Relief: Why doesn't the world do something?

I have had a most challenging and interesting conversation in that the other party stated that they believed there was a god who created the world and everything and caused us to have life and be placed here and that was where god stopped. Everything else was left to us to decide our paths and control our thoughts and actions, nothing was set and everything was fluid. This, I was told, would explain the reason that there was so much suffering and death in the world; god had done his bit and now declined to have any involvement in things.

I pointed out that many of the deaths across the world could be prevented if only large corporations put shareholder dividends and profits second to making their products (drugs and services) available to those with need at cost price; the principle of getting those who could pay doing so with the result that those who couldn't might benefit! I also pointed out that many of the wars used differences and well-constructed lines of race, colour, creed and tongue as the legitimising element for their own greed and violence.

The response to this was that when it came to need, "The Church should be doing something!" I quickly pointed out that indeed the Church was only to be told, "Then it needs to do more!"

I explained that what we needed was the world to become engaged in the battle against poverty, disease, famine and conflict but came away thinking that the prevailing attitude was that this was the Church's task not the worlds.

Guess we are the universal do-gooders.

Who is my brother (and why are they only the world's when we have a BBC TV day full of celeb's making appeals)?

Aaaargh!

ps. I was recently stopped by a lovely old lady who told me how she turned over when 'them poor black babies' were put on the screen to raise money. "They don't seem to think how seeing images like that spoils our television watching, " says she, "I have to turn over!"

Seems like many of those in the world turn over whilst the Church (I hope) watches, weeps, prays and (I hope) acts!

The 'fog of war'

Whilst touring the English Civil War battlefield site of Naseby last week I was intrigued by the origin of the term 'fog of war' and how it was ascribed to the powder smoke of the many muskets drifting across the field of combat. The smoke obscured much and added greatly to the confusion such that the whole outcome of engagements could be changed.

This seems to be a key factor in the battles we wage within Christian circles too!

Recently I have been engaged in dialogue over a few issues where (other) people have been led into positions of confusion by the smoke that is ad hominem, foggy and clouded thinking and tricks of the light (or should that be 'dark'?).

When we consider issues, we need to do so openly. We need to be honest about the spin we put on things, the straw men we bring to the party and our reasons for thinking as we do (and for trying to sell our position to others too!).

Seems to me that wanting things to be as we would like them to be is neither theologically or even logically sound. That revisiting the issues that challenge our desires with a view to rewriting them in our favour is enough fog to hand the skirmish and, for some, the battle over to the enemy.

Out in the open, clearly seen, not in the shadows or amidst the fog - that is the Christian way.

Pax