The invisible man married the invisible woman. They’re fine – but the kids aren’t much to look at. ‘Doctor! Doctor! I think I’m invisible.’ Sorry, I can’t see you right now. If in doubt, start with a lame joke. Or two. Then let me point you to something amazing you have to watch Rowan Atkinson must have seen the unseen, to help others to see it there. I was just listening to a Bill Hybels talk where he admits that people might think he’s all about applying leadership principles and strategies, but he says a huge amount of what he does and has done is (to use his words) ‘very mystical.’ He talks about hearing God’s whisper and going with that. We aren’t very good at focusing on the invisible. We like the seen, the known, the safe. I love the Billy Graham quote you can hear sampled on DC Talk’s Jesus Freak album, on the track – ‘In my mind’s eye.’ Can you see God? You haven’t seen him? I’ve never seen the wind. I see the effects of […]
See the invisible
The wisdom of crowds?
The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations, was written by James Surowiecki to argue that decisions are often better made by a group than could have been made by any single member of the group (the whole group is smarter than even the smartest person in it). He does go on to say that it matters how the group is made up, that people in it should be allowed independence, diversity of opinion etc., rather than just advocating crowd psychology as the answer to everything. These democratic wiki days attribute a great deal of prestige to wisdom of the many, but I have to ask – is it at the expense of the individual? What if the crowd is wrong? What if there’s just a trend, or a panic, or pressure to conform? The Bible says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.” I love that bit on Life of Brian when he shouts at the crowd, ‘You’re all individuals!’ Check out the […]
Wrong about everything
Sometimes I read a book or hear a talk that makes me think just about everything else I’ve ever read or heard about it is wrong. If the subject is something trivial like, say, what’s the best car on the market, or how to bake a souffle – who cares. But when the book is about what you have devoted the greatest part of your adult life to, and which you intend to devote the rest of your life to, that’s either infuriating, exciting, terrifying or shattering. Or all of the above. Yesterday I read a book that nearly did that, I read it in one sitting: Gary Bishop’s book Darkest England and the way back in is phenomenal and very challenging, but left me with some, “Yes but hows” personally. I cried a couple of times reading it, was challenged by the terrible injustices of a nation like Britain where the poor are desperate to hear the gospel but hardly anyone goes with it, while we encourage consumerist Christianity that has a form of religion but denies its power. […]
There but for the grace of God goes Anthony Delaney
They say everyone has a double. To have a double and a namesake appear on the same page of a paper is quite disconcerting! A number of friends have been kind enough to point me to various news sites featuring another Anthony Delaney, also 43 years of age – I know I don’t look it 🙂 My homeless namesake was living at Gatwick Airport for months, until magistrates found him in breach of his ASBO and brought it to an end. If you follow the link you’ll even see that they picture Tom Hanks from his overly cute 2004 film The Terminal . I was told by a nurse years ago that I look a bit like Tom Hanks, those of you who know me may agree or disagree? Let me know. Do you know what came to mind as I read the other Mr Delaney’s sad story – knowing that if Jesus hadn’t put his hand on me and called me to follow him, I could well have ended up in as sorry a state or worse? ‘There but […]
HECKLERS
I’m reading a book about stand up comedy. Really very good, it’s helping me think about how to connect better with those I’m speaking to, especially in church. I was thinking I might even try out at an ‘open mike’ session somewhere, some time. One good section was about hecklers, and various ways comedians deal with them. My favourite approach is Harry Hill’s, who says ‘he found suitably surreal ways of answering hecklers, like telling them, “You heckle me now, but I’m safe in the knowledge that when I get home, I’ve got a nice chicken in the oven.”‘ Made me laugh anyway. I don’t get ‘heckled’ much when I’m speaking, unless it’s street preaching where I’ve had a few people swear at me and shout out to put me off. At my home church up North we used to have a disturbed lady who’s undress in the middle of sermons (not mine). Reading through the gospels it’s interesting that we think of Jesus as a teacher, yet much of what he did was not didactic ‘sermon on the mount’ […]
What’s so special about Jesus?
