Is This Good News Or Bad?

2011 is turning into a fascinating year in the Middle East. So far public protests have unseated two entrenched dictatorial powers in Tunisia and in Egypt. These two events alone are astounding, unexpected and breathtaking. Six months ago who would have believed that these two regimes would have fallen? Now there are huge demonstrations happening in Libya and Bahrain, where there have been large numbers of unconfirmed deaths. Amazingly the stranglehold of power by Colonel Gaddafi in Libya is looking tenuous, with reports that one major city has fallen to the rebels. Gaddafi has appeared on TV to squash rumours that he had fled the country. Protests are now also breaking out in Morocco and one report I read suggested that, amazingly, Saudi Arabia could be next in line. Dictators all over the world must be sleeping in their clothes, ready for a knock at the door. 

Much like the slightly crazy neo-conservatives in the USA predicted at the time of the Iraq invasion, some believe that democracy is beginning to flower all over the Middle East. Or is it? Can we have any confidence in who will replace these regimes? Will the military in Egypt hand over power to people who are popularly elected? What if those elected represent the forces of fundamentalist Islam, intent on the introduction of Sharia Law? Many of us remember the overthrow of a corrupt dictatorship in Iran in the seventies, only to be replaced with a form of Islamic totalitarianism that has plunged a rich and cultured nation into darkness. And we also remember the excitement of the almost overnight collapse of the Iron Curtain and the destruction of the USSR in the late eighties. What followed in many of those countries was a period of lawlessness, replaced in time by more corruption and the rise of a ruling class dominated by organized crime. In much of the old Soviet Union things have changed but not always for the better. Will the Middle East fare any better this time? 

Change is inevitable. Despots do have their day. But we should not be fooled by some form of latent lazy philosophical darwinianism that assumes humanity is on an uninterrupted path of improvement, freedom and betterment. History warns us that sometimes things can get much worse.

We are called to live with much uncertainty. Uncertainty in politics is a certainty - just ask Kevin Rudd. Longevity in power does not overcome insecurity. At a personal level, very few things in our lives are as certain as we think they are. Relationships at their best unexpectedly end in all sorts of ways. Health radiates all the beauty of a spring flower, but like a flower can fade before our eyes. Even our favourite bookshops may not be in business for long, reminding us that their vouchers are little more than a temporary promise.

Faced with uncertainty we are called to make the most of today, our most underrated gift. Somehow we must not allow yesterday's regrets, pains, disappointments and disasters to overwhelm today. Planning and preparation for tomorrow is good but there is no point putting too much store in tomorrow’s insecure promises.

Today is our blessing – a blessing to be savoured, treasured and lived.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Matthew 6: 34

Getting The Facts Right

During the recent floods in Queensland there were many reports of loss and devastation. In all likelihood some of these reports understated the extent of the disaster. But in at least one case the extent of the flood was not quite as bad as first determined. One newspaper article explained the terrible loss of animal life in the area of Baralaba in central Queensland. The account noted the fact that 30,000 pigs had been washed away from one farm – and that quite naturally, the farmer was devastated by the terrible loss.

Now if you think about that story for a moment you might be a little suspicious of the numbers. Baralaba has a human population of about 259, so it seems a little unlikely that the total pig population in the area would be anywhere near 30,000. Pigs are pretty big animals and take up a reasonable about of space. Sure, intensive farming has reduced the space needed but 30,000 seems a huge number of pigs in one district, let alone on one farm.

Eventually the story was corrected and the error was admitted. The journalist had in fact misheard the farmer. We all know that Australians tend to mumble quite a bit and north Queenslanders are not known for their crisp diction, but the journalist can hardly be excused for his error. What actually happened was the farmer had told the journalist that he had lost 30 sows and pigs in the floods. And so 30 'sows and pigs' became the lead story of the loss of 30,000 pigs.

