Vale December!

"I could do so much more. SO MUCH MORE! But this is what I get. My reward, and it's NOT FAIR! Oh, lived too long."

The Tenth Doctor - The End of Time

The Tenth Doctor contemplates his imminent regeneration.

As I write these words, we are fast approaching the end of yet another year. For some of you the time has already come and for others, the moment has already passed. The old year has no doubt been eventful... or maybe it hasn't. A good year; a bad year; An awful year; A dull year; A wonderful year.

Or to quote the far more eloquent Charles Dickens:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way..."

Whatever our personal circumstances may be, we find ourselves at this common point... the old world of 2010 is dying and we are on the cusp of venturing forth into a new one. To be sure, pretty much all of us could have done more with the year gone by... but that deal is done.  The old is passing... the new is coming. Like the Doctor in  the haunting track "Vale Decem", we find ourselves facing the truth... however uncomfortable or comforting.... it is time to start again... time to regenerate.

We may have become accustomed to the form we have taken over the past 12 months and perhaps the trepidation of shaking of that manifestation outweighs our anxiousness to embrace what may or may not come to pass along the road to the future. Or perhaps for some of you it's a matter of being trapped in that form and yearning for release into a new you, a better destiny.

Everything we experience personally in life be it for good or ill... has the capacity to teach us and shape us into better individuals.  The same truth applies to society (with the things we experience collectively). New Year's Eve is a time to contemplate what has been - both the joys and the sorrows, and glean what wisdom we can from our exploits (or lack of).

However... there is a problem.

We as human beings become very accustomed to familiar patterns. Animals have migration patterns - they tread the same trails, thermals and/or currents... generation after generation. As an intellectual and/or spiritual species, are we not guilty of the same love of routine? Animals follow their patterns for practical reasons... but do we do the same?

Or is it just habit?

I recently went to watch Voyage of the Dawntreader at the cinema with one of my friends. It was a good film... but I was seriously disappointed at how one of my favourite scenes from the entire book saga was downplayed.

It's the crucial scene where Eustace Scrubb - victim of an enchantment that rendered him in the form of a dragon... is released from his scaled prison and restored to boyhood. It is an absolutely crucial scene because it marks the final transformation of Eustace from a spoiled and horrid brat, into a considerate and well-meaning person. Of course his circumstances had humbled him and he had evolved to a point where he treated others with more kindness... but he still needed to be released from his monstrous visage; after all, he could hardly go back to WWII era England looking like a giant lizard (although i suppose he could have proved useful in the war effort).  The book makes it absolutely clear that Eustace could not free himself. He rips himself raw at Aslan's command... and yet still the dragon remains.

The call to 2011 is upon us and as we try and rip away our habits and hang ups, still the vestiges of our dragonly clothing desperately cling to us. How many weeks will we last before a resolution is broken and we fall back? Six weeks? Two? A day? An hour?

We find ourselves in the same pickle as Eustace.

How did he escape?

Aslan drew nearer to Eustace and made him understand that in order to be free of his past, he needed to allow the lion to rip the dragon out from deep within. For the dragon was with Eustace well before he took its form. Aslan's power tore the scales from Eustace and after bathing in water, the beast was gone and the boy had returned. It is of course a picture of repentance and baptism.

The Dragon Eustace, before Aslan.

So how can we escape our dragons?

The answer is clear... we need to surrender to the tender voice of God and allow him to rob us and robe us.  We must be robbed of our conformity to old patterns... and robed in the way of new life.

You may have reservations... but if I may once more quote Dickens:

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known"

That sentence sums up for me what it means to surrender to God. It is not about physical death. You do not need to to physically die to experience God's rest... or  his peace...

...or his love.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."

2 Corinthians 5:17-19

As we let go of '10, let us embrace '11 together in a spirit of new hope and new adventure (whatever the critics may say.

Farewell 2010.

Vale December.

15 Films

It's been some time since I have taken part in a meme and having stumbled upon the latest offering on Alastair's blog, I thought it was high time that I threw my two-penneth in. I made my list within the 15 minutes and then went back and added a sentence or two as to why I'd made those choices.

So, here are the rules in case you want to have a go:

• Fifteen films you’ve seen that will always stick with you.
• Don’t take too long to think about it.
• List the first fifteen films you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.
• Not in order of preference.  

The Star Wars Trilogy (Original)

I know it's slightly cheating to have a trilogy as a single choice... but I've always had trouble separating the original trilogy out as separate entities, partly due to the fact that my father first took me to see Star Wars (as A New Hope was known then) and The Empire Strikes Back, as a double bill in 1980. There are two reasons why Star Wars is at the top of the list - I have special memories of queuing up (just me and my dad), to see it... and at the tender age of 6, it heralded the beginning of my ongoing, eternal love affair of all things science fiction and fantasy.

 

Amélie

Amélie is a wonderfully off beat surreal romantic comedy, it is completely on my wavelength and the film's titular, central character as portrayed by Audrey Tautou... in many ways encapsulates the Holy Grail of what I consider to be the perfect woman.

