Passing on the flame

It was a big day in Doncaster today, as the Olympic torch made its way through the town.  Unusually, for recent days, the sun was shining, as a large number of people lined the streets of the town centre to await the arrival of the torch.  There was a great deal of excited chatter and a festival atmosphere, with strangers excitedly conversing as the time drew near.

I must be honest and say that I did have slightly mixed emotions.  One of my sisters nominated me to be a torch bearer, but although I got through the first stage of the process I wasn't eventually selected.  I realise, of course, that there were many more worthy people than me who were chosen to carry the torch, but I still felt a tinge of disappointment that I wasn't amongst the selected few!  It must have been an amazing and unforgettable experience for the people who were chosen to carry the torch (and I am a bit surprised that so many have decided to offer their torches for sale on eBay!)

Those of you who have witnessed the torch relay will know what the experience is like.  You spend a long time waiting in anticipation, straining to hear or see any signs of the torch-bearer.  Then along come several police outriders, then an array of large vehicles (sponsors vehicles etc), then eventually the runner comes along and is gone past before you know it.  Someone commented, 'the build-up is better than the actual torch!'

It seems rather strange to me that each runner has their own torch.  I (perhaps rather naively) imagined that there would be just one torch which would be handed on from runner to runner, rather like a baton in a relay race.  In fact, it is the flame and not the torch which is passed on.  The passing on of the flame from one torch to another seems to me to be symbolic, and a vivid reminder, of what lies at the heart of being a Christian disciple.

When we come to know Jesus, and our hearts are filled with the fire and love of his Spirit, then we are called to be carriers of the flame to others.  The truth is that everything that God gives to us is for us to give away!  How sad it is that we Christians sometimes seem so reluctant to pass on the blessings with which God has blessed us.

Jesus started with just 12 disciples.  Now there are someting like 2 billion Christians in the world.  All because people were set on fire with passion for Jesus and allowed that passion to spread!  In many countries in the world, the number of Christians is growing rapidly.  My prayer is that as the Olympic flame continues its journey round the UK, the fire in the hearts of UK Christians will be rekindled, so that the flames might spread and bless our nation.  In the words of William Booth, "send the fire today!"

'One man's rubbish'

With our impending move to Leicester drawing ever closer, the pressure to get everything sorted out in preparation is growing.  We seem to have been packing boxes for months, but there still appears to be a lot of unpacked items to deal with.  We also have to complete the process of sorting through our furniture to decide which bits will fit into the new house and which will have to be disposed of.

A couple of days ago I decided to have a go at clearing out the garage.  It's probably been some years since the garage had a good clear-out, and I wasn't particularly looking forward to the task.  I decided that the best method of approach was to take just about everything out of the garage, and then go through it systematically.  It was a rather dirty job, although it was worth the effort in the end: the garage is now looking considerably cleaner and tidier. 

A few items were put aside for the charity shop; some others we decided to keep, but quite a lot of what we discovered in the garage was put on a pile to go to the tip.  It was no longer of any practical use or value to us. 

Just as we had almost finished the job, a van came round the corner and pulled up opposite our gates.  The two occupants were on the lookout for waste metal, and they had seen that we had a few items which might add to their collection!  They eagerly took what we offered them.  I suppose I could have asked them whether they were prepared to pay for what they took, but as I was intending taking it to the tip anyway, I didn't bother.  I was happy that they had saved me the trouble of taking the items to the tip, and they were happy to have received the items.  One of the men in the van even came back to say thank-you!

That little incident proved the old saying, "one man's rubbish is another man's treasure."  What we were discarding as worthless, the two men in the van saw as something of worth.  I thought of the gospel story which I had spoken about in church last Sunday: the story of Jesus calling Matthew, the tax-collector, to become his disciple; and the stir which was caused amongst the religious leaders when Jesus then went to shared a mean with Matthew and his friends (see Matthew 9:9-12).

To the religious leaders, Matthew, his tax collector friends, and the other so-called "sinners" who were sharing a meal with Jesus, were rubbish, of no value.  Yet to Jesus they were precious; indeed, they were the very sort of people for whom Jesus came.  He came to show that EVERY human life is precious in God's sight; there are no "rubbish" people in the eyes of God.

What Jesus really meant

I have been reminded recently how sometimes God speaks through life events in a way which gives a clearer insight into passages from the Bible.  In this case, he spoke to me through events surrounding the birth of my second grandchild (first granddaughter) Beth.

