Maps & Inequality

This is the Peters Projection map. It is a map based upon actual size, and focusses on the accuracy of land mass of the different countries and continents. This is at the expense of outline detail, which is what we are used to seeing on the Mercator Projection map.

What does this say to us? Well, aside from the humbling reminder of just how small the UK and Europe is, it tells us something of those who initially created maps and that they usually created maps that would tell them how to navigate around coastlines, and use this to their financial advantage and at the exploitation of the natives. In the age of exploration, the West as we know it, were greedy for gain.

This Peters Projection was brought to my attention again by friend, Anna. I was first drawn to the potential for injustice maps have in the US political drama 'The West Wing', when, in one episode, Press Secretary CJ Cragg had to take a meeting with a group who wanted to turn the map upside down. They claimed that the psychological effect of the 'West' being in the Northern Hemisphere was damaging on the Southern Hemisphere in so far as the West gained a perceived upper hand and felt entitled to certain 'inalienable' rights.

This humbling should be well noted by us here in the West, we are not all that big, and we have exploited most of the world for a long time. Now, it is clear that my comments here are not going to fix anything. But this topic, like many, just show how easy it is to be completely unthinking and naive in our opinions, and the need for Christ to give us his wisdom in dealing with the everyday and ordinary thing, like maps, and the resulting attitudes that they teach and encourage.

So, here's my suggestion: buy a Peters Projection map - you can find them for a fiver on the internet - and hang it somewhere where people will see it and talk about it, let's see if we can't take the world more seriously...

Yes. Jesus Loves Me.

Political Islam

Today I led a seminar on Political Islam.

There are several aspects to this Islamist tendency within the wider Umma (Muslim community), but a couple of aspects of the Islamist movement are interesting to note - especially from the perspective of a Brit.

Firstly, political / radical aspects of Islam are indigenous to the religion itself - indeed Muhammad was not just a preacher, he was also a political leader who was not shy to act militantly.

Secondly, there are plenty of key figures in Islam who have offered doctrinal justifications for militant actions - notable ones are Maududi and Qutb, both of whom justify their actions from the Qur'an and Muhammad.

Thirdly, British colonialism and US imperialism has added oxygen to a dying fire in the last 150 years.

Fourthly, the holistic nature of Islam - the fact that it is to do with the whole of life - can at times put our Protestant, Western, individualistic Christianity to shame for thinking that we can privatize it. In fact, perhaps we only privatize it rhetorically, for religion is still and will always be the heartbeat of why we do politics.

Fifthly, this is an issue that will not go away easily and will certainly not go away if we continue to export hollow Western imperialism as a solution in any form, let alone in the current trend of bombs and soldiers.

What are we as followers of Christ to do? Perhaps something radically Christlike... allow Christ to permeate every area of out lives and live it out peacefully.

Guts

Opening prayer by Rev. Joe Wright at the opening of Kansas' Senate...

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask for your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

"Chill the heck out."

This is from Jared Wilson:

"Yes, people watch too much TV and play too many video games and spend too much time on the Internet and what-have-you. But the proper response to our media over-saturation is not a rigorous attention to the explicitly "spiritual" in every margin of life. Be a Christian, not an ascetic. Don't be lazy, but realize that Jesus Christ did not die and rise for you so that you would stress out about whether you're being spiritual enough. So take a nap. Watch some television. The gospel frees you to chill the heck out."

Thy Kingdom Come: Subversive & Transformative

At the beginning of each and every sitting in the House of Commons they pray. Here's an example of one of the prayers that the Chaplain to the Speaker would pray:

Lord, the God of righteousness and truth, grant to our Queen and her government, to Members of Parliament and all in positions of responsibility, the guidance of your Spirit. May they never lead the nation wrongly through love of power, desire to please, or unworthy ideals but laying aside all private interests and prejudices keep in mind their responsibility to seek to improve the condition of all mankind; so may your kingdom come and your name be hallowed. Amen.

It appears to me that this says something about our political system, and about our faith in Jesus Christ.