O Brother Where Art Thou?

Talking off offbeat comedies, O Brother Where Art Thou? is another classic example. Created by the Coen brothers, the film follows the exploits of three fugitives who traverse Depression era Mississippi in search of loot. It parodies Homer's Odyssey and is a brilliant example of quirky humour and clever direction.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

The 6th Star Trek Outing is in my opinion, the finest film offering, featuring all the original cast (also, notably the last). It is a true ensemble piece ... all the characters have something to do and the plot actually carries a lot of political intrigue as well. You really get the feeling that this film is a swan song... right up to and including the cast signatures that zoom off into space at the end credits.

The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is that rare thing... a film that satirizes and pokes fun at its own genre genre... whilst remaining utterly faithful to its conventions. It fully retains the heart and soul of what composes the very best fairy tales. I consider Shrek and Stardust to be modern day inheritors of the mantle first worn by this film.

Amistad

Amistad is probably the first film I went to see, where the audience left in almost complete silence. It portrays the ordeal of illegal slaves with graphic honesty, and portrays the legal battle (from a US perspective)to win their release... it shows mankind behaving at its best and its worst. This is a film you should have on your shelf with Amazing Grace... the two films portray the same moral and ethical battle from different but equally relevant angles.

The House of Flying Daggers

The House of Flying Daggers came out smack bang in the middle of a clutch of martial arts films, produced and set in the oriental world. I consider it to be finest of these, the one I most closely relate to personally. A tragic love story set in the middle of a struggle between two warring factions. It may not be as eloquent as Shakespeare, but it certainly explores similar themes., on a similar scale... and the scenery is just a joy to behold. The final fight scene remains etched on my brain to this day.

Highlander

I first saw Highlander when I was a 15 year old on residential retreat with my school's year, at Soli House. I have very fond memories of that week in general... but I loved the film with its centuries spanning epic tale of duelling swordsman. I consider the musical sequence where Connor McLeod (Christopher Lambert), is taught the skills he needs to learn, by his mentor - Ramirez (Sean Connery), as perhaps the best training montage sequence I have ever seen. People often mistakenly attribute the films entire soundtrack to Queen... but in fairness, the late Michael Kamen deserves credit for his work on the highly memorable score. One word of advice though... avoid the sequels.

Love Actually

Love Actually is a film that is in grievous danger of eclipsing The Great Escape as the perennial film that is on television, every Christmas (if not every bank holiday). Nevertheless, it's strength lies in the interwoven multiplicity of its story arcs and decent acting from an ensemble cast of mainly British actors. It's a film that, depending on where you are at and what your views on love are... you can appreciate in a variety of different ways. If you want to know my favourite arc... just ask.

The Matrix

To me, The Matrix is a film about self discovery and overcoming the barriers of internal doubt and external resistance to become the person you are meant to be... I think there's a lesson in there for all of us. It's sequels are not as strong (I would argue they could have done with being condensed into a single film... and even then they still don't match up to the expectations of the original), but are still enjoyable enough... if a little self important. Nevertheless the original film remains groundbreaking.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still is by far and away the oldest film on my list... but it is a science fiction classic and thoroughly deserves its place on my list.  A Christlike alien arrives in 50's America bringing a message of peace... and is treated with fear and hostility by the government of the day. It came out when the Cold War was still in its early days... and warned of the dangers mankind faced playing with its new "toys". A strong pacifist message, quality acting by Michael Rennie and a message that is still as relevant today as it was back then, make this film a true vintage.

The Miracle Maker

Of all the films recounting the ministry and destiny of Jesus, The Miracle Maker ranks as my very favourite. Don't be deceived into thinking that because it is largely a claymation production, its appeal is restricted to children. The voice cast is top notch and I think the film works because the animation bypasses your stuffy adult defences and allows the richness of the acting and theology to work on you. There are several parts of this film that choke me up in tears like no other film about Christ really does.

La Vie Est Belle (Life is Beautiful)

Life is Beautiful is an utterly brilliant film. Some have criticised it for belittling the Holocaust. I don't think that's accurate... I believe the film carries an expectation of you to have a basic working knowledge of what actually happened in the Holocaust... and providing you have that, you'll appreciate this film's message. Schindler's List deals with the big picture... this film focuses on a single family unit. It is all the more clever because the first half of the film makes you fall in love with the central characters as their relationship develops and blossoms... which makes you sympathise and appreciate their struggles all the more during the second part of the film.

Starman

Starman is yet another film that deals with the arrival of a misunderstood, benevolent alien. It explores the nature of humanity in a deep and meaningful way... and doesn't really pull any punches (when Starman arrives, he takes the form of a recently widowed woman's deceased husband). The acting is top drawer... Jeff Bridges perfectly captures the awkward movements of an alien unused to operating a human form... and Karen Allen provides the emotional heart and soul to the film.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

I know... I'm cheating again, but there are good reasons. Firstly, the trilogy was a single production when it was made... it was just broken up into the traditional 3 parts because... well, who wants to sit in a cinema for 9 hours? However... remember what I said about my dad taking me to see the original Star Wars trilogy? Well, with Lord of the Rings I got to repay the favour... and I took him to see every single film.  So aside from the slick production values, the wonderful acting and the relatively successful translation of the books' key themes to screen, this film holds a special significance to me... because it completed a circle started 30 years ago by my father.

