’ So many popular novels and films are based on ‘rags to riches’ storylines, whether fact or fiction.

However the greatest example of this starting-in-last-place principle is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He was so humble: a poor carpenter, a homeless Rabbi, an innocent prisoner, a submissive victim who was ‘obedient unto death, even death on a cross.’ Why did He take the lowest, worst place? Because He loved a lost world of sinners, and died to ‘take away the sin of the world.’ [ref]

Where is Jesus now? He is alive from the dead, in heaven on God’s throne. He has been exalted ‘far above all’ by His Father. He has gone from the lowest place to pole position in the universe.

We can experience God’s forgiveness when we trust in Him. This is the only way to the top table in God’s kingdom. We get to know the riches of God’s grace when we humbly repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a personal application of the rags to riches transformation: God ‘lifts the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes.’ [ref]

Surprised by 'Surprised by Joy'

This week I began to re-read C.S. Lewis' spiritual autobiography - Surprised by Joy. As I go through it, I am re-discovering its insights with pleasure. Do I mean pleasure? Lewis distinguishes carefully between that and joy. Whereas pleasure is merely gratification of some personal desire, joy is more impersonal, transcendent. An aching loss is more joyful than greedy feasting upon something. The longing, rather than possession, is the joyful experience. In this sense it is an other-worldly sensation - a hankering after heaven. 'God has set eternity in their heart,' Eccl 3:11.

Recollections from Lewis' private life make interesting reading. His lonely, cruel childhood is described. Indeed, it is almost suggested in the title, from a Wordsworth sonnet describing the loss of a child, his 'heart's best treasure'. Each discovery Lewis makes on the path to God is described so clearly and rationally, it is almost like I am making the same discovery, reaching the same conclusion, as he does. Does this suggest a good writer or a gullible reader? Lewis touches on a similar theme as he recollects, in his atheist phase, his encounter with the works of G.K. Chesterton.

Another amusing task is to trace pictures from Lewis' fictional work back to their sources in his personal experience. For instance, the old professor from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe might be his tutor in Surrey. The masked mourners in the Pilgrim's Regress seem reminiscent of the stiffly dressed people at his own mother's funeral. The recalcitrant parent in the Screwtape Letters might recall his father, with whom Lewis had trouble engaging.

There are several aspects of this book that I found most encouraging.

1. The diverse ways in which God draws wandering souls to himself.
2. Lewis' description of the utter emptiness of self-gratification (particularly of the fleshly kind) for the sake of the act itself.
3. ...and I'm looking forward to his conversion, on the top deck of an Oxford bus - but I haven't got that far in the story yet!

Is Salvation Selfish?

One of the major Biblical characterizations of humanity in its natural, default state is that we are selfish. "Men shall be lovers of their own selves." [2 Tim 3:2] This is in radical contrast to the two great commandments highlighted by Jesus - love God and love your neighbour. [Matt 22:37-40] Not only Jesus' teaching, but also his life, was characterised by selflessness. He took a towel and washed his disciples' feet. He always looked after other people's needs and concerns, [Phil 2:4-5] giving his life as a sacrifice for his enemies. [Ro 5:10]

So, here's a question. To obtain salvation (by grace alone through faith alone) is to accept eternal life from God. Isn't this the ultimate act of instinctive self-preservation? Surely this act is motivated by selfishness? I agree in one sense - becoming saved is the last selfish act we perform, since once we are Christians, our lives should become living sacrifices - given over in service to God and others.

But actually, we really need to define what we mean by selfishness. To take what we need to survive is only selfish if we are depriving others: Hence we breathe, but there's enough air to go around so that's not selfish. On the other hand, we in western society consume more than our fair share of world food, etc - perhaps this is selfishness?

Returning to the topic of salvation - when we accept what God gives us, are we preventing anyone else from getting it? The answer is a resounding no! God's gift is infinite - the world is His scope. In fact, when we become Christians, we might be starting a spiritual chain reaction, resulting in other people being saved. The apostle Paul is a good example of this. So no - while salvation may be self-preservation, it's not selfishness.

Happy Birthday KJV

The King James Version of the Bible is 400 years old. The Oxford English Dictionary and the BBC have been celebrating this milestone, and tracing the influence of the KJV on the English language.

