The true counter-culturalist

One of my current favourite TV programmes is Room 101, hosted by Frank Skinner.  Three different guests each week are invited to make nominations for what they would like to consign to Room 101 (i.e. something which they would like to get rid of).  Each programme has 3 rounds, which a different topic suggested for each round.  In a recent edition, the topic for one of the rounds was fashion.  Bill Turnbull argued the case for putting into Room 101 the fashion (if it can be given that term) preferred some young men to wear their jeans very ‘low slung’, revealing their pants.  Turnbull presented his case forcefully, and I was surprised that he failed to win that round.  Amazingly, Frank Skinner chose Ben Miller’s nomination, shoe laces! (Given a choice, I would probably have also nominated low slung jeans, or possibly tattoos!)

I mention this because I have been thinking recently about trends, fashions and cultural norms.  I guess that when young men first took on board the fashion of wearing their jeans half way down their bottoms (probably without knowing that this came originally from prisoners whose belts had been confiscated), they thought that by doing so they were setting themselves apart from the majority of society.  Of course, what happened with this trend, as happens with many new trends, is that what began as something counter-cultural soon became the trendy thing to do; lemming-like, many others followed.  I wonder how many young men wear their jeans in that fashion, not because they really like it (it certainly can’t be very comfortable, and they seem to spend half the time pulling their jeans up!), but because they feel it’s the thing to do.

During Lent this year I will, along with others in my churches, be reading through the Gospel of Luke in daily bite-sized chunks.  One of the amazing features of the Bible is that no matter how many times one reads a particular passage, there is always more treasure to be mined and new lessons to be learnt.  It has been a real joy to take time each day to focus on Luke’s account of the life of Christ.  Although I am so far only about a quarter of the way through Luke’s gospel, one thing of which I have been reminded is the fact that Jesus was amazingly counter-cultural.  Listen, for example, to these words of his: ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.’  Wow!  So different from the values of society, both then and now.

There are a number of other examples of Jesus’ counter cultural lifestyle, which shocked many of those who witnessed him.  In that society, for example, a person who suffered from leprosy was treated as unclean, and an outcast.  No self-respecting person would go anywhere near a leprosy sufferer.  Yet when a leper approached Jesus one day, in compassion Jesus reached out and touched him; the man was healed!  Jesus’ attitude to those whom society regarded as outcasts or ‘sinners’, especially the way he welcomed them and spent time in their company, brought him much criticism.  His life and character was so different, not only from the society around him, but also from the religious people of the day, many of whom were full of self-righteousness.

But it wasn’t only Jesus actions and attitudes which were so counter-cultural.  It was also his teaching.  Fancy calling his followers to ‘love your enemies’ and do good to those who hate you!’  Fancy saying to people that unless they were willing to lay aside all their personal ambitions and desires, and put him first, they could not be his disciples!  It’s such a shame that at times the church has presented a watered-down, namby-pamby version of the Gospels, when in fact to be a disciple of Jesus is the most challenging, awe-inspiring, faith-inducing lifestyle anyone could know!  Want to be truly counter-cultural?  Follow Jesus!

When the tough times come

I recall a visit I once made to an elderly gentleman who had recently been bereaved after more than 60 years of marriage.  Naturally it was a sad time for him, though in one sense his wife’s death had come as something of a release for her, as she had suffered increasing ill-health for some years.  They had been through some very tough times together.  As we were talking, he told me that he had been asked by some people whether his faith in God had been shaken by the long period of his wife’s suffering.  His response was that it had been his faith, and that of his wife, and the knowledge they both had of God’s presence with them, that had given them the strength to face the hard times. 

One of my responsibilities is to lead bi-monthly communion services in a local Care Centre.  We usually sing a few hymns as part of the service, and in preparation for a recent visit I thought that it might be of interest for the residents of the Care Home to learn something of the background to the hymns and their writers.  As I undertook the research, I was interested to learn a little about a 17^th century hymn-writer, Martin Rinkart.

Rinkart was a Lutheran minister who arrived in the German city of Eilenburg at the beginning of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648).  The walled city of Eilenburg became a refuge for political and military fugitives, but the result was overcrowding, and deadly pestilence and famine.  The Rinkart home was itself a refuge for the victims, even though he was often hard-pressed to provide for his own family. During the height of a severe plague in 1637, Rinkart, as the only surviving minister in the city, performed more than 4000 funerals, including that of his wife. 

One might have expected that, given the situation of massive suffering which Rinkart witnessed, and the loss of his own dear wife, Rinkart’s faith might have been shaken.  Yet, despite living in a world dominated by death, Rinkart wrote the following prayer for his children to offer to God:

Now thank we all our God,

With hearts and hands and voices;

Who wondrous things has done,

In whom his world rejoices;

Who from our mothers’ arms,

Has blessed us on our way,

With countless gifts of love,

And still is ours today.

That is, of course, the first verse of a hymn still much loved today.  The words are beautiful in themselves, but when one understands the context in which they were written, they become even more poignant and powerful.

When we face hard times in our life, we can either turn away from God, or we can run to him for the strength and help we need.  I know that in the really tough times in my own life, when I have felt at my very lowest, it has been the knowledge of God’s loving presence (even though I haven’t always felt him near) that has kept me going.  After all, if we turn away from God, where else is there to go?

