To end, to reflect, to move on.

Well I have now come to the end of my time on sabbatical and will return to pastoral duties on Monday. During this time I have averaged reading a book a week as well as dipping into a few other tomes along the way.  Generally I am not a very fast reader, but reading almost everyday with a purpose seems to have helped me speed up a bit. I am still paying my " Homage to Catalonia" partly because I have been slightly sidetracked into reading at the same time  "The Long Walk to Freedom"  by Nelson Mandela after hearing him quoted in a sermon recently.

Reading both Orwell's fiction and non fiction I was struck by how relevant a lot of what he wrote still is, both in regard to relationships and politics. The poor and homeless he describes may not be around today, but there are still the poor and homeless. The totalitarian states he identified may be long gone, but there are still parts of the world where people are oppressed by the state. And of course there will probably always be plenty of overweight, middle-aged men around, hankering after days done by.

There is still lots more on Niebuhr that I want to read so that I can delve deeper into what he was saying and how it is still relevant to my faith and society today. The thinking of Niebuhr lead to an approach called "Christian Realism". This seems to steer a course between the over optimistic view of the world that believes  humans will keep getting better and one day solve every problem, and a pessimistic view that says we are all going to hell in a handcart and all we can do is wait for the final judgement when God will sort it all out.

What I have found really helpful is Niebuhr's unpacking of human sinfulness.  As I have understood it, and very simply put, humans need to acknowledge sinfulness not just in the bad done but also in relation to motives for doing good. When humanity recognises what Niebuhr identifies as the sin of pride then relationships between people and with God might just become more meaningful and honest.  Also when it comes to groups or nations there can be a tendency to seek to justify actions that are known not always to be good for some people but serve a particular cause.

The great hope I hear in Niebuhr is that in the end God will bring to fullness all things in the Kingdom of Heaven. Realism tells us that because this is beyond time and because all humanity is finite, we will not see it in our earthly life.  However that does not mean that we do nothing until the " Day of The Lord". This hope is the goal we always have before us as we work to bring love and justice to a fallen world.

I need to do lots more thinking and reflecting on all of this to make sure I have not got hold of the wrong end of the proverbial stick, but in our present times I think Niebuhr might have something to contribute.

So this will be the last of this type of blog. If you have followed the posts over the last weeks thank you, I hope they have been of some interest.

At the moment because of the on going coronavirus situation I am not too sure about what lays ahead. However I intend to post a brief video Monday, Wednesday and Friday sharing  some morning meditation /prayers. I will see how that goes for a start off and in the spirit of Niebuhr make changes if needed.

Orwell                               Niebuhr                            Extras

Loving God

We thank you for times when we can learn.

Learn about You,

Learn about each other,

Learn new skills.

We  thank you for the gifts you have given to us.

Gifts that are so varied.

Gifts we see in others.

Gifts other used to enrich our lives.

We pray for those who are prevented  

from learning or using their gifts.

We pray for a world where justice and love

overcome evil and hate.

We pray for all in need this day 

because of the coronavirus situation;

those worried about money or employment;

those recovering from illness due to the virus;

those who are lonely or fearful.

Gracious God may you love and comfort 

surround and up hold them;

and may you show us all

how to serve each other.

This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ;

Our Lord and our Saviour.

Amen

Coming Up for Air

In " Coming up For Air" George Bowling finds himself reminiscing on his childhood days as he reflects on his life as an overweight, middle aged, married man with new false teeth.  It is 1938 and we are treated to a narration about his life in Lower Binfield before the First World War. I was reminded of Laurie Lee's "Cider with Rosie" (written much later of course and based after the First World War not before) as I read about George growing up. He is so influenced by his memories and so fed up with his life at the moment that he decides to return to the place of his birth, believing that in some way this will rejuvenate / refresh him. Of course he has not been there in over twenty years and when he finally arrives......well let's say he leaves far from being rejuvenated or refreshed.

There is always a temptation to look back to the time when we were younger and wish for a return to those days, especially if things are not going the way we want then to. I can remember being brought up in a large church with all sorts going on. An early memory is watching Woody Woodpecker films in a Sunday School hut one Christmas Fair. We had drama groups, a large youth club, which I ran for a while and the beautiful modern church was always full on a Sunday. For whatever reasons its not like that now and I am not too sure that trying to return to those days of my childhood will bring the outcomes wanted. Like George we might find that things have moved on too far and what we thought was still there has gone forever.

The Methodist Conference this year voted to adopt a new strategy for Evangelism and Growth. 
see:

Evangelism and Growth

It will be interesting to see how this works out , but I am sure will be forward and not backward looking. The reality is that we cannot go back to the way things were no matter how good it might have been, and just because something worked back in those days it does not mean it will work for today and tomorrow.