That's my 15... I'm all done. I'd love to hear your comments on my choices... and your alternative suggestions, please do leave me a line or two sharing your thoughts.

Stay.

A very Merry Christmas to each and every one of you... we've finally made it to the big day.

But now all the waiting is over, what should we do?

The modern world moves at an incredibly fast pace - once the counter gets to zero... we move on to the next big thing. Take a look around you: Britain's Got Talent, Dancing on Ice, I'm a Celebrity, Strictly Come Dancing, I'm a Celebrity, X Factor... society builds itself up for the hype, gets over excited at the climax... and then forgets all about it and moves on to the next thing in the calendar. I was watching The Truman Show again just the other day (brilliant film), and was reminded just how much the closing scene of that film perfectly captures the behaviour I'm describing. If you recall, the global viewing audience are overcome with euphoria and cheer ecstatically  as Truman (Jim Carrey), asserts his humanity over the false reality that has been built around him, steps through the doorway at the edge of the set... and finally enters the real world. Yet having been witness to this incredibly real and utterly human event... does it touch them in some way? No. Within seconds of the programme ending, they look in the TV schedules and switch channels to watch something else.

It is exactly the same with how we celebrate the seasons. No sooner is Christmas over, then the card shops will be promoting St. Valentine's Day, then Mothering Sunday, Easter, Father's Day... before completing the circle and returning to Christmas. I'll also wager that within a matter of weeks... maybe even days, the shelves will be crammed with Easter eggs. On Twitter I even saw tweets suggesting this was already occurring before Christmas! I wonder if it was like that in ancient times?

I wonder if it was at all like that for the first Christmas?

When the startled shepherds raced down from the hills after their angelic encounter... and stumbled, panting and exhausted in through the stable entrance, to witness the newborn infant Jesus; how long did they stay?

Did they just poke their heads round the door and say "Wow!!! That's awesome!!!" and then stroll back up the hill and go about their own business? Or what of the Magi... who encountered Jesus later in his infancy? Having travelled the breadth of the Middle East, did they just part with their precious gifts and head off back home?

I doubt it.

In both cases - the shepherds by virtue of special revelation; the Magi by virtue of their studies, each party understood that the event they were being called to witness was a deeply significant one. Every child born on Earth changes and shapes the future of this world... but the birth of Jesus heralded the arrival of the One who would alter the very destiny of humankind, both collectively and individually.

I somehow giving the circumstances of their visit, the shepherds and Magi may have remained in Christ's presence for more than a few minutes. I suspect that they remained for an hour or two at least. The Magi may have stayed somewhere in Bethlehem overnight, as they were warned in a dream to return home via another route.

But my question to you all this Christmas is simply... how long will you stay?

Will you simply tip your hat in Jesus direction, making the slightest acknowledgement of the reason behind the modern celebration? Or will you make an annual pilgrimage to a family church as an act of tradition... and then move on? Or perhaps you will shun the nativity in it's entirety... seeing it as no more than mere myth and an affront to your deeply held conviction in the power of reason? Or maybe, just maybe like the shepherds and Magi... you may find yourselves pondering who this child actually was or is.

And that is the one thing I want to leave you with this Christmas - the one challenge I ask of you:

Find some time to sit down amid the festivities... today, tonight, tomorrow or some other time this week when perhaps it is a little more quiet for you... and contemplate for yourself who Jesus is. Look on the child and think on he was, who he will become and what that means for you. Do not belittle the question with your own presumption or previously held convictions (Christian or not). Take a little time to sit down and think. Use pictures, use music, use words... whatever helps you to focus.... just find that space to think and.... stay.

The Nativity

In those days Caesar Augustus issued  decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

  “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:1-20

 Merry Christmas and blessings to you all.

Gold, Frankincense and Merc?

We all know the story... three travellers from a distant land spot a star in the East and head westwards on an arduous, challenging quest.

Okay, so there's no biblical evidence that there were only three magi and the star may have been a number of perceived astronomical events... not necessarily a single star. Yes, I'll even grant you the fact that the wise men of old were not even in the nativity scene, but actually made their visit at a later date (hence being acknowledged during Epiphany rather than at Christmas). However, that didn't stop me getting excited and pricking my ears up when I saw this trailer:

 

I wasn't so excited by the New York Christmas special... but I was going as giddy as a kipper with the second special... where Clarkson, Hammond and May seem to be starting a journey in Iraq, that requires them to acquire gold, frankincense and myrrh...

... destination Bethlehem anyone?

