Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Back on the Blog again
To cries of "Oh No!" and "Geroff" I fell compelled by some inner instinct to blog again. It's been a while and I am fully aware that nobody has missed me out there in ciderspace (feels right even though I know it ain't right). Ah well, dat's da cidermen's loss! This blogging feels so unnatural to me. Hard to believe I tend to be a private, nay annually retentive kinda guy (that is I hate to see all these years going by so quickly) and so to share my world view with cidermen involves some major effort. Having said that, I have never been accused of being dumb, rather the opposite. Unlike some linux scripts I don't have a non-verbose mode.
So celebrate (or indeed mourn) with me the decision to once again inflict myself and my thoughts on an uninterested and indeed, largely uncaring audience and just go look for something more interesting. I may have misread this recently but I believe I saw somewhere that there are now over 6,000,000 bogs (was that a Freudian slip) flying around out there in ciderspace and so I proudly take my place as 6,000,001 on the list of (someone's) favourite blog.
I suppose that begs a question. What does it take to be a blog that wins an award? What does one (as our Queen would say) have to do to attract the attention of one of the many institutions that give away such awards? I have given this issue at least a minute's thought and have decided that whatever that winning element is, I neither have it nor do I not intend to pursue it. I will be content with comparative obscurity.
So let me nail a few colours to the mast. Those who may have read previous posts (if they are still alive and have their sight) know that I am one of those rarities in a postmodernist world - a committed Christian. This is not a matter of taking up a position either for against anyone, but a matter of deep and serious personal conviction. However, I admit immediately that I am not immune to the desire to share this conviction. For 32 years of my life I consciously rebelled against such a commitment - and the 30 years that have since gone by haven't been years of simple, uncomplicated faith either! But as I grow older I am more and more thankful that (in the word of Thomas Scott, a contemporary of John Newton and much influenced by him) I have felt the "Force of Truth".
In one of the great scenes of the gospel of John, Jesus stands before Pilate and testifies, "To this end was I born, and for this came I into the world, to bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice." To this stunning statement Pilate replies, "What is truth?" (John 18:37-38). It is plain that this question wasn't intended to be taken seriously - in fact, that reply sounds very (post) modern and will no doubt be the response of many (or few) that read this. It is rhetorical and sceptical and the implication is plainly that there no such thing as absolute truth (I am reminded of the Manic Street Preacher's album "This is my truth, tell me yours" - truth has become simply what I happen to believe. But the fact remains, Jesus claimed to be the truth and He also claimed that if we knew the truth it would set us free - truly free. No one could have been more surprised than I to discover (and go on discovering more and more as the years go by) that His claim was justified absolutely.
"Believe what you want", you may reply, "but don't expect me to agree with you!" And there's the rub. I don't expect you to agree with me. But I truly wish that you would at least hear what Jesus has to say. You can (like I did constantly for all of 32 years) want to hear nothing which will disturb or interfere with my worldview and lifestyle, but I will be (literally) eternally grateful that there came a second in a minute, in an hour, in a day, in a year, in my lifetime when in spite of my active reluctance I saw that glint of truth in an old, old story which involved a cross and an unjust execution and an empty tomb that signalled an ending and a beginning. It signalled the ending of an alienation and the beginning of a reconciliation; the ending of an enmity and the beginning of a personal, living relationship with an offended God, who had never ceased to love those who had offended and had done something about the situation through the sacrifice of His Beloved Son, our Saviour and rescuer, Jesus Christ. That glint I saw was just that - a glint. But just as a miner,seeing aglint of gold will put a deal of effort into digging deeper, so with all those who catch a glint, a glimpse, a whisper, a hint. The digging exposed a narrow vein of truth which became a treasure store of limitless worth - but then that is for me to tell and you to find.
I can imagine at least the follwing reactions to this.
1. "Let's get outta here - let's find an interesting blog". I wish I could say "Go in peace", but I guess that's an oxymoron from God's perspective.
2. "The guy's nuts!" I ain't arguing! But at least permit me to apply that description to myself for all the years whan I had no inkling of the wonder of God's truth.
3. Hmm. "I wonder if there isn't something in this claim of Jesus to "absolute truth". Beware reader - you are in serious danger of thinking for yourself. But fear not, for the combined forces of postmodern rationalist thinking will quickly dispel all such wondering and lull you back into a sense of calm indifference and if postmodern rationalist pressure fails then rely upon it, distraction and busy-ness will never fail.
