CROSSover: Jesus & Darmok

I've recently started binge re-watching Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix.  For some reason I decided to rewatch the other Star Trek spin-offs first... so like Eric Morecambe, I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order.

That last sentence is actually a useful metaphor for what I want to talk about today.  It's all about people behaving in a completely alien fashion, and how it bemuses us, possibly angers us and how we need to overcome that hurdle if we are to move beyond that.

So, in the TNG episode "Darmok", the Enterprise crew encounter a species known as the Tamarians/Children of Tama, who are desperate to open a dialogue with the Federation.  Great, no problem... except there's a catch; while the universal computer can translate all the relevant words into English... it can't make sense of how those words are utilised by the Tamarians in dialogue. All prior attempts at communication with the species have failed and no working relationship has ever been achieved.

Picard struggles to understand the Tamarians in the TNG epsiode, Darmok.

It turns out that the Tamarians speak in metaphors and use short statements from their mythology to convey the literal idea they wish to express. In the episode, the Captain of the vessel - Dathon, takes the radically unusual initiative of beaming himself and Captain Picard (the latter against his will), onto the planet surface to fight a creature in circumstances akin to those from Tamarian mythology.  The idea eventually works... but does so at the cost of his own life and all the while, as Picard is struggling to understand and establish a dialogue... the situation in space between the two starships, deteriorates and culminates in a brief firefight.  When the Enterprise is finally able to retrieve Picard, he hurries to the bridge and finally manages to speak to the Tamarians using what he learned from the encounter on the planet.  The possibility of friendship finally exists between the Federation and the Tamarians... as they finally have a way to communicate.

This got me thinking about today's epistle reading, particularly the last verse:

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

Colossians 1:15-20

 Scripture tells us that God's ways - like the Tamarians with the Federation, are completely foreign to us:

""For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.""

Isaiah 55:8-9

If you read the Bible it becomes very clear that humanity has struggled over the millennia to have a proper dialogue with God.  There are a few touched individuals through the ages who are blessed with the ability to convey or interpret God's messages in prophetic manner but the struggle to grasp what God's agenda is, is often a very real one as from a temporal perspective, his motives don't always seem consistent... because of our wrongdoing, our sin... we look at the world through a limited perspective that is tainted by our selfishness. In order to overcome this language barrier, God - like Dathon, took the extraordinary step of allowing his fullness to dwell within the confines of the full human experience.  However even then, in the Gospels... it becomes painfully apparent that the people he lived among struggled to understand the message he brought. You can clearly see Jesus acknowledgement, acceptance and even frustration with this at various times in the Gospel narratives.

Something even more radical needed to happen for God to be able to get through to us.

And that brings us once again to the cross.

There are many ways to look at Christ's sacrifice on the cross and I think some people (foolishly) fall into the trap of stating it means only one of those things... at the expense of the others; to do so, I think, means we miss out on the fullness of the message. To apply human psychology to God's reasoning for acting as he did... is to make the early mistakes of the Federation in dealing with the Tamarians - it is to foolishly use our own mindset to try and understand what somebody else (in God's case, infinitely higher and deeper), is saying.  Some theologians have argued that the idea of God punishing Jesus for our sin is "cosmic child abuse"... but that is to entirely miss the point of Jesus's nature. If the fullness of God is within Christ... then it is not about God projecting His anger onto a wholly separate child, it is about Him taking responsibility for what angers Him, upon Himself. It is also to deny the gravity of our situation... God has to take extraordinary harsh means to deal with a situation we are utterly incapable of dealing with in our own strength.

But I want to look at one thing Jesus' sacrifice does, that is echoed in that Star Trek episode... and that is that it provides a "Eureka" moment. Regardless of any physical functionality behind Jesus' death, when we step back at look at the simple facts - that God, believing us to be unable to save ourselves from a very real danger that he perceived... decided to send himself in the form of his Son, to alert us to our circumstance and confront us with the fullness of divine love, set against the heart of human darkness; we are presented with an opportunity to recognise and respond to that love.

Humans respond to love - when somebody (known or unknown) does something moving for us as an act of love in any form, we are burdened to respond. We might find it inappropriate or incompatible with how we feel, and choose to reject it... or we might change our behaviour or circumstances to acknowledge or even embrace it... but love always by its very nature, demands a response.

When Jesus died on the cross and revealed his reasons for doing so, we were confronted with the depth of God's love.

If we choose to embrace that love... the door is opened. We begin to speak God's language - the Holy Spirit is available to us, in a way that before Jesus death... just wasn't possible.

But it all starts with a single, audacious and extraordinary event instigated by someone who seems alien to us.

Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra.