…except that a few good friends of mine this week committed themselves, on their knees, to follow him? More than 2000 years on, Jesus is still the Son of God – still changing lives! But would Jesus agree that he really was all that – and more? Would be be rolling in his grave to think that a religion based on him even existed? Wasn’t he just a teacher? A good man? Could he actually be God? Well what kind of God would you want God to be, to be called God? Theologians talk about various ATTRIBUTES of God, for God to really be called God, he’d have to fit the bill. God would have to be immutable (unchanging). The Bible says, Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. You would think God – to be worthy of the epithet – would be eternal: he’d have no beginning and no end. Read the beginning of John’s gospel – Jesus fits that bill! Surely you’d want him omniscient – all knowing? Jesus certainly ‘grew in wisdom and stature,’ but […]
Punctures
Went out on my bike this morning, had all the stuff with me for if there was minor disaster, but ended up with a major blow-out and the whole tyre needing to be replaced (the one thing I didn’t have with me!). As God would have it, just at that ‘oh what a nightmare’ moment, the local police officer – who I happen to know, just happened to appear! He gave me and the bike a lift all the way home, and was able to warn me about a spate of burglaries locally as well as have a good chat generally, with him and another officer. I had been thinking earlier in the day that I need to start to redefine myself as a missionary to western culture rather than a church leader, in order to help people in our church and Christians with whom I come into contact to see a model. A great place for me to be able to befriend people and have contact for the gospel is through these police contacts, as the newly appointed chaplain […]
Exclusive Christianity?
We have this course going at the mo called ‘Big Buts.’ Tonight I’m speaking on “But what about all the other religions?” Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life, nobody comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6). Isn’t that very exclusive and intolerant? How can Christians believe that in a world where their adherents make up at best a third of the population (most of them nominal, see the pie up above? I’d slice it a lot thinner)? Some thoughts on that then. Firstly, Christianity is not the only religion that makes claims which are exclusive. 1.5 billion Muslims claim exclusivity, in a linguistic fashion for starters – the means of salvation is available through study of the Qur’an, for which you’d need a sophisticated understanding of Arabic. Buddhism was borne out of a rejection of the truth claims of Hinduism. Sikhism came as a challenge to both Hinduism and Buddhism. Of course there are atheists who believe (sic) there is no God, some of whom are keen to exclude the truth claims of […]
The end of the world as we know it?
This week I’ve been reading ‘Scared to Death – from BSE to Global Warming; why scares are costing us the Earth.’ Quite a long title – and a lot of read at nearly 500 pages. Well worth it though – here’s what it says about itself: This book for the first time tells the inside story of each of the major scares of the past two decades, showing how they have followed a remarkably consistent pattern. It analyses the crucial role played in each case by scientists who have misread or manipulated the evidence; by the media and lobbyists who eagerly promote the scare without regard to the facts; and finally by the politicians and officials who come up with an absurdly disproportionate response, leaving us all to pay a colossal price, which may run into billions or even hundreds of billions of pounds. This book culminates in a chillingly detailed account of the story behind what it shows has become the greatest scare of them all: the belief that the world faces disaster through man-made global warming. Personally, I’m […]
big buts
Well, that’s the name of the course for ‘spiritual seekers’ we just started last night, rather than something I suggest you go looking for online. We looked last night about how Christianity specifically and religion generally has a bad press. People think it’s boring, untrue and irrelevant to daily life in the C21st. I said I used to think that was the case, but (obviously) some things have happened to change my mind. I ended up asking our discussion groups whether there were things people there used to believe but don’t any more or vice versa, things you used not to believe and now you do. When I was a kid I thought all the countries stacked one on top of the other somehow, it took me ages to work out that whole ‘the world isn’t flat’ thing. Some people would acquaint all theists with flat earthers! I’m happy to change my mind, if my mind needs changing. How about you?