Although I have been brought up reading the KJV, in my personal readings I often prefer to use more recent translations such as the RSV or the NEB (for) (against). CS Lewis agreed - it's helpful to read the Bible in an accessible and contemporary linguistic setting. After all, Koine Greek (the language of the original New Testament manuscripts) was the vernacular. Again, William Tyndale (the pioneer of English Bible translation) wanted the ploughboy in the field to be able to understand the words of Scripture. So I feel a modern translation is following an age-old (and theologically sound) precedent.

Often I feel slightly embarrassed quoting Bible passages directly from the KJV, especially to people who are unfamiliar with the style. I generally paraphrase as I go - turning "whosoever believeth" into "whoever believes", "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" into "You shall love the Lord your God" etc.

So it was interesting to listen to various media, thespian and religious celebrities expressing their admiration for the majestic and simple language of the KJV, in the recent BBC Radio 4 broadcasts. I enjoyed listening to the various readings, which were spoken with clarity, passion and a suitable level of dramatic emphasis.

However when I reflected on the comments people made about the KJV, I was struck by the fact that people extoll its virtues as literature, influential upon the development of the English language. However they appear to give little thought to the underlying message of the Bible. Things haven't changed much since Ezekiel's day - we are quite prepared for cultural, high-brow entertainment from the Bible, but we don't want the sharpness of its message to pierce our hearts. What a tragedy! Let's get back to the Bible and read it "as it is in truth, the word of God". [1 Thess 2:13]

Mud and Stars

Two men looked through prison bars:
One saw mud and the other saw stars.

I recently re-encountered this couplet in a Christian article. It brings back a guilty memory, from when I furtively borrowed my sister's Trebizon boarding school stories. In the very first novel, the school headteacher encourages the heroine with this mud/star two-liner.

Apparently, it's a quote by Frederick Langbridge, although wikipedia wasn't too forthcoming with information about him. Anyway, it's the thought that counts - any situation is what we make of it. Do we see that the glass is half-full or half-empty?

As a Christian, I find that I have plenty of causes for optimism. I see the stars, twinkling gleams of glory, and anticipate a wonderful future - rejoicing in hope.
Of course, I'm not unaware of the mud. Most of the time I'm trudging through it, or perhaps assisting others. But the stars help put things in perspective.

Richard Dawkins mentioned something similar in a recent debate with John Lennox. He conceded that Christianity offers a real hope for the future, and a purpose for living in the present. Dawkins could offer neither. Unfortunately, the atheist's horizon does not extend beyond the mud.

Obviously, I believe that Christianity is more than wishful thinking. However star-gazing (literally and metaphorically) is a good pastime for citizens of heaven, as Paul reminded his friends at Philippi (Phil 3:20-21). At the same time, there should be some star-light luminosity exuding from our lives too (Phil 2:15). Perhaps we could be a means of bringing hope to other muddy people?

Natural Disasters



Whenever catastrophes occur, like the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, we often ask why an Almighty God would allow such disasters to happen. I have read some thought-provoking articles from other authors. Perhaps I take a slightly different view.

The Bible talks about creation groaning and travailing in pain [Ro 8] - very literal, if anthropomorphic, language to describe plate tectonics. We live in a fragile world, a fractured universe, a fallen creation. Why?


Jesus' plaintive words, "From the beginning, these things were not so," apply contextually to ruptures in society, but they ring true for the sad state of the cosmos. Originally, God deemed His creation to be "very good." [Gen 1]. However a perfectly innocent creation has been spoiled by mankind's rebellion against God - initiated by Adam's disobedience.

Here is my main thesis - just as God did not intervene directly to prevent Adam's choice of evil, so He does not intervene today to curtail its consequences. Our world is a dangerous place, and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

Does God operate on a passive, non-interfering basis? Not at all! God has moved to rescue humanity from sin. This rescue-mission was effected by the Lord Jesus Christ, when he gave his life "as a ransom for all, to be testified in due time". [1 Tim 2]. However, salvation requires an opt-in - God's grace and our faith are both necessary salvific ingredients [Eph 2]. Once we receive "the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" [Ro 6], we become part of God's "new creation." [2 Cor 5].

Ultimately, God will re-create the physical world we inhabit. There will be "no more sea" on the new earth [Rev 22], which symbolises the end of restlessness, transience, groaning and travailing. I don't see any cause for plate tectonics in the new creation...