I'm particularly excited about this because about a year or so ago, I actually wrote in to the Top Gear offices with a suggestion along similar lines. I doubt the producers have drawn inspiration from anything I put forward... after all this idea is a sitter isn't it? I mean come on... three kings/magi... three presenters; an epic journey (Top Gear have recently made a big thing of making specials that feature extensive road trips); and finally, it's Christmastide. All these ingredients make a Christmas Top Gear Magi Special seem to be an until now, overlooked inevitability. So as I said, I doubt my contribution via email all that time ago has had much resonance... but I can dream can't I?

Now... I wonder whatever happened to my idea for a Doctor Who Christmas story involving multiple incarnations of the Doctor and the Magi....

Steven Moffat are you listening?

Inception, Deception and Perception

I recently purchased the film "Inception" on DVD:

I originally saw the film during it's cinematic release and thoroughly enjoyed the film (this despite working out what the final shot of the film was going to be, as early in the film as Michael Caine's first scene). The film is essentially a thinking man's science fiction philosophical take on the "heist" movie genre. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cob - the lead confidence man with a tortured past, heading up a hastily put together band of specialists who attempt to pull off the perfect crime... and it's all in the mind; quite literally.

Instead of trying to break into a vault and steal gold or some shady government secret, Cobb and his posse are actually trying to plant an idea (inception, hence the title of the film), in the mind of the young heir to a business empire... an idea that when fully realised, will lead to the break up of said business empire. They do this by using technology to induce several levels of shared dream state which they can use psychology, trickery and subversion to infiltrate a mark's secrets and manipulate them into achieving the desired outcome.

The mission is threatened throughout the film by the demons from Cobb's past which erupt from his subconscious into the different dreams... leading to undesirable outcomes. Chief amongst these demons is Mal (Marion Cotillard), a shade of Cobb's deceased wife who embodies his subconscious desire to live out his memories and artificially reconstruct the life he left behind when the real Mal died (her death being the result of his attempt to use Inception to convince her to leave the dream state of limbo).

The time spent in different dream states increases exponentially with each level of dream experienced. It is stated that in the deepest level of dream state - limbo, that the length of time is so great that you can lose track of reality and become lost there and this is a theme I want to explore in a little more detail.

In the film, each dreamer uses a "totem", a crafted item that acts in a unique way in the real world... a way that is significantly different to how it acts in the dream world; the idea being that it acts as a defence and helps keep it's user lucid. Cobb's totem is a spinning top that only falls over in reality... in the dream world, it continues to spin... endlessly. In the final shot of the film Cobb thinks he has reclaimed his life and goes to be reunited with his children... as he does so, we are left with the image of the top still spinning... and a swift cut to black as it just begins to wobble.

Cobb's Totem

The meaning is clear - we are left to draw our own conclusions as to whether or not Cobb has returned to reality at all... or whether in fact the "real world" of the film was just another dream in itself. I personally take the pessimistic view because of certain things that happened earlier in the film. Characters and events seem to constantly urge Cobb to "come home", most notably Michael Caine's father-in-law figure.

This got me thinking about our reality... how the inherited brokenness we share as individuals -  is effectively a false reality which I as a Christian choose to identify as the sinful nature. It is a world, a mindset, that separates us from the God who loves us.

The dream world can seem very real and in most cases (depending on which survey you read), we are not aware it is a dream until we awake to reality. Similarly a reality where we find our spiritual selves at the centre (even if it's on a subconscious level), is in fact an illusion... a nightmarish limbo that is a distorted and twisted representation of the truth. We cannot escape it in our own strength... because so great is its allure and subtle is its deception that we cannot perceive why or how we should leave.

God is like Michael Caine's character.... imploring us to stop kidding ourselves playing in the sandbox of our dystopian fantasy and return home to him.

Whether we choose to recognise his voice for what it is... or acknowledge the true intent behind it, is down to our individual perception. Sadly for some, their state of mind leaves them in a reality described like this:

“You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.

Acts: 28:26b-27

 Those are God's words spoken through the prophet Isaiah and echoed through Paul. You might think that sounds harsh.... but I do not believe God is speaking in anger here.... but in deep sorrow and grief for their circumstance.

But even if we listen to God.... how can we be certain we are living in his reality? How can we know we are not just kidding ourselves on another level?

How?

The answer is that not unlike the characters in Inception... we have a totem. A unique totem.

Our totem is not a personalised crafted image, it it none other than the living Jesus - his ministry, his life on Earth ran at odds with the man-centred way of managing our lives, the "rules of the game". Jesus was totally sold out for his Father...nothing mattered more to him and he showed us the way to live properly. If our lives are not in step with his loving commandments, then when placed alongside him, the physical laws of our personal world are shown up as warped.

Jesus showed us the way to freedom... by dying once for all, he provided the doorway... the opportunity, the universal offer to leave the dominion of our human imperfection and embrace the freedom and liberty of abundant life:

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:14-19

So the offer is on the table... and once again we draw nearer, ever nearer... to Christmas - that time of year when we celebrate the birth of the child who was and is called the Light of the World. When the light comes... is it not time to wake from our slumber and embrace the new day?

 

“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."

(Ephesians 5:14b)

Computer Says No...