But if, when you are alone (in the sense that you have given yourself time to be still and without distraction), a sense of your finitude and perhaps "a horror of great darkness" should steal upon your heart as you ponder the great questions of life and personal meaning and purpose, then whisper (or shout) a prayer / challenge / cry /invocation to a God who not only hears, but answers and you too will in His time feel the force of truth. Flash
So celebrate (or indeed mourn) with me the decision to once again inflict myself and my thoughts on an uninterested and indeed, largely uncaring audience and just go look for something more interesting. I may have misread this recently but I believe I saw somewhere that there are now over 6,000,000 bogs (was that a Freudian slip) flying around out there in ciderspace and so I proudly take my place as 6,000,001 on the list of (someone's) favourite blog.
I suppose that begs a question. What does it take to be a blog that wins an award? What does one (as our Queen would say) have to do to attract the attention of one of the many institutions that give away such awards? I have given this issue at least a minute's thought and have decided that whatever that winning element is, I neither have it nor do I not intend to pursue it. I will be content with comparative obscurity.
So let me nail a few colours to the mast. Those who may have read previous posts (if they are still alive and have their sight) know that I am one of those rarities in a postmodernist world - a committed Christian. This is not a matter of taking up a position either for against anyone, but a matter of deep and serious personal conviction. However, I admit immediately that I am not immune to the desire to share this conviction. For 32 years of my life I consciously rebelled against such a commitment - and the 30 years that have since gone by haven't been years of simple, uncomplicated faith either! But as I grow older I am more and more thankful that (in the word of Thomas Scott, a contemporary of John Newton and much influenced by him) I have felt the "Force of Truth".
In one of the great scenes of the gospel of John, Jesus stands before Pilate and testifies, "To this end was I born, and for this came I into the world, to bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice." To this stunning statement Pilate replies, "What is truth?" (John 18:37-38). It is plain that this question wasn't intended to be taken seriously - in fact, that reply sounds very (post) modern and will no doubt be the response of many (or few) that read this. It is rhetorical and sceptical and the implication is plainly that there no such thing as absolute truth (I am reminded of the Manic Street Preacher's album "This is my truth, tell me yours" - truth has become simply what I happen to believe. But the fact remains, Jesus claimed to be the truth and He also claimed that if we knew the truth it would set us free - truly free. No one could have been more surprised than I to discover (and go on discovering more and more as the years go by) that His claim was justified absolutely.
"Believe what you want", you may reply, "but don't expect me to agree with you!" And there's the rub. I don't expect you to agree with me. But I truly wish that you would at least hear what Jesus has to say. You can (like I did constantly for all of 32 years) want to hear nothing which will disturb or interfere with my worldview and lifestyle, but I will be (literally) eternally grateful that there came a second in a minute, in an hour, in a day, in a year, in my lifetime when in spite of my active reluctance I saw that glint of truth in an old, old story which involved a cross and an unjust execution and an empty tomb that signalled an ending and a beginning. It signalled the ending of an alienation and the beginning of a reconciliation; the ending of an enmity and the beginning of a personal, living relationship with an offended God, who had never ceased to love those who had offended and had done something about the situation through the sacrifice of His Beloved Son, our Saviour and rescuer, Jesus Christ. That glint I saw was just that - a glint. But just as a miner,seeing aglint of gold will put a deal of effort into digging deeper, so with all those who catch a glint, a glimpse, a whisper, a hint. The digging exposed a narrow vein of truth which became a treasure store of limitless worth - but then that is for me to tell and you to find.
I can imagine at least the follwing reactions to this.
1. "Let's get outta here - let's find an interesting blog". I wish I could say "Go in peace", but I guess that's an oxymoron from God's perspective.
2. "The guy's nuts!" I ain't arguing! But at least permit me to apply that description to myself for all the years whan I had no inkling of the wonder of God's truth.
3. Hmm. "I wonder if there isn't something in this claim of Jesus to "absolute truth". Beware reader - you are in serious danger of thinking for yourself. But fear not, for the combined forces of postmodern rationalist thinking will quickly dispel all such wondering and lull you back into a sense of calm indifference and if postmodern rationalist pressure fails then rely upon it, distraction and busy-ness will never fail.
But if, when you are alone (in the sense that you have given yourself time to be still and without distraction), a sense of your finitude and perhaps "a horror of great darkness" should steal upon your heart as you ponder the great questions of life and personal meaning and purpose, then whisper (or shout) a prayer / challenge / cry /invocation to a God who not only hears, but answers and you too will in His time feel the force of truth. Flash
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