An issue that every Christian should be aware of is the need for our society to be accepting of people of all faiths and of none.  In many parts of the West today (including the UK) many Christians would also consider hiding their religious identity.  This is an interesting article to read as we consider how we can show a form of solidarity (without compromising our beliefs) with those from diverse backgrounds:

Today, there are approximately 3 million Muslims and 5 million Jews living in the US and both Muslims and Jews continue to face significant discrimination. Hannah Rosenthal, President Obama’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, recently cited a study indicating that “Muslims and Jews are more likely than adherents of any other tradition in the US to conceal their religious identity.”

Muslims and Jews still aren’t considered true “Americans” by mainstream society, despite the fact they are the two most successful religious groups in the country in terms of education and wealth. According to Gallup, the two most highly educated religious groups are Jews and Muslims, among whom 61% and 40% respectively have a college degree, compared with 29% of Americans overall. These facts carry across gender lines as well, with Muslim females being the second-most educated religious group in the country, after Jewish females. Both groups also have household incomes above the American average.

via Muslims and Jews in America: The Most American of All? – Inside Islam.

This article makes an interesting point about the unintended consequences of technology for the global church:

Recently I met with members of the Digital Bible Society. DBS specializes in collecting and distributing Bibles and theological material in closed countries. They distributed Chinese language materials 10 years ago on tens of thousands of CDs.Today the team at DBS prepares gigabytes of the Bible, Christian books, and videos like the Jesus film, and puts them on e-readers and microSD chips. Today’s Bible “distributor” can hide a microSD chip in a sock, bringing biblical material into highly dangerous countries.When I met with DBS and some other ministries, they showed me an incredible array of James Bond-like devices that people around the world are using to smuggle these materials to dark places.One man talked about being interrogated by secret police for meeting with people and giving them Bibles. Then, through a thick Arabic accent, he said to the group, “H.264 and EPUB are gifts from God.” I agree.1

via Christian perspectives on art, movies, music, culture, and the world..

There is no question in my mind that Steve Jobs played an immense role in shaping society’s attitude to technology.  I think it would be hard for anyone to argue against the idea that the world is a better place because of what he contributed.  Human beings have incredible potential to leave a lasting impact for good.

It seems to me, reading this following piece on how and why Steve Jobs was adopted at birth, that today he might well have been at risk of never making it into the world.  What a waste it is that so much human life is terminated.  How wonderful is adoption in its ability to give an unplanned baby a new chance, and give the joy and responsibility of parenthood to a couple who might never know it.  I am glad that when Steve Jobs was conceived adoption not abortion was the solution his natural parents sought.

Another great short piece that helps understand the role that Steve Jobs played in shaping our culture was recorded by Steven Fry when Job’s announced his retirement.

Steve Jobs has died of cancer. I think a suitable way to remember him today is to read this quote from him in 2005, not very long after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. There is no doubt that he made a massive impact in those “extra” years since the diagnosis to which in the end he would succumb:

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday youll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that Ill be dead soon is the most important tool Ive ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didnt even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctors code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought youd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.I lived with that diagnosis all day.

Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now. This was the closest I’ve been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades.

Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept: No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven dont want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Lifes change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true. Your time is limited, so dont waste it living someone elses life. Dont be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other peoples thinking. Dont let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

via Text of Steve Jobs Commencement address 2005.

 

“You can’t just ask customers what they want . . .By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” Steve Jobs http://bbc.in/p7tvSf

“It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”  BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998

“That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”

Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For several years now on September 11th, I have re-posted this article with minimal edits. In many ways, nothing much has changed as the years have gone by. I think therefore that this is for me the most appropriate way to mark the ten year anniversary of the most shocking event of my lifetime.

The world will never forget 911. Each year I say it, but it still feels in a way like yesterday, despite the fact it is an age ago. We now live in the post 911 world. I am not American, and until early 2003 I had never been to New York. On 9/11, I didn’t lose a loved one or a friend. But I remember seeing the second plane hit the building live on TV and, just as promised, it was a day that changed history.

It was a day that marked the expansion of the global village. Somehow the world seemed to immediately know something had happened- it was as though a sharp intake of breath occurred simultaneously around the globe. I remember sensing that something had happened from inside my room in the office I then worked in. For all of us, work was immediately forgotten. As I went out of my room to find out what it was that I somehow knew was wrong, a colleague told me what had happened and we all went upstairs to watch the terrible events unfold. Holidays were canceled. Business trips were prolonged or postponed. We all remember where we were that day and how we headed for our homes just as quickly as we were able to.

It was a day when family and friends were suddenly more valued. In a moment security could never again be taken for granted. In 2003, when I first wrote this article, here in the UK we were still awaiting the attack we had all felt in that moment to be imminent, and which our leaders were telling us was inevitable. In the end, we were spared by something of a miracle the same extent loss of life when Islamic extremists attacked our underground system. If their devices had been more potent, every person on each of those subway trains would have died, possibly with even greater loss of life than New York had experienced. At another point, the conviction of those responsible for a liquid explosives plot to destroy multiple planes over the Atlantic reminded that the risk has not gone away.We would be foolish to conclude we are now safe.