So I was tinkering*... tinkering like a fool... and I appear to have broken my blog.

Somehow, don't ask me how... my list of blog "friends" (blogs I visit periodically and encourage others to read), randomly emptied itself. I've managed to restore a couple from memory and will have a brainstorm in the morning to try and figure out who/what/why/where happened.

However, one should always try and make the best out of adversity or misfortune and so I'm asking you the good people of... wherever you are, to recommend new sites you think are worthy of adding. Now is your chance to plug yourself or shine a light on the work of others**. With any luck...

"Your name shall also go on ze list... Vot is it???!!"

Nick

* What do you think of the new layout and menu bar? Does it work?

** If you are a robot, spambot or any other non-human infiltrator... this is not an option or opportunity for you.  Wait... why am I even typing this???

Feast Your Eyes...

Nothing new to report on from me as yet... although I do have something brewing. However I would ask that in the meantime, if you have 2 minutes, to please take a peak at this online survey.

It's not for my benefit or information, and there's no money involved... it's literally just a questionnaire asking for your opinions on interfaith friendships and dialogue. It's being run by an The Feast - an organization that I linked to last year in my sidebar.

 You can find out more information on The Feast and what they do,by following the link on my sidebar or here.

I'm sure they'd be grateful if you could spare a few short moments just to share your thoughts... I did earlier today, and it really didn't take long at all.

Blessings

Nick

The Waiting Game

I want to share with you a small picture... something I observed last week that taught me something about the process of waiting.

Last Sunday at church, we had a minor prop malfunction, as it came time to light the first candle on the advent wreath. The safety matches wouldn't strike up and in the end, the only way to get the candle to light was to take the taper up to the altar and use an already lit candle to ignite it. Then it was a case of precariously wandering back to the wreath and lighting the candle.

Fire is a very powerful element - difficult to control and a force that in full flow, consumes all in it's path. However, when fire is made up of just a single flame... it is easily snuffed out, it is vulnerable.

So as I observed the taper going back down the chancel - it's flame dimming and flickering, constantly flirting with the threat of being extinguished; I couldn't help thinking it was a picture that perfectly summarised the meaning of Advent.

Advent is all about waiting.

Advent is about waiting for a number of things - it is about waiting to celebrate the birth of Christ on Earth, some 2 millennia ago. It is about waiting to celebrate the Christmas in our present day, a time when we give and receive gifts... and are reunited with friends, family and people who are near and dear to us; when we give thanks for all the gifts and relationships we have been blessed with. Finally, advent is about reflecting on the wait for Christ to return at the Second Coming (something that is a central tenet of Christian belief... and is in various forms of the Creed, but is often overlooked... or even seen as a fringe fundamentalist belief by some even within the Church).

What is it about waiting? It invokes emotions from deep within us... right across the scale. In Britain we've even turned the process of waiting diligently into an art form. I don't think anybody else in the world queues in orderly fashion, quite like the British.

What we are waiting for... often affects our anticipation, our experience and how we wait. For those who are waiting for something negative, the waiting process often incorporates feelings of dread, panic, anger, nervousness or anxiety; whilst those who are waiting for a good thing will often experience longing, doubt, impatience or frustration.

The point I'm trying to illustrate is that whatever we are waiting for, there is something we universally share as a collective... waiting is uncomfortable.

This is especially the case when we are waiting on the promises of God because by their very nature they are invisible and immeasurable... we often can't see them until they are realised. This is something that is echoed throughout scripture. How many times in the psalms do we hear the anguish filled question: "How long?" Or for just how many years did the Israelite slaves languish in suffering and misery waiting for deliverance from their Egyptian oppressors? Even when the time scale of certain events were known (such as the prophecy concerning Babylonian exile), the feelings of doubt or hopelessness must have been immense.

The problem with waiting upon the divine, is that it is out of our reach and beyond our control; we have to wait until the divine promise comes to us.

Think back to my anecdote about the advent wreath. The taper could not be lit at source by the matches provided. It had to be taken to the altar (the place that is symbolic of the divine), lit there and then there came a tense wait as the flickering taper returned to light the candle.

That's what waiting on God is like. You can't even begin to receive the promises of God until you abandon your ineffective matches and take your taper to the one who can ignite it with hope. Even then when the hope is kindled... there is often an even more anxious wait as time passes by as the fragile flame gradually journeys towards us.

There's a verse in the Old Testament that has had a strong impact on me in the past... and to my mind sums up perfectly the agony that accompanies waiting:

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12

Waiting is by definition the process of enduring while your hopes and dreams are deferred. Realization of those hopes and dreams then, is the fulfilment... the tree of life that comes as a reward for our patience and long-suffering.

In The Lord of the Rings, the kingdom of Gondor has been awaiting a king for a very long time... in fact so long has the wait been that some (including it's corrupted steward, Denethor), have even dismissed the need for a king. With the forces of darkness gathering around the city of Minas Tirith, Gandalf resolves to do something about the situation and persuades Pippin to light the beacon of the city in the hope that Gondor's allies will rally to her defence. Even when this happens, it takes time for the successive beacons to get their message to Rohan... and it takes even more time for Aragorn and Theoden to muster their respective forces, save the city and restore the throne to Aragorn.

