Tag Archives: Reflections column

How to ‘get’ good

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In Albury-Wodonga, the weekly free newspapers used to include a column of reflections. They were written by local  ministers, or similar (authors included a local Baha’i leader, as well as someone from the local humanist society branch). I don’t know why they stopped. Equally, I don’t know if they achieved anything!

Cleaning up my computer, I found a few of mine. In the interests of recycling, I will re-release them on this blog.

Here is one of the Bible’s most famous statements, from the book of Micah:
‘He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’

This is over 2700 year old! But it’s still as fresh as a gentle spring breeze.

It is worth pausing for a couple of minutes to see what Micah means.

Firstly, justice is for everyone. All people are to do justice: men and women, young and old. It is easy to think justice is only about police, judges and politicians. God speaks to the individual (‘O, man’) and says: look after your neighbour, sister, workmate, everyone.

Secondly, this type of life ultimately flows from God himself. ‘Kindness’ supremely is from the Lord. He is patient, forgiving and truthful.

Fortunately God can work all sorts of good things in our world. But the only truly just individual is one who walks humbly with God. The one who trusts God is the one who learns to live like God.

This sounds tough. It is tough!

Except for a gift – a Christmas gift.

Micah’s other famous words are about Christmas and Jesus. ‘But you, O Bethlehem, from you shall come one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.’ No doubt these words will crop up again in a few weeks when we remember Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.

Where do we best see God’s kindness? In Jesus, of course. It is in Jesus that God is patient, forgiving and truthful.

How can we learn justice and kindness? In Jesus, of course.

Jesus is the way to have life, and Jesus is the way to live life.
November 2005

 


 

Hearts & laws

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In Albury-Wodonga, the weekly free newspapers used to include a column of reflections. They were written by local  ministers, or similar (authors included a local Baha’i leader, as well as someone from the local humanist society branch). I don’t know why they stopped. Equally, I don’t know if they achieved anything!

Cleaning up my computer, I found a few of mine. In the interests of recycling, I will re-release them on this blog.

Imagine if the following law came into effect: that it is illegal to make fun of left-handed people. No more jokes about writing funny, or eating backwards, or being ‘cack-handed.’

What would happen? Two things would result, I am sure.

Firstly, the jokes would reduce. No one wants to be caught out!

Secondly, and most importantly, people would harbour a grudge about ‘lefties.’ That is, men and women may stop making fun but would still resent them. People are tenacious and hold on tightly to even the most irrational convictions.

Laws are important. I hope that Australia’s laws become better and better. But this imaginary situation illustrates the great weakness of law: it cannot change the heart.

For example, Australia has laws against racial discrimination. Yet we all know that some people still hate those of a different skin colour. That’s a good law – but the good law does not change the heart. A stony heart will remain dead and unresponsive.

There’s a mistaken idea I come across repeatedly: that Christians are all about laws. No! Christianity is about the heart of men and women. The Bible shows that God does what national laws cannot do. God can take a stony heart and give it life.

This is put wonderfully in a part of the Bible written 600 years before Jesus was born. God looked forward to Jesus and said, ‘I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from you and give you a heart of flesh.’

Where we distrust our neighbour God alone can move us to love. Where we give God himself the cold shoulder treatment God alone can bring us back to himself.

So let’s think wisely about life in Australia. Let’s support the best efforts of those who make laws. But let’s also remember that the problem of our hearts of stone can only be solved by what God does through Jesus Christ.
August 2005

 


 

Public beliefs

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In Albury-Wodonga, the weekly free newspapers used to include a column of reflections. They were written by local  ministers, or similar (authors included a local Baha’i leader, as well as someone from the local humanist society branch). I don’t know why they stopped. Equally, I don’t know if they achieved anything!

Cleaning up my computer, I found a few of mine. In the interests of recycling, I will re-release them on my blog.

I saw a recent interview with Peter Garrett. The interviewer asked him about his strong Christian commitment. Garrett mentioned that it is not easy to bring personal faith into the public arena. Many of us will sympathise with this point of view, including many politicians from all parties.

An American family I know found the same thing. Wanting to get to know Australians, they would ask, ‘What church are you part of?’ They soon found out that we don’t like to speak about these things.

A number of people have told me, ‘I can’t talk about my beliefs. It’s a very personal thing.’ If we cannot speak of our beliefs at church and with a minister, when can we do so?

The more I reflect on these conversations the more I realise that what we believe is not private at all. It is the most public thing about us. I can change my clothes or hairstyle from day to day. But underlying everything I do lies my belief about God, truth, forgiveness, love and humanity. Our beliefs are public in family life, with neighbours, at work, everywhere.

It is no surprise that Jesus knew this already. He said, ‘Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.’ (You can find this in Luke’s gospel, chapter 12.)

Jesus’ words tell us that beliefs are public because we live before God. And that we will answer to God one day.

So let’s not ignore or hide our beliefs. I rejoice in the fact that Jesus’ life and death show me what truth and forgiveness are all about. This is not just belief, it is life itself.
June 2004