It was a day when a war was declared that by our own admission can never be won. It was a day that we all pray will never be surpassed in the sheer scale of its cruelty, although the same evil displayed has been amply displayed since in various attacks.

It was a call to fight, but also a call to reach out. It led immediately to many unanswered questions- How could people act in this way? Why was anyone willing to be sympathetic to the views of such men? Why was condemnation not forthcoming from every member of the world? Why do some people still hate Americans? Why are some apparently respectable Muslims at least partly sympathetic to the terrorists?

What really saddens me to this day is that even such an act, or acts such as torturing and murdering schoolchildren, are not enough to make every single person throughout the world state “this is evil and we renounce it totally” I hope that today brings shame to those who in the past have toyed with terrorism- the Irish Terrorists and those who funded them, for example. For Irish terrorism and other groups around the globe helped to lay the foundations and show the way for small groups of people to hold the entire world to ransom. I may not have been in New York before that event, but I had previously felt the blast wave of two IRA bombs in London.

In the end 911 was, however, a single day. A very important day, but it was nonetheless just a day. Part of history that can never be erased but just one day. We have had evil days before and we will have them again. Without minimising the pain of this day, or for a moment suggesting that we should turn back the clock or stop commemorating it, it was just a day. Somehow such days must be integrated and life must continue, as indeed it has.

I am glad that for my family this date in the year we also have positive connotations to remember it by in the future. Today is also the anniversary of the day my brother got married. I am glad that this was on 9/11 because why should we let the terrorists totally occupy the territory of one of our 365 days? Do they also now own another one after 3/11 in Spain? What about 7/7 when they attacked London? Can nothing good ever happen again on 9/11? They got their wedding cheaper because most people did not want to marry that day.

I thank God today, a few hours before Americans will awaken to 911 for all the marriages that have taken place on 9/11, for all the babies that have been born, for all the human achievements that have been completed, and in short for all the lives that continue this 9/11.

Our very resilience and determination shows that terrorism will never beat the human spirit. Sadly, one of the costs of living in freedom is that evil men will always have the opportunity to strike again. I am glad that I am not one of the leaders responsible for trying to minimise our risks. It is very easy to criticise, but today of all days lets pray for wisdom for Obama, for Cameron and for all other world leaders.

News reports this morning are of a quiet night. We are thankful to God for that. And we are grateful to God for the tools he has used, the robust police response. I support the incredible work by them over the last few nights. As they have been given more resources they have restored order. They have done so in a way that has remained essentially British. Their restraint in not asking for things like water cannon has been admirable. I would not have been so patient. The lack of reports of police brutality has been striking. Many of them have been sleeping in police stations for a quicker response if needed. All of them have had summer leave cancelled. The Specials, our volunteer police force have reported for duty. David Cameron’s leadership over the last couple of days has been outstanding. We are a peaceful nation, in which events from the last week are unprecedented. May God restore order fully. Pray that last night’s peace continues.

But may we as a nation rally together afresh. May the value of community building organisations like the Church be appreciated once more. May the gospel have free reign. And may many reach out to Jesus after the shock to all of us that these terrible scenes on our TVs have been.

And on that note, I am planning on returning to my blog break unless there are any developments to report. Guest posts and re-runs will resume on Monday.

God has been opening doors for Christians in the UK to speak to the media, and to build relationships with local authorities. This evening, my pastor Tope Koleoso was on Sky News. I think he did a great job:

Overnight we had the best bit of good news in a few days. London was relatively peaceful. It seems the strong leadership decisions made by David Cameron yesterday worked. Large numbers of police on the streets proved a deterrent. There were outbreaks of looting in other parts of the UK, however, so this situation is not over. More details at BBC News – UK riots: Trouble erupts in English cities.

As things begin to calm down, communities will rally together I am sure. Let’s pray that churches will take the opportunity to connect well with their local authorities and help build social cohesion in the future. Personally I think the current situation is largely about criminal activity. But as the dust settles we will need to begin to turn our gaze to building a strong inclusive society.

British citizens should be very encouraged by the statements from Cameron and the Police this morning which are very welcome and suitably robust.  To double the number of police seems sensible. If the police feel the army is not needed then I am good with that! We must all support the police and all the actions necessary to control this.  Good too feel that we are being well lead as a nation today.

Here is the full text of David Cameron’s statement:

‘I have come straight from a meeting of the Government’s Cobra committee where we’ve been discussing the action that we will be taking to help the police deal with the disorder in the streets of London and elsewhere in our country. I’ve also met with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the Home Secretary to discuss this further and people should be in doubt that we will do everything necessary to restore order to Britain’s streets and to make them safe for the law-abiding.

Let me first of all completely condemn the scenes that we have seen on our television screens and people have witnessed in their communities. These are sickening scenes, scenes of people looting, vandalising, thieving, robbing, scenes of people attacking police officers and even attacking fire crews as they’re trying to put out fires. This is criminality, pure and simple and it has to be confronted and defeated. I feel huge sympathy for the families that have suffered, innocent people who have been turned out of their houses and to business who’ve seen their premises smashed, their products looted and their livelihoods potentially ruined. I also feel for all those who live in fear because of those appalling scenes that we’ve seen on the streets of our country. People should be in no doubt that we are on the side of the law-abiding. Law-abiding people who are appalled at what has happened in their own communities.

