God n Science

I was talking to a lady sat on a bench in town recently. She says she does not believe in God because she is a scientist. I find that very interesting, because I have a science degree and I do believe in God. I told her how I have studied science and I so clearly see God in the way things are made and put together. Anyway this lady was convinced we are just a load of chemicals banging together.

The problem with the theory that we are just chemicals is that we are so clearly not. If we were just chemicals where would love be? or joy? or beauty? There is no need for any of that if we did not have a soul or a spirit. The lady did admit that she could not explain away the fact that she does have a soul, but she still could not make the step to believe we are created by God to know Him.

When I was at university we had a professor who lectured on the structure of starch molecules (which as it happens is extremely tedious). This guy could so clearly see the hand of God that he virually evangelised us on the different crystalline structures and repeat patterns of molecules and so on. Infact, if starch was not formed the way it is, it would not be possible to make bread.

Recently I have been reading a book which explains how more and more scientists are having to admit there is a divine creator. This covers areas of science that I have some knowldge of like biochemistry and evolution and those I have no idea about like physics or astronomy. The thing is, it all points to there being a reason why we are here. Science alone cannot explain WHY we and the planet we live on are so precisely and perfectly made, or why we appear to be unique in the universe. I know there is still a jump from belief in the divine to belief in Jesus as we know Him, but I find it amazing to realise that what is written in Romans about God showing Himself through creation is being proved by science. It's all totally mind-boggling and just provokes the response “Wow, God!

Political Correctness

I was talking to a good friend last night, and realised how much I hate political correctness, and how much it has crept into the way we think and talk in the church.

Political correctness means we cannot describe persons of other races as being from different races, or even persons of different genders as being of different genders. It means we cannot say something is good without also having to say the alternatives are also good, and nothing is allowed to be the best. It means we cannot say something is wrong, just that "it is not best for me". Political correctness has meant that Christians in this country have bowed down in "multifaith" services 'cos we are so tolerant of other religions that we are scared to say Jesus IS the way and IS different and Christianity is NOT "the same as all the others really".

How it gets into the church is when we find we are not able to celebrate each others differentness.

Here's one example:
God created a man and a woman and intended them to be different. He did not try to make another man, go a bit wrong, and decide to call this new being a woman. Adam was made in the image of God, he reflected the fullness of God, part of Adam was taken to make Eve, so each then contained a part of the image of God. Each reflected God, but each had something the other did not. Neither was inferior. They were equal and different.
Men and Women in the church are equal but different. We don't need to be defensive. We don't need to get into women's rights. We need not be insecure about male leadership. The world has tried to make "equality" and the result (allowing for a bit of exaggeration here) is butch women and weak men.
We are not perfect in the church 'cos obviously we are not in Eden any more, but we should be able to allow the genders to be who they really are in God. To let men be strong and lead and express God the Father to a fatherless generation. To let women express their femininity and the more sensitive side of God's nature.

This is another example:
We make quite an effort in our church to include and motivate young people. But then we end up stereotyping them and assume that all young people want noise and drama and excitement. Maybe they do, but be prepared that maybe they don't
And the older generation. Don't presume that after a certain age people are only fit for the armchair. Some folk are fit and active well into retirement, but also be prepared to accept that old age does bring limitations, and don't be too scared to go a bit slower to care for those who need it.
The thing is, don't be so politically correct that you cannot celebrate the energy of youth without feeling the older folk will feel left out. And don't be so scared of calling some folk "old" that you cannot help people enjoy the blessing of their senior years and share their wisdom from long lives spent with God.

And other hot potato: Marriage versus Celibacy.
Why does it even have to be "versus"? They are different callings. They are both blessed by God. OK, so choosing one excludes the other, but because you have got married does not mean you cannot support and esteem celibacy and being celibate does not mean you look down on people who have got married.
I have chosen celibacy because for me I believe this is the path God wants me on. I believe I will achieve more as a celibate than I would as a wife and mother. That does not make marriage and motherhood inferior.
I know some amazing married people, and some people who really struggle with married life.
I know some amazing celibates, and some people who have given up on celibacy.
I seen celibates who are scared to share the wealth of their gifting because somone will feel inferior and shout them down saying "marriage is just as good you know"
I have also seen married people who felt guilty and spent all their time wondering if their marriage is just a compromise and they should really have been celibate 'cos it is "the higher way".

God is big.
When we say something is "best" we mean it is "better than...".
When God calls someone to "do their best for Him", He does not mean that they are "better than" anybody else. We can all be the best we can for God!

Bad things happen to good people

I have recently read "The Atonement Child" by Francine Rivers It was a book that really made me think about what I would do in the same situation. Basically the plot is that a Christian girl, with a Christian finace who attends a Chrsitain college is raped on her way home one night. She does not take the morning-after pill 'cos she is in a state, and she is sure her finace is so anti-abortion that he would not accept the use of an abortion agent, and also she is so sure God wouldn't allow her to have got pregnant. All the characters have to deal with “why did God allow this to happen?” and “is this God's will, or God's judgement?”. Then she finds out she is pregnant, and as several characters say “no-one would judge you for having an abortion in these circumstances”. So she has to decide what she believes is right, and what she will do. There are complications to the story- such as the college does not allow un-wed mothers to continue as students. I won't tell you what she decides- that would spoil the story!

It made me think along a few different trains of thought – and I have by no means come to any satisfactory conclusions in my own conscience...

How right is the preconceived idea that a child conceived by rape should automatically be aborted? Surely to say so is to say that the children of rapists do not deserve to live? Or that rapists should be sterilised? Is a child a “monster” because they were conceived in such circumstances? Or what about the children of parents who do other awful things? Or are all babies innocent?

It is possible to say that a certain situation is not “right” or is not “God's ideal”, but we don't live in an ideal world, and things do happen that we are not prepared for or don't know how to cope with. So, how do we cope in such situations? How prepared are we to put away the text book and deal with individuals with compassion and sensitivity? Is is OK to “break the rules” sometimes?

How does forgiveness work when someone has done something that is totally, obviously wrong (a rapist)? Or has done something that is legal but we believe is wrong (a doctor in an abortion clinic)? Or has come to a different conclusion to ourselves in a moral dilema (a woman who choses an abortion, or the boyfriend who advises her to do so)?

In one bit in the book, one of the characters says that the situation is a perfect case where the church/Christians can show compassion, but they do not, and how can the church bring healing to a hurting world when it is too busy shooting it's own wounded?

That really made me think. What is the balance between compassion and correctness? Does it matter what the world thinks? How important is it to restore the victims and the sinners in the church as well as those in the world around us?

Jesus' compassion and love is endless, and ours gets stuck with moral dilemas such this story (and many more). The Bible does not directly address modern situations, but the truth we live to is in there, so how do we let it out? How do we put life into the words and humanity into the theology?

I pray to God I will never be in the situation described in the book. But for now I think my answer to all this pondering is in something written by sister on our prayer-shed wall after the very worst thing she ever had to go through had happened in her life.

“It might look like the devil has his way in situation/circumstances, BUT Jesus is Lord of the outcome”