Beth was born two weeks ago today.  I was hoping that she would be born in May, like her granddad.  She left it rather late, arriving at around 10.30pm on 31 May, but she and I now share our birth month!  We received a text message from our daughter, Steph, early in the morning to say that things were happening.  It seemed like a very long day indeed before we eventually received the news that we had a granddaughter.  Tears of joy flowed!

Beth was born at home, but because Steph was not too well afterwards, it was decided to take her and Beth into hospital to keep an eye on them overnight.  Matt, Steph's husband, was planning to go in with them.  Unfortunately their front door key became stuck in the door, and they weren't able to lock the door.  Sue and I jumped in the car and went round to their house.  Sue stayed to look after the house while I took Matt in the car to the hospital.  

By the time we arrived at the hospital it was the early hours of the morning.  We managed to get into the hospital, and Matt spoke to the receptionist, explaining that his wife and baby had recently been admitted.  The receptionist then looked at me and asked Matt, "and who is this gentleman with you?"  I told her that I was Steph's dad.  She responded by saying that it was OK for Matt to go up to the ward, but I was not allowed to go with him.  Dads were allowed, but not granddads.  The reality suddenly hit me that Steph's parents (Sue and me) were no longer number one in her life!  (We eventually did see Beth later in the day, and she was certainly worth waiting for).

As I have been pondering on that experience, into my mind came some words of Jesus which, on the face of it, seem to be very hard to understand.  In Luke 14:25, Jesus says,  ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple.'  Is Jesus really saying that we are to hate our families?  Obviously not, as on several occasions he calls his disciples to 'love one another' , an instruction which is repeated in the rest of the New Testament.

My experience as Beth's granddad has, I think, led me to a greater understanding of what Jesus really meant.  Now that Steph is a wife and a mother, her first priority, and strongest love, is to her husband and daughter.  That doesn't mean that she loves her parents or siblings any less, it simply means that her priorities have changed.  I believe that Jesus was saying that if we are to be his disciples, than he must become our first priority, the one we love the most.

It doesn't mean that we love our human family and friends less; in fact, as we allow God's love to fill us more and more, we will find an even greater love for others flowing from our hearts.  To be truly a disciple of Jesus, he must be first in our lives.

 

Beth and Max teach granddad about God

As I was preaching last night, I received a revelation about the nature of God's love, and it was thanks to my two wonderful grandchildren, Beth and Max.

Max was born in January.   He is wide-eyed and appears to be absorbed in the world around him.  It seems that almost from the beginning, his eyes roam the scenes around him, trying to take in all sights around, fixing his attention on the people he sees.  I have never known a baby quite like Max in this respect.

Max was our first grandchild, and he is very special.  But just to show that babies can be a bit like buses, last week along came Beth, our second grandchild!  Although she is still just a few days old, already her nature and character is beginning to be revealed.  She is a very placid young lady, and seems to spend a lot of her time asleep!  We haven't heard her cry yet, though I'm told that she doesn't like bath time very much!

Quite a few people told me before either Max or Beth were born how wonderful it is being a grandparent.  Now I know for myself - it's one of the most brilliant experiences of my life! 

So to get back to where I began...  During a sermon I was talking about how so many people have a wrong understanding of the nature and character of God.  God can sometimes be viewed as a kind of tyrant, who sets out a series of rules and regulations, then stands over us with a big stick waiting to beat us up if we step out of line.  Many people seem to struggle to understand how God can love them; there is the feeling that we have to somehow strive to earn God's love. I believe that a misguided view of God can prevent people from fully receiving his love.  What God wants more than anything is for us to receive and embrace his love, and enter into a loving relationship with him.

As I was preaching, I began to talk about new-born Beth.  Though she has never spoken to me, never made me a cup of tea, never given me a kiss or done anything to earn my love, I love her with all my heart and would willingly lay down my life for her (and I could say the very same thing of Max).  As the words came out of my mouth I felt great emotional welling up inside; not only because of the acknowledgement of my own feelings as a granddad, but also the realisation that in some was I was talking about the love of God for every human being.

We can't do or say anything to earn God's love.  As someone once said, nothing we can do or say can make God love us any more or any less.  God's love for you and me isn't dependent on our behaviour, our lifestyle, our background, or physical looks, or anything like that.  God loves us because he IS love, it is in his nature to love (just as it is in my nature to love my grandchildren).  My prayer is that both Max and Beth will one day come to experience the riches of God's love for themselves.  Thanks to you both for reminding granddad what God's love is like!