As ever, police officers have shown incredible bravery on our streets in confronting these thugs, but it’s quite clear that we need more, much more police on our streets and we need even more robust police action and it’s that that I’ve been discussing in COBRA this morning. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner has said that compared with the 6,000 police on the streets last night in London there will be some 16000 officers tonight. All leave within the Metropolitan Police has been cancelled. There will be aid coming from police forces up and down and the country and we will do everything necessary to strengthen and assist these forces that are meeting this disorder. There has already been 450 people arrested. We will make sure that court procedures and processes are speeded up and people should expect to see more, many more, arrests in the days to come. I am determined, the Government is determined that justice will be done and these people will see the consequences of their actions.

And I have this very clear message to those people that are responsible for this wrongdoing and criminality. You will feel the full force of the law. And if you are old enough to commit these crimes, you are old enough to face the punishments. And to these people I would say this. You are not only wrecking the lives of others. You are not only wrecking your own communities, you are potentially wrecking your own life too.

My office this morning has spoken to the Speaker of the House of Commons and he has agreed that Parliament will be recalled for a day on Thursday so I can make a statement to parliament and we can hold a debate and we are all able to stand together in condemnation of these crimes and we are able to stand together in determination to rebuild these communities. Now, if you will excuse me, there is important work to be done.’

This morning, Tope Koleoso was on Premier Gospel speaking about how Christians can get involved with the clean up. You can download audio of Tope’s interview

Jubilee Church has a page with a further comment from Tope and a call to prayer and response. It is time for the church to pray, to speak out, and to act, as I also posted about earlier this morning. It should be noted that of course my plan is offered as suggestions, and some aspects of my plan may not be practical or even wise. The general point is we need a more aggressive response, how we do that is down to the authorities.

Glad to hear that special constables are being asked to report for duty, and employers are being asked to release them.

MEDIA RELEASE

The leader of Enfield’s largest multi-cultural church has condemned the recent violence in Enfield and across London as “deplorable”.

Pastor Tope Koleoso stated:  “This seems to have been motivated more by greed and a desire to loot than any form of protest.   I am certain that people from outside our area caused the vast majority of the violence.”

Mr Koleoso heads up the team of pastors at Jubilee Church London, which meets at Cineworld in Enfield. He added: “As a leader of a multicultural church with members from different cultures and ethnicities, I am aware that the recent shooting in Tottenham was a trigger to the initial rioting, but urge all people to have patience as those events are investigated, and not to use them as an excuse for disorder.”

He said that he and other church members have been meeting with other local community leaders and some of the shop-owners who were seriously affected by the looting.

“Everyone we have spoken to is united in their condemnation of these events and support for the police as they work to maintain order.”

Jubilee Church is now offering a team of volunteers to serve any Enfield shop owner with clean up operations once they are allowed access, or the community in any other way.

Mr Koleoso explained: “Enfield is a peaceful area of London where black and white live alongside each other in harmony.  Our church is an expression of that where many nationalities worship together. We work with youth in the Enfield community and are involved in other outreach projects. Just hours before these events around 100 of our youth and adult members returned from a youth festival in Norwich where they had been contributing to social action projects.”

Anyone in need of such assistance should email Jubilee Church via the website at http://jubileechurchlondon.org.

I am getting messages from different members of our congregation who say that gangs are smashing things up yards from their home, or in once case actually at the foot of their flats. Buildings have been looted in Enfield Town, and it seems also on the retail park where our church is based. Please pray for safety for all our people, and for those we live amongst. We do not want any injury or loss of life, and we want the damage to the area we love to stop.

As Tope Koleoso put it on Facebook,

Let us not give our town over to the Enemy but commit it to the hands of God. Let all Jubilee people pray now for Enfield and for the homes and properties of all people, including the Police.

Enfield is not far from Tottenham where scenes of carnage happened yesterday. People ask why is this happening at all? It was all triggered by a fatal shooting of a man they were trying to arrest by police. We were all shocked by the scenes of terrible fires, and by the attempts to stir up racial unrest. We have some members of our congregation who live in Tottenham. All I can say is that it is obviously all a million miles away from the genuine inter-racial unity we experience at Jubilee. Truth be told, Enfield is a very quiet place and I am sure that most if not all of the trouble makers have gone there from outside.

May God deliver us in our time of need. Would you please stand with us right now?

I suspect that by now almost everyone who reads this blog will already know that John Stott passed away two days ago.

It is impossible to overstate the influence Stott had on the evangelical world in the 20th Century. I thought I would here share some quotes and a round up of useful links form around the net. John Stott Ministries has a website where you can read more about him. Third Way have a comprehensive interview with Stott from 2005.

John Piper’s personal reflection on Stott’s life is probably the best place to start:

“John Stott turned the words of Bible sentences into windows onto glorious reality by explaining them in clear, compelling, complete, coherent, fresh, silly-free, English sentences . . Yes! This is what I was starving for and didn’t even know it. Amazing! Someone is telling me what these sentences mean! Someone is making light shine on these words. It is shining so bright, I can’t sleep in this light! I am waking up from decades of dull dealing with God’s word. Thank you. Thank you. I could care less if you tell me any stories. I want to know what God means by these words!.”