Firstly, our political system. Many say that the politics of this country is based upon Christian ethics and values, and they are right. These things are not necessarily being attacked at the moment in this country... the atheist, the Muslim, the Hindu, would be in general agreement with laws against theft and murder, which is what people most often mean when they say this country is built upon Christian values. But something greater is both the foundation of politics in this country and being attacked before our eyes. It is this: that there is something above the system, something better than the system, something greater than law for laws sake, that we serve as Christians (and once did as a country through our politics) a God who is bring in His Kingdom, not ourselves as we seek to build our own. Clearly this has not always happened - and we can all see the fact of our fallenness throughout the history of Britain. But this is reflected in the above prayer - that we serve for the glory of another kingdom and another King, and that we need protection from the temptations of power, people-pleasing and private interest.

It is this foundation that is being attacked in British politics today. Unfortunately Mr. Campbell is wrong, in politics we do do God. Our country does, and indeed must, or we will be heading toward destruction (are we not, in fact, already on our way?). Equally, as Christians, we must never put a barrier between the God we love, serve and have communion with by the grace given us through Christ, and the politics we live in and live out in this country.

And so secondly, this prayer says something about our faith in Jesus Christ. It reminds us as Christians that we live for a different Kingdom than our society does - though we utilize the same means, the British Parliamentary democracy. We cannot be motivated in our lives by lust of power, wealth or fame. But we must be motivated by the love and grace given us freely, to go out and be graceful to others and to love others. This means we will inevitably share many of the same aims, goals and desires as many politicians - but we will often have different motives. We will be seeking His Kingdom Come. And whilst we pray that prayer above (as we indeed should, especially as we come toward a General Election), we must be mindful that we are not called to keep separate the sacred and the secular - in fact, that is a totally dehibilitating myth that we need to completely put out of our minds and lives as it is totally unbiblical - but we are called to love our neighbour, locally, nationally and internationally. And that will mean being involved in politics, locally, nationally and internationally, for the sake of Christ and to see people's lives changed - not just materially, though that be of great importance, but also spiritually. We want lives to be liberated and transformed inside and out - that's our vocation, that's our calling, that's our challenge. Let's seek His Kingdom in politics.


(The prayer is found in Krish Kandiah (ed.), Just Politics, p. 23.)

Reconciliation

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

John 21:15-19






(N.B. I don't know if the picture is copyrighted, nor whether it should be displayed publicly on a blog - if any know any more, or know that it definitely should not be displayed, do let me know and I'll remove it immediately.)

A reminder of God's sovereignty after the Haiti earthquake.

Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi

So the Scottish Justice Secretary released him on compassionate grounds. There has been no end of criticism for the decision from all over the world.

He was the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, yet the evidence is up for debate. Many Americans were killed in the disaster, and as such the Americans have been the loudest voice of dissent at the release of al-Magrahi. Terrorists should not be released, they say. Not even on compassionate grounds. That will send out the message that we are weak, they say, and we will be bombed more. We need to be strong, ruthless, damning. These people are terrorists, they don't deserve decency or compassion, they say.

But wait.

We, the West, are one very small step away from announcing to the world that terrorists are not human. That they should be treated differently, as animals, as those who are sub-human, with no rights. What rubbish. What is it we are getting into? For the West to be so forcefully for 'freedom' and 'democracy' when it suits them, yet to assume the role of Divine Judge when it comes to terrorists, stinks of self interest and rotten politics.

Far weaker is the man (read: country) who fights back, condemns men for eternity when it only for the Lord God to pronounce such judgements, and looks upon 'terrorists' as sub-human - unworthy of compassion and forgiveness - than the man (read: country) who has compassion, forgives, blesses their enemies and prays for those who harm them.

For my part, I am in full support of Kenny MacAskill and his decision. War and hate will only breed war and hate. When MacAskill released al-Megarhi, the West took the biggest step to date in defeating terrorism. Forgiveness, compassion, mercy and love will win. The Americans, the English, the rest of the world, need to take note of what has happened in Scotland - a minister stood up for what was right, and continued on that path until what was right was complete, not matter what the consequences were.

