By general agreement South Africa has done a good job in organising the World Cup, with a warm welcome and a party atmosphere. At its best sport can unite races and nations, as South Africa knows from the Rugby World Cup in 1995 (the film Invictus gives a fairly accurate but over-romanticised account).
It has been good to see the evident delight of all South Africans. The risen Lord, ‘the ruler of the kings of the earth’ (Revelation 1:5) would approve.
But not all is well. The football thus far has been widely seen as dull and unimaginative (but keep an eye on Argentina). The ubiquitous vuvuzelas have not won universal acclaim. The unpleasant pillorying of England goalkeeper Rob Green in the British press confirms humanity’s ability to exploit failures.
More seriously, it is likely that when the World Cup moves on some underlying problems will be unchanged. There has been genuine joy in the townships of Alex and Soweto, but when it is all over the poverty and injustice will remain. The risen Lord who will return to hold all to account (Revelation 1:7) would not approve.
Meanwhile the report on the Bloody Sunday killings has been published. It remains to be seen whether this brings resolution or whether the blame game will continue. Perhaps something could be learnt from the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Truth matters – but so does forgiveness. Ultimately this can only be found in and through the risen Lord who ‘loves us and has freed us from our sins’ (Revelation 1:5).
John Grayston
Monday, 21 June 2010
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Oiling the wheels of arrogance
The oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico will not go away. It is an environmental disaster of unimaginable proportions. It has economic impact locally and more widely as share prices tumble, dividends are threatened and pension funds depleted. There are political implications for both President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron.
BP is an easy whipping boy, and may, or may not, have been irresponsible or criminally negligent in search of quick profit. But there are deeper issues.
Our insatiable desire for energy to run our cars and freezers, planes and air conditioners, and pursue a constantly increasing standard of living, forces us to push technology to the limits. And when we push technology to the limits we increase the risk of things going wrong.
But still we believe, convinced that technology will always have an answer and will be the ultimate provider of all our needs.
In the end, whatever we may like to think, we are not invincible. We fall into the same trap as Samson. One success and we believe that we can do anything. Our own wisdom and our own strength become the weapons of choice and technology the preferred deity.
For us, as for Samson, the result of this arrogance is disaster. Determining what divine wisdom might be in the Gulf or on the broader issues around economic growth may not be easy. But at least to acknowledge that there is a divine wisdom and to start the search for it would be a step forward.
For Samson the realisation came too late, but for us…
Meanwhile the World Cup is underway. Perhaps Samson is instructive here too. Physical strength is not all that matters – watch this space for developments.
John Grayston
BP is an easy whipping boy, and may, or may not, have been irresponsible or criminally negligent in search of quick profit. But there are deeper issues.
Our insatiable desire for energy to run our cars and freezers, planes and air conditioners, and pursue a constantly increasing standard of living, forces us to push technology to the limits. And when we push technology to the limits we increase the risk of things going wrong.
But still we believe, convinced that technology will always have an answer and will be the ultimate provider of all our needs.
In the end, whatever we may like to think, we are not invincible. We fall into the same trap as Samson. One success and we believe that we can do anything. Our own wisdom and our own strength become the weapons of choice and technology the preferred deity.
For us, as for Samson, the result of this arrogance is disaster. Determining what divine wisdom might be in the Gulf or on the broader issues around economic growth may not be easy. But at least to acknowledge that there is a divine wisdom and to start the search for it would be a step forward.
For Samson the realisation came too late, but for us…
Meanwhile the World Cup is underway. Perhaps Samson is instructive here too. Physical strength is not all that matters – watch this space for developments.
John Grayston
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
We has an App
This week Scripture Union launches WordLive for the iPad and iPhone.
WordLive has organically grown from the digital ground up as it communicates the Bible through word, sound,image and video seamlessly. At WordLive’s launch in 2008 it could be accessed on the web, via email, RSS and podcast. Since then the ability for people to access WordLive.org completely with their mobile phone has been added.
Because of the digital nature of WordLive, Scripture Union can respond to the changing needs and preferences of the 25,000+ users and ensure that WordLive always delivers the best-fit Bible experience for every individual.
With Apple’s launch of the iPad, it was clear that an opportunity had arrived for WordLive to take the next step forward. James Burden, Associate Director for publishing at Scripture Union said ‘We’d been reviewing the possibility of creating an iPhone-specific version of the WordLive experience, and with the arrival of the iPad, the match between the word and multimedia was perfect for a new application’.
Baigent Digital has developed the iPad application for WordLive, which is expected to be available via the Apple store this month. The application brings the daily WordLive multi-media content into an interface specifically designed for the iPad and iPhone.
James is enthusiastic about the future for Christian publishing. ‘With digital products like WordLive and the
ever-increasing interactivity of the online experience, we have an opportunity to communicate the Christian faith in greater richness and depth. Scripture Union is very excited about continuing its digital future and ready to take on the opportunities that it brings to ensure everyone is given the opportunity to engage with the Bible in a way that suits them’.
