There’s no escaping religion it seems. In London, humanists – with the help of finance from Richard Dawkins – have been putting reassuring posters on the side of buses: ‘There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.’1 Who’s keeping God on the public agenda now?
In Kabul, however, religious faith is seen in much more serious terms. The murder of Christian charity worker Gayle Williams puts ‘enjoy your life’ into a different perspective.
According to Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, she had been executed ‘because she was working for an organisation which was preaching Christianity in Afghanistan’. Her mother said that, ‘Gayle was serving a people that she loved, and felt God called her to be there for such a time as this.’2
Sadly, bravery is not always valued highly by everyone. In South Wales plaques from a war memorial have been stolen for the scrap value of the metal.3 For this year’s Remembrance Day event a mounted and framed image of the former plaques will substitute.
This week’s readings are clear on one thing at least. Faith in God is no crutch – obedience demands great courage. Yet however bad things may seem, we’re never really alone. Remembering what God has done in the past is vital.
Emlyn Williams
1 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/3229106/Prof-Richard-Dawkins-drives-support-for-Londons-first-atheist-bus-advert.html
2 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/killed-for-being-christian-967668.html
3 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/7688300.stm
Tuesday 28 October 2008
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