Western Christians in the modern age live in a time where many in the world around us have similarly grown either doubtful, sceptical or resentful of the idea of a God who is king.

Christianity started out as a single flame... Jesus. Revival begins by putting down our useless matches and going back to that one, original sacred flame. I believe as Christians we can set the world ablaze in two ways; if we do it in our own strength we will misrepresent the Gospel... burning and consuming those we meet. Yet if we take God's flame it will enrich the lives of others... only consuming that which separates them from him.

Finally I want to offer a word of encouragement to all who are waiting, but can see no end to their wait.  Perhaps you are waiting for the end of some difficult circumstances... or perhaps something you feel long promised by God, has not materialised after an extremely long wait. I shall leave you with this final passage which I feel is appropriate in advent... for it reminds us that in every given circumstance (his birth, our lives, and his return), the promise and the presence of Jesus... is not far away:

Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Revelation 22:12-13

Early Spring Clean

Been a while since I posted anything here of merit... and I'm very conscious there's a few cobwebs gathering. I've also noticed some of the functionality and links I originally installed have become outdated.

But most disturbing of all... I have noticed references to Justin Bieber creeping on to site links like an unwelcome fungus. As this place is a Sanctuary... I consider that to be a desecration akin to the abomination that causes desolation.

So with all this in mind, I think it might be time to have an early spring clean and get this place looking just a little bit more ship-shape and a little less quaint.

I intend keeping the colour scheme but if anyone has any advice they wish to dispense, it would be most welcome.

I also have a couple of insights that have been sitting in my heart for some time now, that I hope to find time to record and publish in the near future.

Blessings as always

Nick

A Very Miner Miracle

Like many of you, over the past 48 hours I have been held captivated and enthralled by the unfolding drama of the mission to rescue 33 Chilean miners from the darkness and isolation of the shelter they had become trapped in, following a cave-in in July.

The story touches everyone of us who have been monitoring the situation... because it strips away some of the more selfish aspects of human nature and elevates the more noble elements that we would prefer to define our species by. Furthermore, the people directly affected by the events in Chile represent a good cross section of us. There were extroverts, there were introverts; every adult age group was represented by at least one of the miners... and when you bring their families into the equation... every single age and gender group in the human existence had some kind of representation.

Their story has encapsulated the full spectrum of human emotion; from fear and despair in the early days following the accident, through relief and tender hope upon the discovery that all 33 miners were still alive, to the spectacular joy and ecstasy that have unfolded in the past two days as one by one, each man has been successfully retrieved from their collective subterranean tomb, deep beneath the surface of Camp Hope. Underpinning all these emotions and chief among them, was love. It is love that provides the attachment that is necessary for us to experience negative emotions when disaster or danger looms. More importantly it is love that sustained the comradeship between the trapped miners, that fuelled the hope and faith of those waiting anxiously above... and it was love that drove and galvanised the efforts of the rescue workers strive ceaselessly until the mission to retrieve the miners was accomplished.

Chile's President - Sebastian Pinera, has played a very active role on the scene at Camp Hope and has seen his personal approval rating rocket to 71%. He has subsequently has vowed to improve conditions in mining and the country as a whole. He clearly senses a See-change for Chile in terms of it's perception overseas, it's domestic morale and fortitude and crucially it's economy. I watched him talking on television before I travelled to work this morning... he was adamant in making clear his vision and aim for a new emergent Chile that shakes off it's developing world stigma and becomes a stable Latin American developed economy.

I wish him and all his people well with that... I genuinely do. I just hope that in doing so, they don't lose sight of their character and sacrifice the wonderful qualities that have made the recent news such a joy to behold... disappear. You see... the problem with self-sufficiency is that it fools us into forgetting our accountability. The more comfortable we are in our environment, the easier it is to forget that we still depend on so much from God and neighbour alike.

There were several clear shots of miners emerging from the capsule and hugging relatives bearing a tee shirt with these words emblazoned on the back:

"Porque en su mano están las profundidades de la tierra. Y las alturas de los montes son suyas".

The translation is a verse from Psalms:

"In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him."

Psalm 95:4

The text immediately below that reads:

"De Él es la Honra y la Gloria"

... which translates to "His is the Honour and the Glory."

We were flooded with images of miners falling to their knees in prayer:

and there were quotes like this from the miners:

"I was with God and the Devil. They fought. God won".

In times of trouble, these very ordinary men and women know where to go for help... and they have the humility to give thanks to God... very publicly without any shame.

To an increasingly secular West... it is literally AND metaphorically half a world away.

Maybe it's tied up in superstitious religious custom... but it's hard to deny when you watched these events unfolding... that whatever lies on the outside... these people had a deep and devout faith.

While my heartfelt wish is to see the people of Chile find the prosperity that they seek... I would hate to see them lose the riches the already possess... riches which many in the West have foolishly turned their back on and casually cast aside without daring to examine what is there.