God and humanity at the foot of the cross.

Doctor Who: The Rings of Akhaten - What Should Have Been

It's been a while since I've blogged on the topic of Doctor Who, but I felt tonight's episode held some exceptional points that I wanted to reflect on. Now I know some of the physics was a bit dodgy to say the least... and the main antagonist very much reminded me of Wilson the volleyball from Cast Away, but  the acting and philosophy in the episode were great.

 

The essential plot revolved around a group of alien species who inhabit a cluster of asteroids that nestle within the rings that surround a red sun. Every thousand years the species gather to pay emotional tribute to a sleeping "god". The most important person in the ritualistic festivities is the Queen of Years, whose job it is to lead the gathered pilgrims in a song of lullaby that keeps the god asleep... thus allowing life in the Rings of Akhaten to continue. The current Queen of Years is a little girl named Merry, who is afraid of her inadequacy in the role thrust upon her.

 

Her fears appear to be justified when she is pulled into the pyramid on the asteroid where the god is presumed to sleep and confronted by a vampiric alien that is stirring from slumber, hungering for her song - her soul. Burdened with the knowledge that her people may die if the god is not appeased, she is petrified and yet willing to sacrifice herself to the beast. The Doctor recognises the beast for what it is however, a parasite that leeches on emotion and will not allow Merry to throw her precious and unique life away, to merely satiate the creature for a time.  The creature is apparen00tly defeated when it releases a beam of some kind of energy into the sun... and The Doctor, Clara and Merry prepare to make their escape.

 

There is unfortunately a catch.

 

The creature was not the "god". In fact the god is the sun itself, that hungers for the souls and songs of the people... and The Doctor realises the enormity of his error as it begins to become unstable, threatening the life of all who inhabit the rings.

 

 The Doctor tells Clara to get Merry to safety and attempts to face off against the parasite god.  From a distance, Merry decides to do what she can to help and sings melody to try and quell the sun.  The Doctor is invigorated by the voices of Merry in the pilgrims as they sing in the face of doom.  Knowing that the entity feeds on emotion and experience... and that he has over a millennium of such things under his belt, the Doctor gives an impassioned speech - challenging the entity to be satiated with all that he has seen, known and become:

"Can you hear them? All these people who lived in terror of you and your judgement; all these people whose ancestors devoted themselves... sacrificed themselves to you. Can you hear them singing? Oh you like to think you're a god.... but you're not a god, you're just a parasite eating now the jealousy and envy and... longing for the lives of others, you feed on them. On the memory of love and loss and birth and death and joy and sorrow. So... so... come on then.  Take mine. Take my memories. I hope you've got a big appetite because I have lived a long life and I have seen a few things.  I walked away from the last great Time War. I marked the passing of the Time Lords; I saw the birth of the Universe and I watched as time ran out, moment by moment until nothing remained - no time no space... just me. I walked in universes where the laws of physics were devised by the mind of a mad man. I have watched universes freeze and creation burn. I have seen things you wouldn't believe. I have lost things you will never understand and I know things... secrets that must never be told and knowledge that must never be spoken... knowledge that will make parasite gods BLAZE! SO COME OOON THEN! TAKE IT! TAKE IT ALL BABY! YOU HAVE IT ALL!"

Yet it is not enough... and as the Doctor slumps, the sun expands once again.

 

Clara has an epiphany and realises that she possesses something even more precious. She holds an autumn leaf whose falling brought her parents together and was regarded by her father as "the most important leaf in human history". She remembers her mother's promise to come whenever she was lost... and how that promise had been snatched away from her when her mother died. Flying back to the pyramid asteroid (I'm assuming the space scooters have some kind of ambient oxygen life support field), she holds out the leaf and points out what it represents - not memories of a life lived, but an eternity of what if's - possibilities that never came to pass because of what happened to her mother - days that should have been and never were. Completely overwhelmed by the influx of experiences and emotions that never were and gorged beyond its ability to satiate itself, the sun collapses in on itself... never to demand sacrifice ever again (major physics goof as the sun's destruction would result in the end of all life in the system).



Clara & The Doctor confront the parasite god at Akhetan

As the Doctor put it: "Infinity is too much... even for your appetite"

 

I know that with its theme of a jealous false god who greedily consumes the sacrifices and faithfulness of his followers, many saw the episode as a vitriolic attack on religion - particularly as The Doctor gives gentle digs at the people's belief that Akhetan is where the universe began... citing it as a "nice story" and reiterating the scientific explanation for the birth of the universe (something that I as a Christian have no problem with). However I found myself quite spiritually inspired by this story.