Praise the Lord, that he is still at work.

--------------------------------------

He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

All change in life; all change on blog.

I sit at my dining table, in the flat I have occupied for the past 29 days. The small balcony has one of it's doors open, and the David Crowder Band bounce out of the stereo. I have just eaten dinner... a moderately successful omelette (the first attempt, about a week ago, ended up as scrambled egg with onions. Hmmm.....), and some Bramble Jelly on toast, homemade by the lovely lady living below us. Today I have been in to the office to sort out some internet / email logistics for my account with the church, and in to the LST library to start some preliminary reading for the M.A. course which starts in about four weeks.

I tell you all this by way of introducing you to the fact the my life has changed, and I have moved on from being a student, living in halls, and am now a part time Pastoral Assistant and a part time post-grad student. One week in to starting work, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Pray for me, that I may remember that godliness is good in every way, because it holds promises for this life and the next.

And, of course, the blog has changed.

Living the Tension has two meanings, though they overlap. The first tension is between this life and the next. Living as heirs with Christ, living with a message, living in the world, but citizens of the next life, of a new world, we are not of this world. The second tension is between study and ministry, between theory and practice, between orthodoxy and orthopraxy, between studentdom and adulthood.

My aim will be to blog about these tensions and how God's grace is more than enough for any person to cope - more than cope: to thrive - and stay focussed on the goal, by His unending love and mercy.

Clayton's Story

A powerful short film.  Worth the watch.  

HT: Between Two Worlds

Easter in Aldis - The Missing Days

With the plan to blog my way through Easter, informing everyone of the ongoing struggle to defeat the dissertation, I began in earnest on Day One (quite naturally), and then on what was Day Four, I wrote about Day Two.

And that was about it.

Essentially, each day ran much as the last.  In the library soon after 9am, working on the Project with as much effort and motivation as I could muster.  Finding food for the evening from somewhere or other, and getting to bed not too late in order to do the same again the next day.

But now I'm home for the weekend.  And have been markedly more productive, which is nice.  It has been a good Good Friday.  The reminder to me being that Christ, his death and resurrection is far, far bigger than my dissertation will ever be.  Ever.

Let's Not Do This, Please?!

The following quote comes from 'Why We Are Not Emergent" by DeYoung and Kluck.

"After going to a Christian college, it seemed as if it was almost a requirement, when meeting with college friends, to serve alcohol..., talk about how newly open-minded we were, and how oppressive our school had been.  Shock value was king.  It was almost an unspoken race to see who could shock whom the most.  Questions were the new answers."

This is one of the biggest and most subtle problem with our college.  To rebel for the sake of rebellion is to turn your face away from Christ.

"No matter how much we love theology - it will never love us back."

I have been reminded again and again this week that theology is not the end.

It is a means to understanding what my relationship with Christ is all about.  But at the end of the day, it is relationship.

The title is a quote from Mark Allen Powell (quoted by Scot McKnight in 'The Jesus Creed').  It has summed up what I've been reminded of this week.

All the knowledge in the world will not save you from anything.  Only relationship with Christ can change, save, redeem.

On What Happens When Education Finally Comes To An End...

"Man Up!"

My own voice booms hauntingly through my mind.  I've been in education since I was five years old.  When I graduate next June, I will be twenty-two.  A full seventeen years of my life have been in preparation for what I will do next.  

"Oh! My."

The second sentence to go booming through my head.  This is scary. Positively frightening. What do you do when you come to the end of what you've been working towards?

"You man up!"

My head echoes with my own answer, and I know it's the right one.  Now is not the time for pussyfooting around, attempting to keep hold of some sort of youthful innocence and irresponsibility.  No, now is the time to stand up. Now is the time to put the foot onto the water and, looking straight ahead, begin to walk.

"Christ, teach me to have faith."

Amen, I say audibly, repeating the prayer over and over in my mind.