Many people wonder whether the stories we find in the Bible are, accidently or on purpose, based on the same sort of exaggeration or misreporting. It is widely believed by many skeptics that the Bible’s message was stretched a little to enhance its teaching and elevate its message.

The problem with this theory is that the Bible’s message is so over the top it is obviously beyond exaggeration. The idea of God coming in human form in the person of Jesus, born of a virgin, performing the most incredible miracles and then being raised from the dead is much more than poor reporting or exaggeration. The Bible’s extravagant message of God’s love is not in any way easy to accept, because it is so far beyond our experience or understanding. But it is clearly not a mistake or exaggeration.

Jesus was not just a decent man who did okay things - He is presented as God come in the flesh with power over nature, with the divine right to forgive our sins and all the time holding the keys to life and death.

Journalists make all sorts of mistakes all the time and we all ought to be a little more skeptical about what we read. By contrast we may, as a society, be a little better off if we were less skeptical of the Bible's extraordinary message.

““But what about you?” he asked.  “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied,  “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”  Matthew 16: 15-17

Last Days

Australia has had the most amazing week of weather. Coming off the worst floods in Queensland in decades, this week’s weather in Australia has been extreme. North Queensland experienced its largest and fiercest cyclone in recorded history. Good management, good luck and maybe even answered prayers were the only reasons that the cyclone did not cause more devastation and loss of life. Heavy rain from the cyclone was experienced as far west as Alice Springs and as far south as Melbourne. In Sydney we have just experienced our continually hottest week on record, with seven days over 30 degrees and with quite a few in that spell over 40. Last Saturday was the hottest night ever recorded in Sydney, with the mercury tipping 30 degrees at midnight. Finally, rather severe bush fires have scorched Perth, with over 70 homes lost and a dozen people hospitalized by smoke inhalation. And then in my safe little street in Eastwood, one of our dear residents in her late seventies was attacked repeatedly in morning daylight by a possum, leaving her in hospital with scratches, abrasions and a smashed hip that had to be replaced, from the fall that followed the attack. As I have shared this story I have been repeatedly told that possums do not attack. But at least one seems to do so in my street!  

One Australian apologist for the Christian faith expressed what many fear when he asked, “What have we done wrong?” Others are asking, "Are we living in the last days?"

Actually the Bible continually warns that we are living in the last days. Firstly, yes the clock is ticking in terms of the life of this planet. We enjoy an incredible window called life but it will not be open forever. Whether it is our own stupidity and mismanagement, or whether it will simply be a more natural cycle, one day our window of life on this planet will come to a close. If the date is fixed then every day brings us closer. Much more importantly our own days are numbered, with every one exhausting our limited supply. Some will become morbid at such a thought; others will be convinced that distraction and denial are easier companions. 

The Bible challenges us to respond to our finite reality:

We are called to be thankful for every breath we enjoy.

We are called to be responsible with our limited resources

We are called to be wise and manage what we have with care.

We are called to bless those around us with the time we have.

We are called to plan for our life beyond.

 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions; your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”  Acts 2: 17-21

The second coming

God is back! After a three-year retirement from Sydney radio, John Laws, the man who was affectionately referred to at his previous station 2UE as God, is back on the wireless. Laws has announced that he is bored and wants to 'keep the dream alive'.

Laws has returned to radio station 2SM, the great radio leader of the seventies that in recent years has slipped to the very bottom of the radio pecking order. So the man who was once the greatest star with the most loved voice on Sydney radio, is back on the station that at the moment has virtually no listeners. Will he convince his old audience to move up the dial to 2SM? Will it be the makings of a station desperately in need of a Messiah? Will Laws still be at his best or at 75 will his golden tonsils be sounding a little tarnished? The first caller to greet Laws’ return, quite probably a plant, was under no doubt – it was nothing short of the second coming.

