Thursday 23 April 2009

Background

I may have 'non-conformist' written like words in Blackpool rockthrough the middle of my being, but, when push comes to shove, I'mvery unwilling to rock the boat. I like to be liked far too muchfor my own good. When people say, "Dress in a way that makes youcomfortable", my answer is always "What makes me comfortable is theway people expect me to dress!" If they want ties I'll wear oneproudly! If jeans are required, I dust them down and find sometrainers to go with them. So a good bit of me finds it quiteunimaginable to think of standing before a high-powered committeeand saying, "I know the truth and you don't!"

How could I possibly have a direct line to truth that has eludedothers? How dare I think that my own view is somehow more importantthan someone else's? Why can't we just 'agree to differ'? Besides,doesn't getting along matter much more than being right?

I suppose a good deal of the time this is true. The woeful story ofthe Church is that disagreements which have split us over things,in the perspective of eternity, have the angels yawning withboredom and poorly-concealed despair. But sometimes we also knowthat 'sometimes truth' is just that.

We know it when we see a child hurting and no amount of clevereconomic arguments about 'hard reality' can stop us knowing in ourbones 'this isn't how things should be'. We know it when we see ahuman being diminished and abused; the sacred image of the Holy Godscorned and humiliated.

We perhaps also know it when the greatest story is denied; the taleof one who was so loved then rejected and destroyed, and yet isrisen "with healing in his wings" (from the carol, Hark! The HeraldAngels Sing). In this story, hope for change explodes on the world.In this claim there is held the promise of a renewed creationwhere, "death will be no more" (Revelation 21:4), the hungry willbe fed, the hurt healed and the world restored. My sad lack ofboldness is matched by a deep-seated longing that God will make allthings new, which gives me courage.

To Ponder

If you were to write in a single sentence whatyour 'good news' is, what would you write? Could you try expressingit without using religious words?

What do you really long for in the world or foryourself?

What makes you angry enough to be reallybold?