What Is Wrong With The World?

Following on from listening to the Unbelievable podcast and then Justin Brierly asking the question on the facebook page, I thought I would expand my thoughts here, after all that is what a blog is for, right?

This was my short answer:

"Definitely a lack of love. If we all truly loved the way Jesus taught us to love, there would be an immediate improvement. Actually, even if just Christians started to actually love the way Jesus taught, there would be an immediate improvement!"

This started to really challenge me, how can we expect non-believers to show the love that Jesus taught about, when a lot of people who say they are Christians can't even achieve that.

Most of the atheists go with the opinion 'Religion' is what is wrong with the world and if we weren't so hooked up on living in fear of a God that doesn't exist and imposing His rules on people, everyone would get along just fine.

I stand by love, and this is somewhere I fail big time, but I am trying all the time to love more of the difficult people I come across and remember that they are equal in God's eyes.

Romans 13:8-10 ESV
"Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

We would all agree the commandments are a good moral grounding by which to live. Well as the Bible says, if we all loved, we would fulfil those commandments and therefore the world would be without murder, theft, jealousy etc and how could that not make the world a better place?

And if you're not a believer in God or don't think what the Bible says about love is relevant to the world today, that's fine - but you can't argue with The Beatles!



This Doesn't Happen In Our Town........Until Now

I hope I'm doing the right thing with this post and it's not seen as sensationalising a tragedy.  But I feel blogging, for me, is about posting  what's current to me, whether it's my thoughts on a Bible passage or podcast or things of a religious nature that are making the news.

If you live in the UK, you cannot have missed that Rev John Suddards was tragically murdered in his home, The Vicarage, in the town where I live.

The week has unfolded and hopefully now they have the right man in custody.  There have been Police and journalists all over the town, and every time you hear the whir of the Police helicopter blades you are reminded of what you were trying to forget about.

My children go to the Church school, so they were just getting to know him, it was lovely to hear the things some of my friends children had remembered about him and I thought it would be nice to include those quotes in this post:

"My sons have all said he was kind and friendly and are stunned.  They know that he loved God and that he is now in heaven with him which is enough for them. My youngest son said it will be nicer for him there as he won't have to live on his own anymore which brought a tear to my eye".

"I remember him telling us stories about God and enjoyed working with him on the assembly team".

"When Father John did school assemblies they were more fun".

"My son is devastated, sobbed for over an hour.....He encouraged him so much with his organ playing".

"In the short time John had been with us, he very quickly became a much loved and respected member of our school community"

John 16:33 ESV
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

No-one can answer the many questions surrounding this week - least of all me!  But we can know whatever evil prevails in this world, the victory has already been won, by Jesus.

It was wrong, it should not have happened, but it did.  That is the nature of a sinful world.

We are fortunate we live in a very safe area and I'm sure it will return to that way again, but I realise that all over the UK there are places where stabbings and murders and crimes barely get a mention on the news because they are so frequent, this is also wrong and should not happen, but it does.

Jesus has overcome, we mustn't live in fear, and when He returns the world will be as it was intended by God; sinless and perfect.

Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV)

⁹ In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
¹³ And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.