Justin Taylorwrote a very good article about Sott which included the video I have also embedded below. He quoted John Stott’s final published words, at the end of his last book, The Radical Disciple, published in 2010:

As I lay down my pen for the last time (literally, since I confess I am not computerized) at the age of eighty-eight, I venture to send this valedictory message to my readers. I am grateful for your encouragement, for many of you have written to me. Looking ahead, none of us of course knows what the future of printing and publishing may be. But I myself am confident that the future of books is assured and that, though they will be complemented, they will never be altogether replaced. For there is something unique about books. Our favorite books become very precious to us and we even develop with them an almost living and affectionate relationship. Is it an altogether fanciful fact that we handle, stroke and even smell them as tokens of our esteem and affection? I am not referring only to an author’s feeling for what he has written, but to all readers and their library. I have made it a rule not to quote from any book unless I have first handled it. So let me urge you to keep reading, and encourage your relatives and friends to do the same. For this is a much neglected means of grace. . . . Once again, farewell! (pp. 136-137)

Here are a few quotes from John Stott that various people have shared on Twitter that give a good insight into the way he thought:

• “In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?”
• “Worship without theology is bound to degenerate into idolatry. On the other hand, there should be no theology without doxology.”
• “It is impossible to be truly converted to God without being thereby converted to our neighbor.”
• “Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.”
• “Every Christian should be both conservative and radical; conservative in preserving the faith and radical in applying it.”

The Christian Post quoted a colleague, “I’m not certain that John Stott would want people to remember him,” and gives a detailed account of his life.

Christianity Today has a very helpful article, which includes the following excerpt:

“Conservative evangelicals were a despised minority when Stott was ordained, without a single bishop in the Church of England. In response, Stott showed his ingenuity as a social entrepreneur. He was never one to keep his convictions to himself, nor to consider a situation hopeless. Instead, he fostered organizations meant to encourage younger evangelical clergy, and he helped organize and renew evangelical conferences.

Most of all, he served as a model of confidence and intellectual strength. “I remember reading his books as a young student,” says Old Testament scholar Chris Wright, whom Stott later chose to lead Langham Partners International, the Majority World ministry of biblical scholarship and preaching that Stott started as a result of his global travels. “They were so clearly argued you felt that you had a case.”

Stott believed in the mind as a gift from God. In an evangelical world tempted to rely on proof texts and emotive stories, Stott drilled down deep into Scripture to display its power. Many people, hearing Stott preach for the first time, said they had never heard the Bible expounded with such clarity and depth. His passion was to learn what God said, and to let it shape life. Stott’s preaching and writing renewed faith in the inspiration of Scripture—not only because he defended it, but because he displayed it.

At the same time, his practice of evangelism demonstrated that “plain, ordinary Christianity” could appeal to all classes of people. What evangelicals most treasured—the person and work of Jesus Christ, and the Scriptures that testified to them—he showed to be potent resources for winning the world. Largely through Stott’s leadership, British evangelicalism was transformed from a defensive backwater to an engaged and significant movement.”

Tim Challies shares some highlights from Twitter, while the Gospel Coalition posted an article from a British Minister that states, “To ministers like myself, perhaps it is John Stott’s concern for careful, faithful and meticulous exposition of the Scriptures that will be his lasting legacy. For him, preaching was not just an ‘add on’ to the busy life of a minister but a huge privilege and a solemn responsibility.”

British Newspapers have posted obitaries including the following:

• The Guardian: “Though the name of the Rev John Stott, who has died at the age of 90, rarely appeared in the UK national press, in April 2005 Time Magazine placed him among the world’s top 100 major influencers.” (This is not the time for us to speak about the perenial bias of the media against Christians, but I do hope that the media will pay attention to other evangelical voices God will raise up. ) The piece goes on,  “He insisted that Christians should engage in “double listening” – to the word of God, and to the world around them – and apply their biblical faith to all the pressing issues of contemporary culture. “
• The Telegraph: “When Stott was ordained at the end of the Second World War, the evangelical wing of the Church of England was small, introverted, backward-looking and divided. Fifty years later there was an evangelical Archbishop of Canterbury; several diocesan bishops of similar convictions; and in all parts of England a network of dynamic churches inspired by the evangelical spirit. “

There is an official John Stott Memorial that has been set up that includes an online memorial book. Notable quotes from that page include:

• Billy Graham who described Stott as “the most respected clergyman in the world today”
• New York Times columnist David Brooks who wrote that if evangelicals chose a pope, they would choose him.
• Don from Indonesia, “Through his books, I felt he was like my spiritual father. Sad that he’s now gone but also glad as he is now receiving the prize and also for his everlasting legacy.”
• Phil, who served on staff with Stott in the 1970s, “Uncle John leaves this world a much better place due to his humble, dedicated service to God.”

As Japan braces itself for a possible further serious earthquake, and deals with the consequences of such massive devastation caused by the last one, not to mention the risk of a major nuclear incident, how should Christians respond? Please understand that none of this is intended to claim that we have all the answers to such a disaster. In fact, like Job’s friends’ initial response, often the best thing we can do is say absolutely nothing, and share people’s pain.

