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