The evolution of evolution

This year we celebrate the bicentenary of Charles Darwin's birth. Already the BBC has lauded the father of the theory of evolution. Originally propounded as a scientific theory to explain the diversity of species, the evolution bandwagon is now steered by humanist "We don't need a God" fundamentalists. That's what I mean by the evolution of evolution - people take the theory, and from it extrapolate an absolute world-view that does not incorporate the Divine.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a theistic evolutionist at all. I believe in Elohim the Creator. Yes, I go along with a six-day creation, and probably a young earth too. Now - this is my serious point. Christians and Atheists spend all their time arguing about creation vs evolution, intelligent design vs blind watchmakers, etc... We never seem to get past this first hurdle in our amicable debates.

However, the Lord Jesus said that he should be the "stone of stumbling and the rock of offence." If people find anything offputting about the Christian message, it should be the works and words of the Messiah. Shakespeare had it right - "All the world's a stage / And all the men and women merely players". Therefore when the principal actor (indeed, the author Himself!) steps front-stage, we shouldn't be distracted by the origins of the props and stage furniture. Instead we should be concentrating on what He says and does. This is the essence of the play, all else can only be peripheral...

Silent Night

I have been promised an MP3 player as a Christmas present. I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to listen to my favourite podcasts and music tracks. However, this prospect prompted me to consider how we do anything we can to avoid silence: 24 hour news coverage in my dentist's surgery, in-flight films, seasonal (albeit secular) songs on the supermarket tannoy, the noisy list goes on...

Silence is uncomfortable. In moments of quiet reflection, we are confronted with truths we would rather bury under decibels of noise. Yet it is often in the silent moments that God speaks to us, with His still small voice [1 Kings 19] [Dear Lord and Father of Mankind].

I'm no quaker, but the principle of silence in the presence of God is far more ancient than George Fox's Society of Friends. "Be still and know that I am God" [Psalm 46].

So, just as on the Stille Nacht of the first Christmas, the quiet shepherds received a message from heaven, I recommend we all spend some time in silence this Christmas, quietly waiting for the salvation of the Lord. As the shepherds discovered, we find salvation when we find the Saviour - Christ the Lord...

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven
No ear may hear His coming
But in this world of sin
Where meek souls will receive Him still
The dear Christ enters in.

Survival of the Unfittest

Darwin, Dawkins and Co advocate the principle of survival of the fittest. Whether or not we subscribe to this theory of natural selection, we must agree that it completely goes against the grain of human nature.

We do everything we can to promote the opposite effect - which here I call survival of the unfittest. Why else is there such outrage over species that are almost extinct? Only this week, there are reports of genome reconstruction for the woolly mammoth, long consigned to bio-history by natural selection.

Survival of the unfittest is most fiercely defended with regard to our fellow human beings. Equal opportunities effectively means positive discrimination in favour of the disadvantaged. How un-Darwinian this is! We instinctively seem to prefer Baron de Coubertin's "don't worry about winning, just take part" mentality that sees its ultimate fulfilment in the Paralympic Games.

I suggest that this compassionate equal-rights-for-all attitude springs from our "image-of-God" legacy. The Biblical creation record notes that God made man "in His image, after His likeness". Although sinful, miserable humanity little resembles the Divine Character, our equal opportunities movement is still "some feeble, pale reflection / of that pure love of Thine." [hymn]

Only God lifts beggars from rubbish tips and sets them among princes [1Sam2.8]. This is divine grace in action. He pays the price (in the sin-atoning death of Jesus Christ) to reconcile us to Himself. The price is paid for all, so the offer is available to all; even though none of us deserves it.

Spiritual Detox

Here's the problem: a Christian spends some time drifting away from his Lord and His Word. Apathy soon leads to active disobedience - and that Christian is suddenly in no fit condition to act effectively for God.

Here is one solution, which involves prayerfully reading through three detox chapters of the Bible.

1. Jonah 2 - Penitence
   
2. Psalm 67 - Passion
   
3. John 21 - Pardon
   

Penitence is first. Genuine sorrow for wrong motive, direction and/or action. Plenty of Bible passages apply, but I prefer Jonah's heartfelt prayer. He knew his disaster was entirely due to his own disobedience, and His recovery could only be accomplished by God's grace.

Passion is next. An earnest longing for God's presence, power and glory. Psalm 67 clearly cries out for this. So should we, whenever we feel its loss!

Pardon is last. With Christ's death and resurrection in mind, we know that pardon is possible in John 21. With Peter's denial and subsequent restoration, we are assured that personal pardon is bestowed by the Man who calls us, walks with us and directs us.

Combatting the McGospel Message Tendancy

I see the McGospel as a poor Gospel substitute - cheap flavour and colour, but no real substance to the message. Fast food, convenient, plenty of feel-good factor but little Biblical basis.