I write this article with many unanswered questions. But, unlike those who allow suffering to drive them away from God, I am convinced that only God makes sense of suffering. For if the Japanese who died really were just the random fruit of evolution, why should it matter to us if they died? But if each of them are made in the image of their creator, and lovingly crafted together in their mother’s womb, our inherent feeling that suffering is NOT welcome in this world makes perfect sense. God loves every human being, they are precious to him.

1. We should not be surprised. We like to imagine that we are safe in the world.  The truth is that, like what may well be tens of thousands of Japanese who have drowned, we will all die one day.  Whenever that day comes, it will feel to us just as sudden, just as unwanted, and just as shocking.  But despite our trying to pretend otherwise, we are not immortal, and there is no guarantee that we will live to a ripe old age (Hebrews 9:27).
2. We should be humbled before the awesome power of “Nature,” which is actually the creation of a sovereign and awesome God whose power is greater than 10,000 tsunamis (Job 38:1-41). These scenes quite rightly should take our breath away, and make us realize how foolish our pride truly is.  We came from the dust and will one day return to that same dust.
3. We should not assume that the end is at hand. Yes, there do seem to be a lot of natural disasters lately.  Yes, Jesus did predict such things. But he also told us not to be alarmed, and there have been many such natural disasters over the centuries.  We do not know when Christ will return, but have a task to do in “speeding” his coming. (Mark 13:7-8, 2 Peter 3:12)
4. We should not assume that the end is not at hand. A disaster like this should remind us that Jesus said he will come like a thief in the night when we are least expecting it.  (1 Thessalonians 5:1-8)
5. We should not specifically blame the Japanese. There is a tendency to quickly jump to judgment in some evangelical circles. Perhaps this is because we secretly believe that because of our so-called righteous living we have made a deal with God that will protect us in this world from early death and other disasters. If we can therefore persuade ourselves that the Japanese somehow brought this on themselves, our delusion remains intact. The Bible knows nothing of such thinking, at least in the vast majority of occasions. There are a few biblical situations where natural disasters were the specific judgment of God. But these were rare, and God always ensured people knew about it by a proclamation from his infallible prophets. What seems to be far more common is the idea that God sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45), and that accidents do not tell us that their victims were more sinful than us, but that we all deserve death just the same (Luke 13:1-5).  See for example these two quotes:
   

   “As I look for a moment upon the poor mangled bodies of those who have been so suddenly slain, my eyes find tears, but my heart does not boast, nor my lips accuse — far from me be the boastful cry, “God, I thank thee that I am not as these men are!” Nay, nay, nay, it is not the spirit of Christ, nor the spirit of Christianity. While we can thank God that we are preserved, yet we can say, “It is of thy mercy that we are not consumed,” and we must ascribe it to his grace, and to his grace alone. But we cannot suppose that there was any betterness in us, why we should be kept alive with death so near.” Charles H. Spurgeon, vol. 7, Sermon 408.

   “You see what a horrible end those people came to; they didn’t think it was going to happen. O they knew they were going to die someday; but they didn’t know what that would mean. The horror of their end took them by surprise. Well unless you repent, that is the way it is going to be for you. Your end will be far more horrible than you think it is. You will not be ready for it. It will surprise you terribly. In that sense you will LIKEWISE perish.” John Piper

6. We should not blame God, but we should pray. We believe in a Sovereign God. But we must not make him out to be the author of sin (James 1:13). God knew the earthquake was coming (Isaiah 46:9-10), could have stopped it and didn’t, and as per Romans 8:28 will work this out like everything else for his glory and for the good of those who love him. He will also use it to awaken fear in hearts, so that the gospel can then bring peace and salvation (Luke 13:1-5). But that is a very different thing from making God the pleased creator of this event. Some assume that choosing not to stop something is the same as initiating that event. I do not believe that is so. We must not curse God, or charge him with wrongdoing (Job 1:22).  But we must pray and ask God to limit the pain these terrible events have caused, and to use them so that many might turn to him.
7. We should understand that suffering is in the world because of sin in a general sense. Death entered the world because of human sin. (Romans 5:12)  Because our forefather sinned, and because we go on sinning, the world has been subjected to a law of decay (Romans 8:20-24). We live in a fallen world. In a fallen world many things are broken and do not work as God intended them to originally. Thus humankind’s sin, rather than Japanese sin, is responsible for this disaster.
8. We must not assume that the devil “won” this time. God was not asleep. Satan is indeed described as the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), and is therefore in some senses responsible for disasters. However, he does not have a free hand. He is prowling around seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). But, as in the case of Job, God is perfectly capable of preventing his actions, and does indeed put a limit on them. If Satan was free to do whatever he wanted in this world, we can rest assured there would be far more disaster than there is now. He is after all a murderer (John 8:44). We are right to be angry at the effects of all this death and destruction that he causes, but not right to ascribe to him more power than we ought! Anger is in short a natural response to such suffering, but should not be directed at God.
9. We should look forward to the day when there will be no more pain. The very fact that suffering feels so wrong should point us to the fact it was not part of God’s original plan, nor is it part of his glorious fulfillment. One day there will be no more sea to destroy lives and separate loved ones. (Revelation 21:3-4).  What a glorious day! We should long for it more and more as our TV sets bring such devastation into our living rooms.
10. We should share the glorious gospel of Jesus that brings us hope and work to relieve suffering.  The temporary nature of life should prompt us, if we have any compassion at all, to be looking for opportunities to talk about our Savior.  In addition, and as a vital part of our outreach, some of us should consider giving to the specific relief funds being set up to help Japan.  But all of us should look for ways to relieve suffering far from where we live, and also on our doorstep.  We are called to “remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10) and demonstrate the love of Jesus with the word of the gospel, and the deed of alleviating pain.  We cannot and should not turn aside like the good priest, but instead should spend ourselves as the good Samaritan did, all the time pointing to the One who, with limitless resources, gave himself that we might all live.