In a godless age false gods will be raised up. They will have their days of glory. They will wane.  They then may enjoy a brief comeback, but they will eventually fade like cut flowers. Messiahs of all descriptions rage for attention, promising one form or another of salvation. When these Messiahs eventually flag there will always be calls to bring them back. As the Australian cricket team struggles there have even been calls to ask Shane Warne to make a comeback. At best comebacks briefly delay the inevitable - our glory is not eternal and our battery has a use by date.

God doesn’t seem to bother playing our game at all. He rarely turns up when we demand His attention. He doesn’t seem to like the limelight at all. He seems content to neither shout nor spin. He appears a little unimpressed with the powers and principalities of this world, that promise us all sorts of things but ultimately just seek their own glory.

God did show up in the Babe of Bethlehem. In Jesus we see a star that will never fade. His life gives us the truest picture of God’s glory. His death opens an eternal passageway to salvation. His unlikely resurrection confirms His divinity. His very real second coming will not bring about an extension of his career, but a day of reckoning for us all.

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."   (Heb. 9:27-28, NIV)

Expect the unexpected

We are told to expect the unexpected – but do any of us really do that? In fact, it’s a pretty stupid concept. The mere fact that something is unexpected suggests we are not expecting it to happen.

Few of us expect the third largest city in an advanced nation like Australia to be overwhelmed by floodwaters and that men, women and children will perish in a flood. We don’t really expect an airport to be closed in a rich country like Britain because of a bit of snow. No one expects when they get married that it might end in divorce. Thankfully we don’t normally expect that three weeks after you are feeling a bit unwell, the doctor comes back with a diagnosis of cancer. It’s not our expectation that a healthy young married couple in love just can’t conceive a child. We know there is a risk but we don’t really think a car accident can leave us with months of recuperation. Everyone expects his or her plane to land safely. In spite of the GFC, most of us do not imagine that our bank will fail. We don’t envisage waking up one morning to angry cameramen camped outside our door as a result of some scandal.

We don’t expect these things to happen, but then in another way we do expect them. We know that unusual, disappointing and downright tragic things happen all the time, at least to some people in some countries. We read about them and we know people they happen to. We stop occasionally, secretly fearing something might happen to us, but then we put our head down, get busy and get on with life.

Actually, I don’t think we can expect the unexpected, but I do think we can be a little better prepared. We can buy insurance. We can give up our Western arrogance that assumes our technology will always save us. We can exercise a little more humility, knowing that our real god delusion is thinking that we are in control. We can recognise that community is so essential to us in tough times and will deliver the sort of support that our personal wealth cannot provide. We can reconsider our obsession with material things, knowing that we cannot save them from all sorts of disasters and they will certainly not save us from much at all. We can remember that previous generations believed in putting things aside for a rainy day, because they actually believed one day it would rain.  

Most of all we should go back and ask the ultimate questions: Why am I here? What is my purpose? Is there a God? Is there a Heaven and is there a hope?

Knowing God will not stop the unexpected or insulate us from suffering. 

But… 

Knowing God’s wisdom can bring us strength.

Knowing God’s power should give us hope.

Knowing God’s counsel will give us wisdom.

Knowing God’s understanding does give us peace.

“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his."  (Job 12: 13)

  

Christmas Bling

Abu Dhabi’s seven star Emirates Palace Hotel is expected to set a Guinness World Record with their display of the most expensive Christmas Tree in the world, valued at $US 11 million. The tree is lavishly decorated with 181 pieces of jewelry and precious stones including diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires and other precious stones. The 13 metre faux evergreen is located in the gold leaf bedecked rotunda of the hotel. Emirates Palace Hotel has also announced a special weekend package, where you can enjoy the tree and also the services of a private butler, a chauffeur-driven Maybach luxury car, as well as accommodation and a private jet available for trips to other countries in the region. The cost of the weekend package is a cool $US 1 million and though they do not mention it in their publicity, you would hope that you might also get free breakfast, valet parking and a late checkout.

