It's a small world

it's a small world With the Beijing Olympics over, the flag has been passed on to London. The Global Village may be a cliché, but the fact is we live in a connected world.

Whilst the games took place in Beijing, the focus was the world. More than 200 nations were represented – more than in the UN. And now athletes, officials, media people and visitors have scattered to the ends of the earth.

This connectedness is not just about warm feelings or the availability of information. Events in one place can have a much wider significance than it first seems. Last week’s terrible plane crash in Madrid didn’t just affect Spain. Victims came from 11 other countries. And the Spanish airline involved is owned by SAS, a joint Danish, Norwegian and Swedish company.

The openness of the world also exposes things which some would prefer to be hidden. Last week, women in Swaziland – one of the poorest countries in the world – demonstrated against a shopping trip to Europe and the Middle East undertaken by 9 of the king’s 13 wives. 1

And as for Gary Glitter, his world became a smaller place with 19 countries refusing him entry. He had no option other than to return to Britain. 2

This week’s readings have this global perspective. But look deeper and you’ll see much more, a glorious cosmic vision!

Emlyn Williams

1http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7574824.stm 2http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2601785/Gary-Glitter-vows-to-clear-his-name-after-travesty-of-justice-in-Vietnam.html

Who'd be a leader?

Barack Obama is back home, fresh from wowing millions of Germans.

After months of speculation, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says that he will stand down in September.

The media see the Anglican Bishops’ Lambeth Conference as some kind of a test of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s leadership (maybe they reached their conclusions about the outcome even before it started).

Meanwhile the British Labour Party is facing its own leadership issues.

And – perhaps predictably – the England cricket team’s test match against South Africa has provoked questions about captain Michael Vaughan.

All this without me even mentioning Robert Mugabe… Leadership is as big an issue as ever.

Leadership challenge
Leaders appear to have great power. But the reality is often different. Those they are supposed to lead can soon tire of the leadership they have cried for.

Already, some Germans seem to be a little less keen than they were on what an Obama presidency might bring. Still, they won’t be voting for him or anyone else in the US.

So this coming week’s readings in WordLive may challenge some of our thinking about leadership. Old Testament leaders weren’t too bothered by opinion polls. But then how much do we ask what God thinks?

And as for Jesus, his leadership challenged the religious and national leaders of his day. How would he fare in today’s confused climate?

Emlyn Williams