WordLive has organically grown from the digital ground up as it communicates the Bible through word, sound,image and video seamlessly. At WordLive’s launch in 2008 it could be accessed on the web, via email, RSS and podcast. Since then the ability for people to access WordLive.org completely with their mobile phone has been added.
Because of the digital nature of WordLive, Scripture Union can respond to the changing needs and preferences of the 25,000+ users and ensure that WordLive always delivers the best-fit Bible experience for every individual.
With Apple’s launch of the iPad, it was clear that an opportunity had arrived for WordLive to take the next step forward. James Burden, Associate Director for publishing at Scripture Union said ‘We’d been reviewing the possibility of creating an iPhone-specific version of the WordLive experience, and with the arrival of the iPad, the match between the word and multimedia was perfect for a new application’.
Baigent Digital has developed the iPad application for WordLive, which is expected to be available via the Apple store this month. The application brings the daily WordLive multi-media content into an interface specifically designed for the iPad and iPhone.
James is enthusiastic about the future for Christian publishing. ‘With digital products like WordLive and the
ever-increasing interactivity of the online experience, we have an opportunity to communicate the Christian faith in greater richness and depth. Scripture Union is very excited about continuing its digital future and ready to take on the opportunities that it brings to ensure everyone is given the opportunity to engage with the Bible in a way that suits them’.
Monday, 7 June 2010
All at sea?
The fall out from the Israeli raid on ships carrying supplies to Gaza rumbles on. These are enormously complex issues with economic, political, historical, ethnic, religious overtones. President Obama can acknowledges the need for a permanent solution, but successive attempts by different administrations over a long period of time have failed to secure one.
A superficial look at the Judges readings this week could lend support to the idea that the land, including Gaza, is God’s gift to Israel and that the Palestinians have no place there. But a more thorough reading comes up with a different conclusion.
The whole point of Judges is that the gift of the land is not absolute but conditional. When Israel broke the covenant the land was occupied by oppressors. Indeed, Judges goes further; other nations are allowed by God to remain in order to test Israel’s resolve to remain true to God (Judges 2:20–23).
Keeping the covenant requires loving one’s neighbour (Leviticus 19:18), and caring for the alien (Exodus 22:21). This may cause us to think more deeply and pray more carefully.
In the verses we shall read on Saturday Paul reminds us that we are to accept one another (Romans 15:7). This brings it closer to home.
We may not feel that we can do much to foster Middle East peace (although we may be able to do more than we think), but we can live our lives knowing that God’s grace requires that we keep his covenant. And if individuals start to do that, who knows what the wider effect might be?
John Grayston
A superficial look at the Judges readings this week could lend support to the idea that the land, including Gaza, is God’s gift to Israel and that the Palestinians have no place there. But a more thorough reading comes up with a different conclusion.
The whole point of Judges is that the gift of the land is not absolute but conditional. When Israel broke the covenant the land was occupied by oppressors. Indeed, Judges goes further; other nations are allowed by God to remain in order to test Israel’s resolve to remain true to God (Judges 2:20–23).
Keeping the covenant requires loving one’s neighbour (Leviticus 19:18), and caring for the alien (Exodus 22:21). This may cause us to think more deeply and pray more carefully.
In the verses we shall read on Saturday Paul reminds us that we are to accept one another (Romans 15:7). This brings it closer to home.
We may not feel that we can do much to foster Middle East peace (although we may be able to do more than we think), but we can live our lives knowing that God’s grace requires that we keep his covenant. And if individuals start to do that, who knows what the wider effect might be?
John Grayston
Monday, 24 May 2010
No money left?
The question of resources will be important over the coming weeks, as the coalition government wrestles with how to balance the national budget through making cuts in key areas. The new Chief Secretary to the Treasury revealed that his predecessor left him a note saying: 'I'm afraid there's no money left; good luck!'
The Duchess of York has been trapped by a Sunday paper asking for £500,000 for introductions to her former husband Prince Andrew which perhaps shows the desperation felt by those with no resources – though many commentators wonder whether it says more about the paper's desperation to increase circulation.
In the second half of the week, the readings in Acts focus on the conflict between Peter and the Jewish authorities, at a time when BA is enmeshed in conflict with cabin crew and there is continued serious conflict in Thailand, once famed for its peacefulness. In Paris, French farmers managed to find an altogether more peaceful way of making their protests known.
The remarkable provision of God, and courage of leadership in the face of conflict, leads to a boldness for all the believers. Stories of courage this week include the conquest of Everest by Bonita Norris, the youngest British woman to do so. The courage of bomb-disposal experts is also making news in the light of the apparent lack of resources.
Surprisingly, in the context of so many other technologies, radio listening has reached an all-time high which could have important implications for the communication of the gospel.