I want to leave you with a final thought... one for all of us.

Psychologist James Thompson said during the BBC News coverage, that:

"The miners went through 17 days of pure hell before they were found, 52 days of modified hell as they awaited rescue, and must now feel they are close to heaven."

It occurred to me that this mirrors the spiritual journey of humanity. In the same way that the miners were separated from civilization and trapped in darkness by fallen rock, the human race was separated from God's love by our sinful nature... our brokenness... our rebellion. This was our pure hell.

God did not give up on us. He sent Moses and the prophets and divine agents to witness to us, to guide us and give us direction as to how we should live while we were trapped by our sin. If we live moral lives in our own strength... this is where we are at. We may be acting out of love and kindness to one another... but make no mistake, we are still trapped in our sub-heavenly tomb by virtue of our brokenness. This is what we can call our modified hell.

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Hebrews 1:1-3

By his death on the cross and his glorious resurrection, we have the means to leave our prison and experience being close to heaven... before one day actually getting there by his grace.

So I guess the question I want to finish with is... where are you:

Pure Hell?

Modified Hell?

Close to Heaven?

There are no right or wrong answers... only honest ones. All I ask that you do is consider what you want to do with your answer to that question... and act upon it.

A Balanced View

If you were reading this blog earlier in the month (in the post Nothing New), you will no doubt already have gathered what my opinion is with regard to Professor Stephen Hawking's new comments about the dawn of the universe, principally his fresh assertion that God is not required in the genesis of creation.

However, yesterday the Independent contained a fascinating interview with the president of the Royal Society, Baron Rees of Ludlow. In it he criticises the one dimensional nature of Hawking's conclusions... specifically from the angle that it lacks a basic understanding of theology or philosophy.

There are a couple of points I wish to raise in turn, based on his comments. 

The first is to highlight the fact that The Independent does crank up the rhetoric by suggesting he was being scathing, whereas actually Rees is saying he knows Hawking well... and therefore in my opinion, it's unlikely he was resorting to a personal attack.

Secondly (and this is a big one), in this interview at least... he doesn't betray his own personal bias on the God issue. Further research yielded that he has described himself in several different ways... principally as a regular church-going atheist; he once clarified this in an interview with BBC Radio 3:

"I would say I don't believe any religious dogma in that if science teaches me anything, it teaches me that even simple things, like a hydrogen atom, are pretty hard to understand. And therefore I become rather sceptical of anyone who claims to have more than a very incomplete, metaphorical understanding of any deep aspects of reality. So I'm sceptical of anyone who claims confidently to believe any dogma. But nonetheless I share with religious people a concept of the mystery and wonder of the universe, and even more of human life and therefore participate in religious services. And of course those I participate in are as it were, the 'customs of my tribe', which happens to be the Church of England."

One might argue that there is little difference here to Professor Richard Dawkins' idea of "Cultural Christianity" (the idea that worship itself is meaningless, but the rituals, traditions and theatrics are endearing and harmless fun). I've been critical of this notion before but I have to say that in Baron Rees case, I don't think it applies. He strikes me as the kind of person who likes to explore theories and mysteries and doesn't take kindly to the suggestion that you should believe anything wholesale whether that be a belief in God or a position of utter godlessness. His real issue is clearly dogma and the idea of the monopoly on truth. He clearly knows his stuff and must be fairly well versed in theology and philosophy... else he'd look pretty foolish for implying Hawking isn't.

Essentially, Rees comes across as a man who has a thirst for knowledge in whatever shape it comes; a person who has a constantly evolving view of the universe based on what he learns/observes in the world around him.

Where am I going with this? Well I believe the reason Rees doesn't raise his personal beliefs in the interview... are because they aren't pertinent to his point. If he invoked his personal views, he'd be endorsing one camp over the other... and that's something in his professionalism, he won't do.

My third point is why I believe he did this. A key theme in the interview is about how science and faith do not need to be opposing forces... a view I am 100% in agreement with him on. There are many scientists (particularly in the field of astrophysics and genetics), who choose to see God in the detail... and they should be no less worthy of respect as the more secular minded. Are their doctorates and scholarships any less valid? No, of course not... only a fool would assume the "believer" label renders someone stupid by default.

I have no doubt that Professor Dawkins will respond within days in The Guardian, attacking the Rees interview... lets not forget that he condemned Rees as a "compliant Quisling" for making similar remarks before. I find this remarkably rude and uncivilised behaviour. Dawkins would be a fool to retort really, his increasingly derogatory and irrational outbursts show him up for what he really is... a bigot. A highly intellectual bigot, but a bigot nonetheless.

If Dawkins and other like-minded individuals (in both camps), were to take an attitude more akin to Baron Rees, the Earth would be a better place.  I say this not just because we'd be getting along better as a species and civilization... but also because butting heads over the issues of creationism (in its diverse forms) and evolution needlessly expends a lot of energy and intelligent thought which could be better spent elsewhere.