Every one precious

The issue of abortion is a very sensitive one, and it would be foolish to make simplistic comments or easy judgments on the subject.  Whatever one thinks of the abortion debate, it is sobering to discover that in the year 2011 almost 190,000 abortions were carried out in England and Wales.  I have the feeling that as a society we sometimes too easily relegate this issue to the back of our minds without considering the full implications.

One aspect of the abortion debate which certainly demands the utmost sensitivity is the issue of the relationship between abortion and disability.  It was announced recently that a cross-party commission of MPs will re-examine the issue, bearing in mind the fact that the current legal limit of 24 weeks for abortions does not apply in cases where tests indicate that the child may be disabled when born.  The commission will review how the law works and how the legislation could be developed in the future.

There are many who argue that the current law discriminates against disabled people.  By allowing late abortions where there is a belief that the child is disabled, are we saying the disabled people are of less value or worth than people who are not disabled?  If so, what kind of message does that give to those disabled people who are living happy, fulfilled and productive lives?  On the other hand, there are those who say that we ought to give parents the choice whether or not to give birth to a disabled child (though the tests for disability are not 100% accurate, as I know from accounts of couples who were informed that their baby was disabled, only to deliver a perfectly healthy baby).

I was interested to listen to a discussion on Breakfast News one morning last week on this issue.  One of the guests being interviewed was artist Alison Lapper, who was born without arms.  I was impressed by her contribution to the debate, but was absolutely horrified by one thing she said, namely that “my mother was told that I was God’s punishment.”  My mind went back to a conversation I had had with an elderly couple many years ago.  They told me that early in their married life they had a still-born baby.  I was disgusted to hear that when the minister visited them at the time, the first thing he said was, “You must have done something very bad to deserve that.”  What an appalling thing to say, and what a twisted view of the nature and character of God, as is the idea that God would punish a mother by giving her a disabled baby.

In God’s eyes, EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING IS PRECIOUS.  We humans may make judgements based on appearance, size, capabilities, fame, wealth etc., but God loves us all equally.  I pray that God would forgive us when as Church we have not modelled or demonstrated his love for ALL people.  Someone I greatly admire is a man called Nick Vujicic.  Nick was born without arms and legs.  His childhood and teenage years were hard, as he struggled to come to terms with his situation and feelings of inadequacy.  Now he is an inspiration to many as he travels the world with a message of encouragement and hope (there are a number of clips of Nick on YouTube).  He knows personally how much God loves and values him, and he wants others to have that same understanding.

In some ways this issue is linked with the ongoing debate about care of the elderly.  It is desperately sad when we hear about elderly people being neglected and their rights disregarded.  It is a sad comments on the state of our society when we relegate certain people to second class status.  It is interesting that Jesus himself faced such prejudice in the 1^st century.  Women, children, disabled and foreigners were among those who were looked down upon.  Thank God that Jesus demonstrated by his love and compassion for all people that God’s love is not restricted or rationed.  In fact he shocked many by the way he welcomed all who came to him.  He said, ‘I will never turn away anyone who comes to me.’  (John 6:37).  His words are just as true today!

An alarming experience

Last week I spent 24 hours in the City of Sheffield.  The stay brought back some memories, as Sheffield was our home for the final 5 years of the 1990s (wow, that seems a long time ago now!)  I was on a work-related conference, and stayed at a local hotel overnight.

In the early hours of the morning, I was jolted awake by a loud noise.  In the short period before I became fully awake, my mind was trying desperately to work out where I was and what was happening!  The room was dark, and it took a while to find the light switch.  I soon realised that the loud noise was the hotel fire alarm.

I quickly slipped on some warm clothing, grabbed one or two things and joined others in making my way to the hotel reception.  There was already a group assembled in the entrance lobby when I arrived; the receptionist on duty looked rather confused by the turn of events.  It was a cold night, and I was pleased that we weren’t made to leave the hotel to make our way to the fire assembly point outside.  Most people didn’t seem overly concerned; some were chatting to fellow guests, others were obviously still half asleep.  There was one “Mr Angry” who marched up to the reception desk and demanded, “What’s going on?”  “The fire alarm is going off,” answered the startled receptionist. (I did wonder why Mr Angry hadn’t already worked that out for himself).

Before long, the fire brigade arrived and, together with the hotel receptionist, some firefighters went in search of the fire.  Some time later they returned, and we were eventually told that the fire alarm had been caused by someone who had decided to light a cigarette in their room.  “Which room?” asked one annoyed guest, but the question went unanswered (probably just as well).

So the little bit of unwelcome excitement came to an end.  We made our way back to our rooms; unfortunately it took me ages to get back to sleep.  I was amused by a letter of apology from the hotel manager which was slipped under the bedroom doors some time before we woke up, in which was written, “I hope it has not affected the enjoyment of your stay with us.”  No, not at all!

Lighting a cigarette in a hotel bedroom is not a wise decision.  At worst it could potentially have caused a fire and the tragedy of loss of life.  In the event, it did adversely affect every other guest in the hotel.  It is a reminder that the choices we make and the actions we take inevitably affect other people.  The selfish way is to put ourselves and our comfort first, ignoring the potential adverse consequences on others. Jesus calls us to a different way, to put others first, and to make choices which are to the benefit of others.  I hope that our cigarette-lighting friend has learnt his/her lesson.  At least the episode made for some interesting conversations over breakfast!