I’ve wanted to write this post for a while, but have never gotten round to it. However, here I am, so brace yourselves in and cast your minds back to Christmas 2005…
I love Christmas. I love the fact that there in our calendars is a day to commemorate the birth of the One who came to save every single human being in history (and future). Years ago, it was just a day for me to get tons of presents, but these days my focus has shifted somewhat. However, not everyone out there shares these views. Yes, I’m referring to both the birth of Jesus and the secular present-swapping tradition. For those of us that keep abreast of the news, we will have followed the uproar of Christmas itself. I read everything in my workmate’s paper about it: there were scores of letters, articles and snippets dedicated to debunking Christmas as “exclusive”, and cries of “multi-culturalism” echoed throughout as a counter or rebuttal. I remember thinking to myself, isn’t it funny how Christianity or anything linked with Christianity gets bricks thrown at it, yet every other religion remains unscathed? Let me elaborate: Christmas is under fire as being too exclusive. Why don’t I hear anything against Hanukkah? Why aren’t people taking pot shots at Ramadan? What about the page-filling story in The Press about the birthday of Hinduism’s foremost deity, Ganesh?
My point to you is this. The cries of “exclusivity” are coming from those who by choice did not wish to partake in the Christmas celebrations themselves, be it celebrating Jesus’ birth, or swapping gifts. Those that are pushing for an “alternate Christmas” (or a “neo-Christmas”) are not only those who would deny Christ’s birth and existence (done by choice of course), but these very same people would have no problem with the other festivities I’ve listed. Hanukkah is specific to the Jews, yet I hear no uproar. Ramadam is the Muslim month of fasting, yet noone throws up their hands and cries “intolerance”. And I don’t recall ever hearing a bad word slung against Ganesh or the Hindu celebrations themselves.
One final point needs to be written: I also find it funny how those that sling arrows at Christianity do so from a most comfortable range. It only seems to be those not interested in belief in Christ (or any “God” for that matter) that seek to bring Him down – or out – for anyone and everyone. How does the general public (aided by the Government) seek to establish a PC, tolerating society when intolerance is still rife? Does the existence of intolerance not suggest that there is a line to live by? Does not the rampant advance of intolerance show us that we are far, far from this line?
I would be willing to bet that God is looking down on His creation. And He is crying. He is crying to a world without ears. He is crying to a people that couldn’t care less. And we have done all this…by choice.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Monday, January 23, 2006
The Amazing Thing About Grace
I was cleaning out my room the other day, and I discovered a book that I had not read in a very long time. This book was Philip Yancey’s What’s So Amazing About Grace? This book has a history: A cell group I once belonged to (that is, before it disbanded) used this book as the basis of our studies. In fact, the copy I own of Yancey’s book was a study guide to it. Either way, we were unable to complete our study of the topic of Grace, due to our group splitting off.
Anyways, the re-discovery of this book got me thinking. What is so amazing about grace? And at work one day, the answer came to me. Ponder this passage of scripture for a while…
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
– 1 Corinthians 1:18-19
One of the central keys to Christianity is the doctrine of Grace. Jesus came as the once-and-for-all sacrifice for the forgiveness of Sin, which of course was His saving act by His blood, on the Cross. One thing to bear in mind about salvation by Grace is that it stands in stark contrast to salvation by Works. And here’s where I got thinking in overdrive: when we do wrong against another person, our natural tendency is to “work” off the transgression we caused to him or her. A sense of guilt accompanies an act of wrong, and we naturally try to work off our guilt, in the hope that we have done enough in order to satisfy the person we’ve wronged. Now, almost every major religion (Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, et al.) stresses that it is by our good works that we are able to be made perfect. And you would expect an all-powerful God – creator of all things - to look at us humans, and look at those who have done the greatest. Yet the very same all-powerful Creator God does the exact opposite to the common sense and logic of human thinking. In fact, the message of Grace can be summed up this way:
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
– Romans 5:8
Anyways, the re-discovery of this book got me thinking. What is so amazing about grace? And at work one day, the answer came to me. Ponder this passage of scripture for a while…
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
– 1 Corinthians 1:18-19
One of the central keys to Christianity is the doctrine of Grace. Jesus came as the once-and-for-all sacrifice for the forgiveness of Sin, which of course was His saving act by His blood, on the Cross. One thing to bear in mind about salvation by Grace is that it stands in stark contrast to salvation by Works. And here’s where I got thinking in overdrive: when we do wrong against another person, our natural tendency is to “work” off the transgression we caused to him or her. A sense of guilt accompanies an act of wrong, and we naturally try to work off our guilt, in the hope that we have done enough in order to satisfy the person we’ve wronged. Now, almost every major religion (Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, et al.) stresses that it is by our good works that we are able to be made perfect. And you would expect an all-powerful God – creator of all things - to look at us humans, and look at those who have done the greatest. Yet the very same all-powerful Creator God does the exact opposite to the common sense and logic of human thinking. In fact, the message of Grace can be summed up this way:
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
– Romans 5:8
Arthur's Pass
Remember my post from way back when I went over to Arthur's Pass for the day? Here's some photos of the day =)
Enjoy...
The Crew (Left to Right: Ricardo, Miriam, Andrea, Myself and Peter)
The Crew (sans Andrea) atop a bridge on the Devil's Punchbowl track
A view of a really cool mountain
Devil's Punchbowl Falls
This is the self-suspending ice-shelf I made reference to in my last post about Arthurs's Pass. Considering it's the middle of Spring and it was roughly 25 degrees outside, this was the most impressive bit of the whole tramp!
Enjoy...
The Crew (Left to Right: Ricardo, Miriam, Andrea, Myself and Peter)
The Crew (sans Andrea) atop a bridge on the Devil's Punchbowl track
A view of a really cool mountain
Devil's Punchbowl Falls
This is the self-suspending ice-shelf I made reference to in my last post about Arthurs's Pass. Considering it's the middle of Spring and it was roughly 25 degrees outside, this was the most impressive bit of the whole tramp!
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Full Scale Clean-Up!
Although it wasn’t intended, this post is mainly ‘an extension’ to my previous post.
I have titled this particular post as is on purpose. Basically, I need prayer…tonnes of it! I have fallen into a lull in my lifestyle at the moment, and it has created a suffocating aura, an aura that promotes nothing but sheer laziness. It’s not that I don’t do anything, it’s just that I have fallen into a trap (like so many people do) of getting into a habit of playing far too many computer games. Yep, I get home after work and the first thing I do is blob. Where do I blob? Not in the lounge, that’s for sure. I blob in my room, in front of this screen of mine, and waste my time playing games.
However, I need a change. Prior to typing this post I uninstalled every single game off my computer, now I need to pack away the boxes. The prayer is mainly for not only breaking this deadly and anti-social habit, but to also devote my time to more meaningful, fulfilling activities.
Thank you…
I have titled this particular post as is on purpose. Basically, I need prayer…tonnes of it! I have fallen into a lull in my lifestyle at the moment, and it has created a suffocating aura, an aura that promotes nothing but sheer laziness. It’s not that I don’t do anything, it’s just that I have fallen into a trap (like so many people do) of getting into a habit of playing far too many computer games. Yep, I get home after work and the first thing I do is blob. Where do I blob? Not in the lounge, that’s for sure. I blob in my room, in front of this screen of mine, and waste my time playing games.
However, I need a change. Prior to typing this post I uninstalled every single game off my computer, now I need to pack away the boxes. The prayer is mainly for not only breaking this deadly and anti-social habit, but to also devote my time to more meaningful, fulfilling activities.
Thank you…
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