Baron Rees has a belief and a pessimism. His belief is that humanity has within it's means the ability to develop technologically and culturally in a manner that will preserve and prove beneficial to this humble yet beautiful rock we call home. His pessimism is that we also have the selfishness, thoughtlessness and greed to do it great harm (in fact he has placed a bet that sometime within the next twenty years, a million people will die as a result of a major, man-made, biological catastrophe. It's a chilling thought... and something he actually doesn't want to win.

In conclusion then, there are a number of paths ahead of us. We can carry on bickering like school children... about who is best or who is right. We can put all our differing views in the blender and say nobody is right and nobody is wrong... but that doesn't seem very respectful to anyone... does it? Or maybe, just maybe we can learn to accept the differences we share with one another and take comfort and encouragement in the common ground... where all of us work to better humanity together through technology, scholarship, philanthropy, or apart through theology and theory. If we truly have the best intentions of the children of tomorrow at heart, then should let our successors hear what we have to say when we are united and when we are peaceably at odds... and draw their own conclusions

I think that despite whatever differences we have, that is something both Baron Rees and I would both agree on...

What about you?

The Hippocratic Prayer?

Recently I've been contemplating the need for Christians to be more responsible in their handling of others, especially in matters that are deeply personal. I have in the past been the recipient of well meaning intentions that have had detrimental effects on me and it has occurred to me that too often we find a solution to a problem that seems to work for the many... and mistakenly assume that it is a panacea.

We must remember that every one of us is individual... what works for 90% of people may not be beneficial for the remnant.

If we take medicine for example.... even something as wonderful as penicillin has it's limitations, for those who are allergic it is not a wonder drug... it is a potential death sentence (I say this secure in the knowledge that I am among that minority).

Whilst watching elements of Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to Britain, I caught with interest something a commentator said with regard to Cardinal Henry Newman. It was said that Newman was a strong advocate of the idea that you could not truly help  a person unless you took the time to know them. In this matter I agree with Newman (the irony is not lost on me). Sometimes a person's needs are obvious... on other occasions there are hidden factors influencing those needs. If we spiritually "dish out the pills" without knowing our "patient", we run the risk of harming them and even vicariously, those they know, in a variety of ways.

While pondering these things my mind wandered onto ideas in culture (both factual and fictional), where a doctrine has been established whereby those who adhere to it, pledge to a pattern of behaviours that protects the people with whom they come into contact.

The three immediate examples that occurred to me were Asimov's three laws, the Star Trek prime directive and the Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors. It's the latter of these three that I decided to focus on. The oath was originally set down approximately 2,400 years ago in classical Greece. In its original format it invoked the names of various Greek gods, but over time it has been adapted to suit the needs of various Western cultures that have inherited Greek ethics.

A representation of the Hippocratic Oath in the shape of the cross.

In more recent history, a motion has apparently been put forward suggesting that  code in the same spirit as the Hippocratic Oath be set up for those who work in the area of scientific research.

So this left me wondering if perhaps I could adapt the oath for a more spiritual context. Obviously the New Testament frowns upon the idea of taking oaths... but that didn't stop me thinking that perhaps the oath could instead be set down instead in the form of a prayer. So after some deliberation and wrangling I came up with an initial draft prayer:

Father God, I ask by your grace and the Holy Spirit's power for the strength to fulfil this covenant:

I will respect the hard-won spiritual gains of those brothers and sisters of the faith in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such wisdom that you have blessed me with, with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of others, all measures [that] are required through prayer, scripture and counselling, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

I will remember that there is divine grace in fellowship as well as the call to righteousness, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may sometimes outweigh the need for discipline or the words of rebuke.

I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call on the prayers or assistance of other members of the Church, when the skills or wisdom of another are needed for the restoration/reconciliation of those you call me to help.

I will respect the privacy, rights, individuality and personal needs of those who confide in me, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given to me by your grace and power to be help to save or preserve life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to damage or destroy a life through my own fallen nature; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty and need of divine grace. Above all, I must not play at being God, for you alone are God.

I will remember that I do not treat a statistic in society, or sin itself, but human beings broken by sin, whose problems be they physical, psychological, emotional or spiritual may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for them as an ambassador of your Son.

I will prevent myself and others falling into sin whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure; always remembering however, that God's grace is sufficient in all our weaknesses and is able to save us whenever we stumble.

I will remember that I remain a member of Christ's body, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those who appear sound of mind, body and soul as well as the broken and crushed in spirit.

Lord, help me to maintain this covenant, that I may enjoy life and art, be respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter, that I served you and was an inspiration to others. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I experience the joy of teaching, encouraging, healing and restoring those who seek my help for as long as it pleases you to enable me to do so.

I ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

I know it is fairly long... but I wanted to capture each element of the oath and ascribe it to a different aspect of the Christian walk. I'd be grateful for additional input on this. Is there anything in there that seems a little theologically out of step or perhaps too strongly worded or irrelevant. If you have any suggestions or alternatives, I'd be very interested to hear them.