I think the McGospel has three vital ingredients missing. Add these in, and the message will become much more wholesome! However it becomes correspondingly more unpalatable to people who do not believe the Gospel ... "This is a hard saying, who can bear to hear it?"

1. Repentance
   
2. Blood
   
3. Hell
   

I know, each of these themes is unsavoury at first taste. Christians who would present the Gospel are so often tempted to gloss over these points so as to avoid alienating their sophisticated 21st century audiences. I regret to confess that I am more guilty than most.

So - let's tackle each ingredient one at a time. We want to uncover what they are, why they are so unpopular and yet why they are essential Gospel elements.

Repentance

The canonical example is Jesus' story of the Prodigal Son, cf Luke 15. The son spurns his father's home, wastes his inheritance and ends up lost, lonely and miserable. At his wit's end, he finally starts to think straight. He recognises how wrong he has been and is full of remorse for his faults. He thinks of his father, and decides to return to him. This is true repentance - sorrow for sin and a desire to express this to the Father personally. True repentance is always met with true forgiveness - that's a timeless truth.

Now we must consider why repentance is so unpopular in the McGospel generation. Basically, it involves bringing people to realise that they are wrong, mistaken, and far from God. Such revelation is untenable in this era of moral relativism and post-modernism. But this is God's way. It was the imperative of the first Gospel message (Acts 2), the first of Paul's two Ephesian footsteps ("repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ" - Acts 20).

Blood

Blood is live-supporting and life-saving. The Bible emphasizes this - "the life is in the blood" before any renaissance scientists like William Harvey published their (re) discoveries. The Biblical imagery of poured-out blood speaks of a life completely given in sacrifice. Christ's death brings us life, his blood brings us redemption - these are axioms of New Testament theology.

So why would people disdain such a notion today? They reject a Gospel message that presents the "precious blood of Christ" as a payment for sins (a self-propitiation on God's part, rather than appeasement from man). They reject Jesus' promise of a "new covanent in my blood which is shed for many" (a relationship with God in which all the responsibility is on his part). Blood sacrifice is deemed to be inappropriate, primitive and archaic.

God's standards remain uncompromised by regressions in human ethics and morality. Sin is always serious, in his book. Serious crime demands commensurate payment, and nothing has greater value than the life blood of his only Son. Ultimately, to refuse "redemption through his blood, forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace" is to accept full personal liability for sin against God - which brings us to the final point...

Hell

Remarkably, Jesus spoke more about the experience of hell than about heaven. Not because he had any pleasure in the contemplation of suffering, but rather because he wanted people to appreciate its stark and grim reality, and avoid it at all costs.

Today hell is ridiculed, if it ever surfaces as a discussion item at all.
How could a loving God send people to hell? God does not want anyone in hell - he would have all people to be saved. But a person who refuses God's terms and God's way effectively sentences himself to an eternity of hell.

To finish, think about this: Jesus suffered the infinite torture of hell, compressed into three hours of darkness as he was on the cross. I have accepted this personally, he is my substitute. He went through hell without me so he could be in heaven with me.

Me and You

Some people claim that Jesus' teachings are entirely egocentric. To a point, I can see what they mean. The conventional teacher explains a subject - some physical, philosophical, moral or spiritual aspect of the world around us. The teacher points his pupils to an object other than himself. But the Lord Jesus Christ was different. So often he would say "I am..." and make astonishing claims about Himself. The C.S. Lewis poached egg mad/bad/God argument is par for the course here.

However I would like to bring out a different point. In every case when the Lord Jesus made a personal claim, he always did it with a view to blessing others. When he said "I am the bread of life", He immediately offered Himself to those who were spiritually hungry and thirsty. When he said "I am the Way", he promised that those who came through Him would reach the Father. When he said "I am the Good Shepherd", he promised to give his life for those who would be his sheep.

Every supposedly egocentric teaching of the Messiah is really a "for me and thee" teaching. (ref) He explains something about himself, and then shows us how He can bless us. Is that egocentric? No, I would rather define it as his amazing grace!

Wise Men Still Seek Him

The magi were the academics of the ancient world. In many ways they exemplify good research practice.

First, they are looking for anomalous patterns in their astronomical observations. This is Oscar Wilde's 'modern intellect' that expects the unexpected, and won't let it drop till a suitable explanation is reached. So next consider their thorough literature search, which leads them to dig up Balaam's ancient prophecy from Numbers 24:17, and possibly Isaiah's words in Isaiah 60:1-5. Initial experiments and background reading now completed, they are prepared to stake their academic reputation, not to mention their undoubtedly meager research grant income, on a field-trip to an insignificant far-flung province of the Roman Empire.