There is no doubt that we live in extraordinary days. The Middle East is full of revolutionary uprising. Crowds are overthrowing regimes that have been in place for decades. But what do the people really want? And more importantly perhaps, when the dust has settled, new constitutions have been written, and new laws have been firmly established, what will these countries look like? Will all the dominoes topple, or will the might of existing leaders in some nations defeat the popular uprisings?

There has been surprisingly little discussion of what these crowds are really protesting for. We know they oppose their leaders. But who do they want to lead them? And what kind of system do they want to live under? We hear talk of “democracy” and “the people” ruling. But when a people has been governed by a single totalitarian party, and often by one man, for decades, what will they do with
all their new-found freedom? Indeed, will they truly be free in some cases, or will some form of compromise be forged with the ruling classes?

In the West, we seem to be watching all this unfold in a somewhat bemused way. We don’t say this too openly, but in some cases we actually worry whether democracy will serve our interests in the region. Many national leaders have remained in power with the tacit support of the West, partly because although they do not offer their peoples the same freedom that we enjoy, they have provided us with oil and held back what most assume would be far worse for us: a more Islamic government.

What if the people in some of these nations want a greater involvement of Islam in the public square? Who are we to tell them that is wrong? We do of course worry what it will mean for the Christians living in some of these nations. Will they be free to practice their chosen faith? Or will they suffer what looks like it could be the fate of Said Musa ?

There is a glimmer of hope that some of the crowds swirling around public spaces actually want true freedom of religion. Muslims and Christians protected each other in the Egyptian demonstrations in particular, and protestors spoke of a brotherhood that bridged religious boundaries. We should pray that such sentiments grow in strength and become part of the law in newly constituted states across the region. In this modern interconnected world, it would be wonderful to see states emerge that are truly free and dignified in their treatment of minority groups (including converts).

This is now the third time I have posted this article. In many ways, nothing much has changed as the years have gone by. I have therefore lightly edited the article but republish it today more or less as I originally published it.

The world will never forget 911. Each year I say it, but it still feels in a way like yesterday, despite the fact it is an age ago. We now live in the post 911 world. I am not American, and until early 2003 I had never been to New York. On 9/11, I didn’t lose a loved one or a friend. But I remember seeing the second plane hit the building live on TV and, just as promised, it was a day that changed history.

It was a day that marked the expansion of the global village. Somehow the world seemed to immediately know something had happened- it was as though a sharp intake of breath occurred simultaneously around the globe. I remember sensing that something had happened from inside my room in the office I then worked in. For all of us, work was immediately forgotten. As I went out of my room to find out what it was that I somehow knew was wrong, a colleague told me what had happened and we all went upstairs to watch the terrible events unfold. Holidays were canceled. Business trips were prolonged or postponed. We all remember where we were that day and how we headed for our homes just as quickly as we were able to.

It was a day when family and friends were suddenly more valued. In a moment security could never again be taken for granted. In 2003, when I first wrote this article, here in the UK we were still awaiting the attack we had all felt in that moment to be imminent, and which our leaders were telling us was inevitable. In the end, we were spared by something of a miracle the same extent loss of life when Islamic extremists attacked our underground system. If their devices had been more potent, everyone on each of those subway trains would have died, possibly with even greater loss of life than New York had experienced. At another point, the conviction of those responsible for a liquid explosives plot to destroy multiple planes over the Atlantic reminded that the risk has not gone away. We would be foolish to conclude we are now safe.

It was a day when a war was declared that by our own admission can never be won. It was a day that we all pray will never be surpassed in the sheer scale of its cruelty, although the same evil displayed has been amply displayed since in various attacks.

It was a call to fight, but also a call to reach out. It led immediately to many unanswered questions- How could people act in this way? Why was anyone willing to be sympathetic to the views of such men? Why was condemnation not forthcoming from every member of the world? Why do some people still hate Americans? Why are some apparently respectable Muslims at least partly sympathetic to the terrorists?

What really saddens me to this day is that even such an act, or acts such as torturing and murdering schoolchildren, are not enough to make every single person throughout the world state “this is evil and we renounce it totally” I hope that today brings shame to those who in the past have toyed with terrorism- the Irish Terrorists and those who funded them, for example. For Irish terrorism and other groups around the globe helped to lay the foundations and show the way for small groups of people to hold the entire world to ransom. I may not have been in New York before this year, but I have felt the blast wave of two IRA bombs in London.