There is an episode in the book that really struck me. It is when George is at a lecture given by an anti fascist speaker. Remember this is 1938, a time when the British Government was appeasing Nazi Germany and people like Churchill were considered warmongers. Yet in what Orwell writes in this novel you can see a real understanding of what was going on at the time. Orwell had grasped the dangers of what was happening in Germany and it seems to me uses his book to express his concerns as he writes it in late 1938 early 1939. It just got me thinking about some of the injustices that are happening today and how we might express our concerns. At the meeting George goes to the anti fascist speaker appears to be very vitriolic seeking to work up hatred in the audience towards those he believes are not just wrong but evil. Now this speaker is obviously right to oppose fascism and stand against it, but is the way he does it the right one?  I wonder whether it can be easy even today to fall into the trap of acting in just as bad a way as evil people by the way we oppose them. I am reminded of the words of Jesus to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors, but what does this mean in modern day reality? How can we oppose what is evil and seek justice and still love those who are evil?  What happens if there is a clash between love and justice?

As I am starting to understand a little more of Niebuhr's thinking the question of Christian love and justice is a interesting one. He seems to recognise that sometimes coercion in society of some type is needed to attain justice. This might go against a pure view of loving our enemies as actions are taken to stop them from doing whatever it is that is wrong. In an ideal world where every one treated each other with love this would not be needed but the reality is that we do not and never will live in an ideal world this side of the Lord's return. It seems to me that Niebuhr points to justice as being the highest form of love; so probably through seeking justice we can still love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

I really enjoyed reading "Coming up For Air" , perhaps because I am an overweight middle aged man. Now that travel restrictions have been lifted I am off to pay my  "Homage to Catalonia".

Loving God

We thank you for all the good memories we have;

for the smiles they bring to us,

for the support they give us.

Help us to use our memories to look to the future

with hope in our hearts

so that we can find new ways to follow and serve You.

We pray for those parts of the world where there is a need of justice,

and for those who are standing up against

and speaking out against injustice.

Help us to find ways to express our concern for justice

that shows Your love for all creation.

Guide us in what we do and say

so that the glory may be Yours

This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ

Our Lord and Saviour

Amen

Money and Pride.

The main character in Orwell's "Keep the Aspidistra Flying" is Gordon Comstock. Now my feelings towards Gordon are a bit ambivalent. In one way I can admire where he is coming from, in other ways I find him infuriating. The story is about his attempt to shun the "money god" of society as he sees it. This means he gives up a "good" job to work in a bookshop for little money, rents a cheap room and settles down to be a writer. Although he has a book of poems published the truth is that his poems are not cutting the mustard, so to speak. Throughout the story he often lapses into bemoaning his situation stating that is all because he does not have money. Now my admiration is for his principled attempt not to have money at the centre of his life and his attempt to find happiness without depending upon it. The problem is so often money is needed to ensure that happiness. He is so principled that for much of the story when he is in need he refuses the help of Rosemary, his girlfriend, and Ravelston, his well off friend who runs a magazine; although he does constantly "borrow" off his sister Julia. When he does come into some money he blows it in one nights revelling, taking these friends out and insisting on paying for everything. In his attempts to spurn the "money god" Gordon ends up living in a hovel, working in a 2d lending library on 30 bob a week. (In today's money around £105, working at around £1.90 an hour). He can live this way and to some extent his pride keeps telling him that it is what he wants, but it is a living that seems without a future, without hope.

What is infuriating is the way he treats the woman who loves him, Rosemary, and his good friend Ravelston. His pride will not let them help him and the way he often treats them makes you wonder why they stick with him at all. Rosemary even manages to get him his old " good job" back, but he still does not want it.

This got me thinking about two things, money and pride.  I wonder whether a point Orwell makes through Gordon is that we are all caught up in a world where money really does make it go round and it is very difficult to try and live as though this were not the case. The reality is that we all need money to live, and a certain amount of money to live to a certain standard. 1 Timothy 6:10 says this:

"For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." (NLT)

This is often misquoted saying money is the root of all evil. Well it does not say this. The love of money and craving for it is what is wrong and leads people away from faith in God. Why? Well because this love and craving takes over and replaces a love and craving for God. In this sense I think Gordon has got it right. Where he gets it wrong for me is with his pride.

I am beginning to find out  more about Niebuhr's view that pride is one of humanities greatest sins. Pride can be a type of attitude that sees what you are doing as being in the right and can have an element of self righteousness about it.  In some ways like money it can become the centre of who you are. Gordon believes his way is so right he refuses the help of others or even to consider their feelings. He refuses to compromise in order to make things better for himself even if it makes those who love him suffer. I wonder whether pride can get in the way of developing healthy relationships with others and with God.

So what happens to Gordon in the end? Well you will need to read to book to find out, but one thing I can tell you is that he does " Keep the Aspidistra Flying".

Now on to "Coming up for Air".

Loving God

We thank You that You provide for all our needs.

Help us to use the money we have and earn wisely;

help us not to make money our master 

but a servant in our lives.

In those times when we find pride creeping

into what we do or what we believe,

help us to see things in the light of the Holy Spirit,

so that pride does not come between 

our relationships with others and with You.

We pray for those who are in financial difficulties today;

perhaps because of what is happening with the economy

due to the coronavirus situation.

We pray that they may find the help they need,

and that we may all show a generosity towards each other, 

just as You are always generous towards us.

Amen