After a long and arduous journey (which may have taken up to two years, by King Herod's calculations) they visit the palace. Initially this looks like being a red herring, until they attend the local university seminar series to discover a previously unknown citation (Micah 5:2).

And so to Bethlehem. At last they reach their objective
'Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.' [T.S. Eliot]


The point of this article is, perhaps a little wryly, to show that the educated elite came to find the baby of Bethlehem. They were just as keen as hoi polloi. They put aside their uncertainty and prejudice, and were rewarded beyond measure. I issue a plea to fellow academics of all disciplines: Will you make a similar journey of discovery this Christmas?

Positive Thinking

I recently discovered the positive atheism website, which is quite fascinating. Apart from several intemperate warnings against religious evangelists and apologists, it contains interesting viewpoints and quotations from leading atheist thinkers past and present.

The fundamental atheist tenet is "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die," as the stereotypical rich fool says in Jesus' story. This is an ego-centric viewpoint. There seems to be little positive sentiment here!

A more noble thought is expressed in an alternative maxim - "non sibi sed omnibus" - not for self but for all. The "love your neighbour" principle is common to all major world faiths. It also crops up in many politico-philosophical systems from communism to humanism.

So, what does a positive Christian have to offer in reply? The most positive Christian I can think of is the apostle Paul. And his most positive statement is "emoi gar to zeen christos kai to apothanein kerdos." Loosely translated: As far as I'm concerned, living is all about Christ, and dying is even better.

Is this life's ideal? A purpose for the present and a hope for the future? A positive Christian attitude, for sure...

A Christian Opinion of Harry Potter

Pottermania swept across the county again this summer, with the release of the final book in the series. I confess that I have not read The Deathly Hallows as of yet, but I have enjoyed J.K. Rowling's earlier six novels.

Does the Harry Potter series glorify witchcraft? Does it promote anti-Christian values? Does it ...

Balance is essential in assessing such material. Consider two extreme approaches from New Testament times. First at Athens in Acts 17, Paul is heard to quote from two Greek poets, Epimedides and Aratus. So the exemplary convert to Christianity recycles pagan poetry in his sermons, when he feels it might be appropriate. Second at Ephesus in Acts 19, Paul's message leads the former wizards and witches to burn their spell books. This is testimony to all that their new-found faith in Christ is a life-changing experience.

So, what of pagan books? Quote them, or burn them? I should say the distinction lies in whether such books can be classified as literature or genuine evil. What of Harry Potter then? I think J.K. Rowling's genre must be somewhere between Athenian Poetry and Ephesian Black Magic. Therefore every Christian has to make an individual and intelligent choice about the matter. Also, I do not consider it right for me to criticise anyone else's choice. Finally the teaching of 1 Corinthians 10 and Romans 14 means that I should not let my decision cause offence to a fellow Christian in any way.

the mystery of life

Every day when I walk into work, I go past a red post box upon which someone has scrawled the word meaningless in large letters. I doubt this is the graffiti artist's impression of the Great British Postal Service. I rather interpret it to be his concise impression of life itself. Alas! How post-modern, post-Darwin, post-Dawkins philosophies have robbed us of a sense of purpose, whether individually or globally or on any intermediate scale.

So is life meaningless? It certainly seems to be so, at times. Even the greatest ancient intellect came to this conclusion (see Ecclesiastes chapter 1, for instance). However I would contend that life may often appear to be meaningless, because it is always puzzling. I know plenty of contemporary Christian teaching follows this line of argument ... God is the missing peace in your life's jigsaw puzzle. Nicky Gumbel et al(pha!) present this most eloquently. Another scheme (local to Manchester) is the Riddle of Life.

But I want to turn this allegory upside-down. God is not just the "missing piece" or even "missing peace" in your life's jigsaw puzzle. Rather, you are a missing piece in his intricate celestial puzzle. This seems more consistent with Jesus' presentation in Luke 15 - his lost sheep, lost coin, lost son trilogy of stories.

Of course, the fact that God has personally come to find us (through his Son) does not absolve us of the responsibility of searching for Him. This is precisely the message Paul presented to the pre-modern, pre-Darwin, pre-Dawkins society of Athens (Acts 17).

Which brings me neatly to my final point. Let me share with you one of my favourite Bible verses. It is a promise from Almighty God Himself, in Jeremiah 29.13 - "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."