In the end 911 was, however, a single day. A very important day, but it was nonetheless just a day. Part of history that can never be erased but just one day. We have had evil days before and we will have them again. Without minimising the pain of this day, or for a moment suggesting that we should turn back the clock or stop commemorating it, it was just a day. Somehow such days must be integrated and life must continue, as indeed it has.

I am glad that for my family this date in the year we also have positive connotations to remember it by in the future. Today (six years ago) my brother got married. I am glad that this was on 9/11 because why should we let the terrorists totally occupy the territory of one of our 365 days? Do they also now own another one after 3/11 in Spain? What about 7/7 when they attacked London? Can nothing good ever happen again on 9/11? They got their wedding cheaper because most people did not want to marry that day.

I thank God today, a few hours before Americans will awaken to 911 for all the marriages that have taken place on 9/11, for all the babies that have been born, for all the human achievements that have been completed, and in short for all the lives that continue this 9/11.

Our very resilience and determination shows that terrorism will never beat the human spirit. Sadly, one of the costs of living in freedom is that evil men will always have the opportunity to strike again. I am glad that I am not one of the leaders responsible for trying to minimise our risks. It is very easy to criticise, but today of all days lets pray for wisdom for Obama, for Cameron and for all other world leaders.

Every now and then you read an article that says it right. This Guardian article is one such article and describes boys as follows:

“A lazy youth becomes a burden to those parents, whom he ought to comfort, if not support. But you can no more rouse them, with all of their fine arguments, than you can a log. There they lie, completely enchained by indolence… Business tires him; reading fatigues him; the public service interferes with his pleasures. Ask him what he has done with his morning – he cannot tell you; for he has lived without reflection, and almost without knowing whether he has lived at all!”

Surprisingly that quote comes from 1831 but it could be written about many man-boys today. The writer goes on to quote a modern author who says:

“For most young working boys their role models are what their fathers and their fathers’ friends are doing . . . and if they perceive their fathers lives to be worthless or coming apart it is not some psychological defect in the kid that makes him lose motivation, but just the fact they don’t have an adult who they can be like…“

While the modern celebrity culture perverts this, the truth is we all (and men especially) need to have role models to look up to and desire to emulate. Of course, while distant heroes can be of some help, I am convinced that what we really need is a man that we respect who invests time in us as individuals. When I recently reflected on the people who had been most influential in my life, it suddenly struck me that there was one thing that they all had in common: they all had eaten meals with me, and hence made me feel accepted enough for them to where necessary then rebuke me! As I get older, I realize more and more that where I have benefited so much from men that have gone before (and continue to do so) I also need to increasingly find other men that I can pour myself into. If you are a young man looking for wisdom and guidance, I urge you to find someone to follow in this way and bleed them dry for advice, wisdom, encouragement and support.

This post is from Brett and Alex Harris, those dynamos who keep reminding kids that they can achieve great things with their life:

Abby Enck is only eight-years-old, but her story provides an excellent blueprint for rebelutionaries on how to make a difference. This shy girl found a cause close to home (supporting her brother who has cerebral palsy) and took one small step to meet that need (raising $4.50 selling lemonade to buy crayons).

Once she had developed a successful model, she multiplied it (buying crayons for other kids too and equipping other people to sell lemonade) and that is only the beginning . . .

Read MORE at The Rebelution: Abby Enck, Age 8: Social Entrepreneur.

At the outset of this series, I do want to make a few points.  Firstly, this whole set of posts represents merely my own point of view. I would not want you to assume that everyone in the local church I attend agrees with, or should agree with, what I am about to say.  Nor would I want you to think that anything I say implies that all Christians should hold to these opinions.  In the UK we have a long history of Christians supporting and being involved in all the major political parties, and I strongly believe that should continue.

Finally, these posts should not be interpreted as a wholesale endorsement of the Conservative party.  I am not a member of the party, nor a lifelong Conservative voter. I have voted LibDem before as a protest vote, and it is very possible I voted Labour when Tony Blair entered Downing Street (believe it or not, I cannot remember!)  Certainly, I was glad when Blair won and supported many of his policies, such as for example giving the Bank of England the responsibility to set interest rates, which was considered a brave and radical step at the time. If I follow through on my plans to write a little more about politics, I will be a critical friend of the Conservatives, not a fawning “right-wing blogger.”

It is very unlike me to make public my intention on how to vote.  Somehow it is almost “unBritish.”  So far in this campaign I have only spoken with two of my friends about how I or they will vote. I do not know how the other leaders at Jubilee will vote. In fact, I don’t think I know for sure how any of my social circle will vote. So it is at least possible that this public endorsement of one party, at least for this election, will cause me to become a pariah!  Actually, that is not the case, as for most British people our political views are held very lightly and it is very easy to be friends with people who support other parties.

It should already be obvious to my US readers from this post that UK Christians are far from united in their political views.  Not for us a reflex vote in favor of the most Conservative, right-wing party. There is a strong history in the UK of Christian support for the Labour movement, and Liberal Democrats.  This is because of a desire for fairness, and a support of the rights of workers not to be exploited or treated almost like slaves.  Much good was done through the early union movement.  We believe as Christians that we should help the poor.  Many would argue that historically that Labour offered the best policies to support the marginalized in our society.