What a tragedy that as a hotel in a Muslim country looks to the West and their Christmas tradition, all they can see is bling! How sad that they don’t look back a little further in the Christmas tradition and realize that the whole thing actually has a very Middle Eastern flavour.

After all Joseph and Mary were a couple of teenagers growing up in what some today call Israel but others call Palestine. The stargazers (the Magi who we often refer to as the Wise Men) of the ancient world came from the East – which probably means they were Persian or maybe Babylonian, from what is now modern day Iraq. There were gifts of precious stones and perfumes, but the gifts were a bi-product of the story, not the story itself.

Of course the clash at Christmas between East and West also goes right back to the historical source of the story. The Magi clashed with the Roman (Western) ruler, Herod, whose desire for intelligence stemmed from his political insecurity, which sounds rather similar to current dramas between East and West. The pact between Herod and the Magi resulted in deceit, denial and ultimately threat and intimidation, all of which are much more central to the Christmas story than fir trees from Germany.

It is hardly surprising that all the wrong elements of the Christmas tradition get emphasised, as the truth of the story remains somewhat politically and culturally dangerous. The birth of a Saviour implies that we need rescuing. The declaration of peace suggests that our conflict with God has descended to war. The picture of humility remains a challenge to a people obsessed with power and bling. The divine claims of a baby in a manger threaten our view that even if there is a God He is supposed to serve us. The worship and adoration of a bunch of rough country lads (shepherds) suggests these events were much more important than most soppy Christmas cards let on today.

We can’t blame Abu Dhabi for being overwhelmed with bling when we too have done everything in our power to avoid the birth of Jesus.

“Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2: 11

Sins of the Fathers

Mark and his younger brother Andrew grew up in New York with privilege that knew no bounds, with outrageous wealth and with the status of a father whose brilliance as a money manager guaranteed their lifestyle. Not surprisingly Mark and Andrew both joined their father’s business from college and rose to senior positions. Mark seemed to have a life that was envied by most: a beautiful wife, two children and an apartment in the up market SoHo district of Manhattan, all evidence of his multi-million dollar lifestyle.

Then just a few days ago on 11th December, Mark was found dead with a suicide note explaining his despair. The date was significant as it was the second anniversary of the arrest of his father, Bernie Madoff. Madoff senior is serving a 150 year gaol sentence for operating the largest fraud in the history of the USA. The family business was in fact a $40 billion (no one knows the exact figure) Ponzi Scheme that operated for over two decades. The scheme never invested any money – it simply paid generous returns on any money invested by using the next person’s money in the scheme to pay the interest for the last person who invested. Much like a game of musical chairs, it worked until the music stopped - but when it did stop, everyone realised that the chairs had been stolen. The scheme conned thousands of people including famous investors like Stephen Spielburg and many huge Jewish charities and banks from all over the world. Mark Madoff and his brother had repeatedly claimed that they knew nothing of what was going on, but in recent times they had been named in a civil lawsuit and speculation was growing that the sons would face criminal charges. With his father in gaol, his mother forfeiting the family's $80 million worth of assets and apparently now working delivering meals to housebound people in Florida, and with pressure building up, it all seemed too much for Mark.

It is a tragedy all round. When the Bible talks about the sins of the fathers passing down the generations, people assume that God is vindictive in His judgment. In fact, the Bible warns us repeatedly about sin and its dangers precisely because God wants us to avoid the pain that our sins can cause to us, and sometimes, our descendents. The language of sin in the Bible is unfashionable today, as we like to ignore evil and its consequences. But every so often our sinfulness and the sin of others stares us so aggressively in the face that we cannot ignore the ugliness of what we see.

The Bible’s call to repent is not some outdated irrelevance, but an ever present warning that what we do in secret may one day be revealed for all to see. The Bible's call to avoid temptation is not a wowserly whine but at a courageous declaration that character matters more than income, that integrity matters more than success, and goodness is better than evil.

Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Saviour, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.” Psalm 79: 8-9