Natural Born Believers

I saw a New Scientist article this week that caught my attention. It was the line It seems that our minds are finely tuned to believe in gods that caught my attention.

Hold that thought - more soon!!

Ruffling feathers

It's great to see Andy Murray already playing tennis so well this season and, particularly, at the Australian Open. I love hearing the top 3 seeds whingeing about the new kid on the block (see Jonathan Overend blog) - here's hoping Murray can keep the momentum going...

The Church of Obama - Post Script

In my last post (The Church of Obama) I wanted to blog on Inauguration Day but it was very late and I was exhausted. Perhaps I sounded somewhat negative or harsh on Obama. That was not my plan. My eyes filled with tears at the significance of the day, especially watching the heartfelt and huge smile on Obama's face as he was sworn in to office. I love a country where such a thing is possible today - where anyone, no matter their race or colour can be elected to office.

My main purpose for the blog was to comment on the fact that one man will not solve humanity's deepest needs, although I do hope and pray that, for the terms he has while in office, President Obama will help make the world a better place.

The Church of Obama

Inauguration Day 2009

How many superlatives have been used over the course of today as Barack Obama took office as the 44th President of the United States of America: transformation, change, remaking America, hope, future... to name but a few. One newscaster on Radio 5 described the thronging crowds in Washington DC as worshipping at the church of Obama. It's hard not to get swept along by the excitement and euphoria.

It was exciting; it was momentous to watch as the first African American was sworn in to office. I am excited and happy to have experienced this day, although over 2000 miles away.

But, Obama is only a man. The real job of leading starts now and I hope and pray that Obama will be a wise and discerning President. In a sense, Obama has set himself up to fail, because hope can mean so many things to so many different people, without actually being defined. I hope that Obama does make a good President, both for the United States and for the wider world.

But, Obama is only a man. He may be a good man; he may be an exceptional and wise, intelligent man, far exceeding his peers. But, he is still a man. Some of today's zeal - and some during the election campaign - was almost messianic in its fervour. Please don't take me wrongly. History has been made. When Obama was born, some parts of the United States were still experiencing segregation.

But, Obama's message of hope is not infallible hope. It is not unshakable hope. The only place that absolute hope can be found is in another man, the Man Christ Jesus, who also came on a wave of hope to the world. Not political hope but spiritual hope. Not temporary hope but lasting hope. Hope that is assured and promised to those who put their faith in and cling to Jesus, because of his death and resurrection. We live in a world which is falling apart, which is transitory and fleeting. The stock exchange was reported today as being the worst ever on Inauguration Day. We get little glimpses of hope in this life of brave leadership.

But, I'm talking about One greater than that, who is not only man but who is also God in the flesh. God with us. That is real Hope and one where I am willing to put my faith.

'09 - Oh, yeah!!

Thanks to Learning from Sophie for the challenge of having a structured blog. I hope to do that this year and, certainly, to be more regular with my blogs in 09 than I was in 08. Here are some ideas for themes:

• Travel blog of destinations from last year's trips: Transylvania, Maramures, Budapest, Bremen
  

• Book reviews:The Kite Runner, The Shack, The Gift, I am Legend and any more I may well have forgotten about

• Jesus' authority in a world without it

• Sport comments

• Choices

• Coffee...and cafe musings and ratings
  

• Biblical character sketches - not majorly theological but things that have excited and stretched me as I have thought about them
  

• Random thoughts

At the turn of the year I made some of my usual resolutions to be more disciplined in 2009, to exercise more, to eat less, and so on - but I have been doing more thinking these last few weeks about what it means to me to make and break resolutions over and over. Check out Rob Waller's challenging article, from Jan 1st, on resolutions and his thoughts on transformation - Romans 12:2 style. It's a useful exercise to make resolutions but how often does it become another performance treadmill for us? There is a thought provoking sermon at the MBC web-site (Growing in Faith, from Jan 4th). How often do resolutions, taken in the wrong attitude, make us step outside the realm of God's abundant grace? I am going to endeavour to keep my resolutions this year but, more than that, I want my mind to be transformed by the Holy Spirit and, from that, my behaviour to be changed into something beautiful and more like the pattern of Jesus.