Social justice is, however, the first major reason why I am voting Conservative this time round.  Brown has repeatedly seemed to overlook the needs of the poorest in our society. There was the nonsense of abolishing the lowest rate of tax, leading to a tax rise for the poorest working people. That alone is enough to torpedo Brown’s right to say he is building a fairer society. But Brown has also presided over a system that has increased the perverse incentives on people not to marry, not to work, and to remain on sick leave.

The Conservative policy on social justice in this election has benefited from input given to it by a friend of mine, Philippa Stroud, who is standing as a Conservative candidate in Sutton and Cheam. Philippa is also the Executive Director of the Centre for Social Justice (http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk)  and Director of the Conservative’s Social Justice policy group. New Conservative policies as a direct result focus on finding ways to lift people out of poverty and into productive lifestyles in society wherever possible. Just for one example, there is a renewed commitment to providing residential rehab for drug and alcohol addicts to help them beat their problems. This is such an important issue for our society as the last few years has seen a massive reduction in the availability of these facilities which can quite literally save a life, and can prevent the collapse of a whole family. We have to work towards building society and helping people take responsibility for the wellbeing of others. The Conservatives also seem to be committed to providing better opportunities for church and other community groups to get involved in service provision, and encouraging engagement in the community by individuals.

In addition, ending the post-code lottery and arbitrary national refusal to fund some important new medications is also a vital social justice in my opinion. The Conservatives promise to allow access to cancer medications for all patients when their doctor thinks they will be helped by them. They are also the only party to guarantee the NHS will be saved from the cuts to public expenditure that are inevitably coming whoever we vote in.

Thus social justice is one reason I am voting Conservative on this occasion, and it is perhaps one reason why some Christians would previously have struggled with such a decision. I will speak about more reasons later in the week.

I wrote the following article, originally titled “911 THREE YEARS ON” Now we can add five more years and nothing much has changed. I have therefore lightly edited the article but republish it today more or less as I originally published it:

The world will never forget 911. A year ago I said it felt like yesterday, and it still does. I am not American, and until early 2003 I had never been to New York. On 9/11, I didn’t lose a loved one or a friend. But I remember seeing the second plane hit the building live on TV and, just as promised, it was a day that changed history.

It was a day that marked the expansion of the global village. Somehow the world seemed to immediately know something had happened- it was as though a sharp intake of breath occurred simultaneously around the globe. Work was forgotten. Holidays cancelled. Business trips prolonged or postponed. We all remember where we were that day and how we headed for our homes just as quickly as we were able to.

It was a day when family and friends were suddenly more valued. In a moment security could never again be taken for granted. Five years ago, when I first wrote this article in the UK we were awaiting the attack me felt in that moment to be imminent, and our leaders were telling us was inevitable. In the end, we were spared by something of a miracle the same extent loss of life when Islamic extremists attacked our underground system. If their devices had been more potent, everyone on each of those subway trains would have died. Just in the last few days through the conviction of those responsible for the liquid explosives plot to destroy multiple planes over the Atlantic we have been reminded that the risk has not gone away.

It was a day when a war was declared that by our own admission can never be won. It was a day that we all pray will never be surpassed in the sheer scale of its cruelty, although the same evil displayed has been amply displayed since in various attacks.

It was a call to fight, but also a call to reach out. It led immediately to many unanswered questions- How could people act in this way? Why was anyone willing to be sympathetic to the views of such men? Why was condemnation not forthcoming from every member of the world? Why did some people hate Americans?

What really saddens me to this day is that even such an act, or acts such as torturing and murdering schoolchildren is not enough to make every single person throughout the world state “this is evil and we renounce it totally” I hope that today brings shame to those who in the past have toyed with terrorism- the Irish Terrorists and those who funded them, for example. For Irish terrorism and other groups around the globe helped to lay the foundations and show the way for small groups of people to hold the entire world to ransom. I may not have been in New York before this year, but I have felt the blast wave of two IRA bombs in London.

In the end 911 was, however, a single day. A very important day, but it was nonetheless just a day. Part of history that can never be erased but just one day. We have had evil days before and we will have them again. Without minimising the pain of this day, or for a moment suggesting that we should turn back the clock or stop commemorating it, it was just a day. Somehow such days must be integrated and life must continue, as indeed it has.

I am glad that for my family this date in the year we also have positive connotations to remember it by in the future. Today (five years ago) my brother got married. I am glad that this was on 9/11 because why should we let the terrorists totally occupy the territory of one of our 365 days? Do they also now own another one after 3/11 in Spain? What about 7/7 when they attacked London? Can nothing good ever happen again on 9/11?

I thank God today, a few hours before Americans will realise its 911 for all the marriages that have taken place on 9/11, for all the babies that have been born, for all the human achievements that have been completed, and in short for all the lives that continue this 9/11.

Our very resilience and determination shows that terrorism will never beat the human spirit. Sadly, one of the costs of living in freedom is that evil men will always have the opportunity to strike again. I am glad that I am not the leaders responsible for trying to minimise our risks. It is easy to criticise, but today of all days lets pray for wisdom for Obama, for Brown and for all other world leaders.