Ian Paul
The Duchess of York has been trapped by a Sunday paper asking for £500,000 for introductions to her former husband Prince Andrew which perhaps shows the desperation felt by those with no resources – though many commentators wonder whether it says more about the paper's desperation to increase circulation.
In the second half of the week, the readings in Acts focus on the conflict between Peter and the Jewish authorities, at a time when BA is enmeshed in conflict with cabin crew and there is continued serious conflict in Thailand, once famed for its peacefulness. In Paris, French farmers managed to find an altogether more peaceful way of making their protests known.
The remarkable provision of God, and courage of leadership in the face of conflict, leads to a boldness for all the believers. Stories of courage this week include the conquest of Everest by Bonita Norris, the youngest British woman to do so. The courage of bomb-disposal experts is also making news in the light of the apparent lack of resources.
Surprisingly, in the context of so many other technologies, radio listening has reached an all-time high which could have important implications for the communication of the gospel.
Ian Paul
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Tales of the unexpected
In this week's WordLive readings we focus on the events of the first Pentecost and the birth of the Church. A key theme throughout Acts is the bursting in of the unexpected, which then turns out to be a new expression of what God has in fact always been doing. ‘This is that’, explains Peter (Acts 2:16, AV).
Interestingly, Luke introduces all this as the legacy, or perhaps even continuing ministry of Jesus himself. This week there has been plenty of reflection on the legacy of Gordon Brown’s leadership: was it one of towering achievements or massive flaws? As in Acts (5:38,39), only time will tell.
There is plenty in the news about the unexpected. The unpredictable (and unpronounceable!) Icelandic volcano once again seems set to upset our well-organised travel plans. And the continuing crisis in Greece is making people rethink their assumptions about how Europe should work.
But alongside the unexpected bad comes the unexpected good – sometimes in spite of it, sometimes because of it.
Who thought that England would beat Australia in an international cricket competition? Or that gold would be found in Cornish mines?
That a teenage girl would defeat hard-bitten shepherds in a sheepdog trial, or that a boy born blind would learn to ‘see’ using clicks and echoes? Even the left-handed are better off than we thought they were.
Yet the breaking in of the new and unexpected demands new patterns of living (Acts 2:43–47); new wine needs new wineskins. We continue to find it a struggle to develop healthy patterns of living in response to the demands of technology.
Ian Paul
Interestingly, Luke introduces all this as the legacy, or perhaps even continuing ministry of Jesus himself. This week there has been plenty of reflection on the legacy of Gordon Brown’s leadership: was it one of towering achievements or massive flaws? As in Acts (5:38,39), only time will tell.
There is plenty in the news about the unexpected. The unpredictable (and unpronounceable!) Icelandic volcano once again seems set to upset our well-organised travel plans. And the continuing crisis in Greece is making people rethink their assumptions about how Europe should work.
But alongside the unexpected bad comes the unexpected good – sometimes in spite of it, sometimes because of it.
Who thought that England would beat Australia in an international cricket competition? Or that gold would be found in Cornish mines?
That a teenage girl would defeat hard-bitten shepherds in a sheepdog trial, or that a boy born blind would learn to ‘see’ using clicks and echoes? Even the left-handed are better off than we thought they were.
Yet the breaking in of the new and unexpected demands new patterns of living (Acts 2:43–47); new wine needs new wineskins. We continue to find it a struggle to develop healthy patterns of living in response to the demands of technology.
Ian Paul
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Did you have a spiritual Bank Holiday?
We just had a Bank Holiday in the UK. A day when the weekend gets extended and people all over the country get on with DIY or get away for a break. Both of these activities are ways of reassessing who and what we are. DIY enables us to get rid of the old and bring in the new, while a nice break is designed to refresh the parts other Mondays can not reach.
But what about our spiritual selves? Do we have some specific time to reassess how we are doing in our spiritual relationship? Do we believe input from church on Sundays and perhaps at home group is sufficient? Does visiting WordLive everyday fulfil our spiritual check-up?
I'm not suggesting that we need to do more, but I am suggesting we take stock once in a while. It is easy to get stuck in a spiritual rut and simply go through the motions. Why not take some time to give your spirituality a check up; a spiritual Bank Holiday? Take some time to reassess and recommit to meeting God through the Bible and prayer - oh, and Wordlive is quite a good way to help you with that.
But what about our spiritual selves? Do we have some specific time to reassess how we are doing in our spiritual relationship? Do we believe input from church on Sundays and perhaps at home group is sufficient? Does visiting WordLive everyday fulfil our spiritual check-up?
I'm not suggesting that we need to do more, but I am suggesting we take stock once in a while. It is easy to get stuck in a spiritual rut and simply go through the motions. Why not take some time to give your spirituality a check up; a spiritual Bank Holiday? Take some time to reassess and recommit to meeting God through the Bible and prayer - oh, and Wordlive is quite a good way to help you with that.
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