Waking Up

What is the strangest thing that has woken you up? I woke up this morning laughing - out loud - at something in a dream!! It has tickled me all day thinking about it. I wish I could remember what the dream was, but it was certainly funny enough to wake me up!

Hopes and Fears

I love view points. You know the kind, when you’re on a windy road and you can look back and see where you have come from, and look forward to where you are headed? To me, New Year is like that. It’s a turning point of sorts, a fresh start, a new page and chapter. A place to take stock, think back and dream ahead. Three little words that have stuck with me like glue over this Christmas season have been hopes and fears.

We all have them. This past year has been full of them. We have seen and experienced the credit crunch, heard Barack Obama speaking of the audacity of hope, and witnessed him being elected as the next President of the United States of America. Our own lives have seen the ebb and flow of fears and hopes. My own life has its fair share. Today I am not fearful, but what about tomorrow? What about this New Year – 2009?

Phillips Brooks, who was a preacher in Boston and Philadelphia, wrote the hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem in 1868. He originally wrote the hymn for the children in his church but it has found its way into hymnals and Carol Services for over one hundred years since. Brooks wrote the hymn after visiting Bethlehem and the Holy Land in 1866. For some reason, the line the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight hasn’t left me the last couple weeks. It has been a kind of Christmas theme to me and one that is very apt for this New Year.

I was driving through Edinburgh today and wondering about the hopes and fears of the people I could see wearily scurrying about. Partied-in faces, heads down in some cases, laughter. There was a building where the words do not fear were graffitied across one wall. I don’t know the sentiments that inspired that particular art work but the words reminded me of the hopes and fears that were met in that little town of Bethlehem some 2000 years ago.

Last week, I watched the film The Nativity with my family. It was my first time viewing it and what really struck me were the hopes and fears of Mary and Joseph as they heard the news of Mary’s conception with the Christ-child. What confusion and bewilderment they must have experienced, what array of emotions must have been playing on their minds and hearts. And yet, they were given the strength to believe and to act. Despite their own fears, their own lack of understanding, their families’ reactions, Mary pondered these things in her heart and Joseph married her. And they journeyed to Bethlehem. And Jesus was born.

What a definition of hope in the midst of fear! And, how we need a definition of hope. It was exciting to see the first African American man in history being elected to the US Presidency. He rode to election success on the back of promising hope for today and the future. But how defined is that hope? We shall see, and the world watches expectantly. Those involved in the Christmas story were watching the stable expectantly – Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the angels – and, likely, later, the wise men.

Keane has an album called Hopes and Fears. I like it and, today, I looked to see if there was a song called Hopes and Fears on the album. There isn’t, incidentally. But, what struck me was how easy it is to not know for what we hope or what we fear. How do we define these things?

In the Gospel accounts, it is written that Jesus was once fast asleep on a boat in the middle of a stormy Sea of Galilee. The disciples were worried and fearful and woke Jesus up, who rebuked the wild sea and the disciples’ shaky and normal faith. Jesus defined that hope – and it was in the midst of the storm. He had full control and mastery even over the forces of nature...and the disciples’ hearts if they would but trust him.

Jesus brings that hope. Jesus is that hope, because after he had lived and breathed on this earth – doing good, teaching, healing, raising the dead, weeping and laughing, eating and sleeping – he died because of our sins and then rose from that cold grave.

That is hope in the midst of fear – earth shattering fear. The disciples and Jesus’ family did not know what to do and even went into hiding for a short time. Jesus appeared to them and said to them those words, do not fear.

Jesus speaks to us of real life and hope in the midst of despair, depression, chaos, fear and hopelessness. It’s not about gritting our teeth and bearing it – although, at times, life is gritty and messy and wearisome. But, his life, and hope, in us is about faith and trust, about light piercing the darkness and being empowered by him to face whatever comes. That’s how I want to face this New Year – looking to Jesus. He is that view point and sign post for us – giving us hope in the midst of our fear as we journey through life.