 

Just a week after commemorating the events of Holy Week, I saw parallels with the story of salvation that I felt compelled to share. We are like the people of Akhetan. We live our lives under the gaze of an entity that longs to consume us... that feeds off our pain and sorrow and unfairly revels in our eventual perishing... but that entity is not God. That entity is our broken human nature that we helplessly orbit, unable to escape. It doesn't matter how good we are... how wondrous our achievements, how noble our beliefs and intentions. Nothing within us is capable of satiating the hunger of the sinful nature. Just as the Doctor's vast storehouse of experience was incapable of staving off the hunger pangs of Akhetan... even the most reverent and devout of humans falls prey to the universal phenotype of our condition. We are all sinners, we all make mistakes.... it is an inherited condition:

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

Romans 5:12-14

Into this hopeless fray stepped hope itself.

Jesus is a human - He shared in our sorrows and our sufferings and yet being in very nature God, He was not automatically subject to our brokenness. Jesus Christ represents everything we should have been, everything we could have been if we had not followed the pattern of the World. Jesus represents the obedience of all humanity... that never was.

 

In Jesus there's quite a difference isn't there? There's an awful lot of sin but there's an infinity of righteousness on offer. Infinity is too much, even for death's appetite.

 

The unjustness of the Righteous One giving his life - an eternal abundance of obedience and goodness, for us in our corruption... completely satisfied the previously unending hunger of sin:

 

"Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."

Romans 5:18-19

Not for nothing did Jesus use the Greek word "Tetelestai" (which the English usually translates to "It is finished"), as he died on the cross. It is a word that means debt is paid in full.

 

That's our debt... we can have it paid. All we need to do is put our trust in the risen Jesus and accept what he did for us.

 

Jesus is too much... even for sin and death's appetite.

 

Redemption - Doctor Who: Let's Kill Hitler

The Doctor reappeared on our television screens tonight after an anxious wait of a couple of months... and he was back with a bang.

I had mixed feelings about A Good Man Goes To War (the mid series climax), there were many parts about it that I felt were fantastic but the ending felt a little disappointing and disjointed for me. Maybe I'm biased and I just didn't like how the big reveal was handled or where it was going. However I have to say that on its return, the latest Doctor Who episode pretty much blew my socks off.

It started with a hectic drive through a cornfield as Amy & Rory raced to rendezvous with the Doctor (who has as yet failed to rescue Melody); this was immediately followed by the arrival of "Mels", a lifelong friend of Amy who hast stolen a car with the intention of meeting The Doctor. There was a nice bit of foreshadowing here as Mels had driven through the "Leadworth Crop Circle" (the word Doctor inscribed in the corn by Rory's driving as he tried to attract The Doctor's attention), and crossed out the word by driving in a straight line.

Foreshadowing as Mels' driving crosses through The Doctor's name.

Mels then holds The Doctor at gunpoint and forces the TARDIS crew into an unscheduled journey which results in them materialising in Berlin, 1938 after a stray bullet damages the TARDIS. This ends up being a timely intervention for Hitler who is about to be "given Hell" by a squad of time travelling, miniaturised humans who travel around the universe in a humanoid robot "tesselator" meting out so called justice on history's worst criminals.

There are a few moments of humorous awkwardness (as could only happen when you travel through time and inadvertently save one of history's worst war criminals and end up locking him in a cupboard for his own protection), before we discover that Mels has been mortally wounded by a bullet and spontaneously begins to regenerate (honestly Steven Moffat has clearly gone for trecord for the amount of regenerations in a single series), as she takes the familiar form of Alex Kingston, we understand are at the beginning of River Song's story.

This is not the River Song we are familiar with however. This River Song is an assassin who is still well and truly under the programming of The Silence and still operating under her birth name of Melody Pond. The Doctor having foreseen the arrival of Melody takes steps to preserve his life... by disarming and hiding weapons; this proves in vain however, as Melody utilises a deceptive kiss laced with a slow acting poison. Melody runs away and causes havoc in a nearby Berlin restaurant as Rory and Amy give chase in a bid to apprehend her... closely followed by the tesselator whose crew perceive Melody Pond as a greater threat than even Hitler because she killed The Doctor (as seen in The Impossible Astronaut).

As they arrive on the scene of the restaurant they see all the panicked diners fleeing for their lives... in their underwear. Before they are able to act on this however, the tesselator miniaturises them and imprisons them inside itself at the mercy of its crew.

The tesselator begins to unleash its punishment on Melody, but is interrupted by The Doctor's lavish arrival and subsequent insistence that this stops. The crew of the tesselator cannot comprehend why The Doctor in his dying moments is displaying mercy to Melody when he possesses the knowledge that she is his murderer. Eventually they ignore The Doctor and proceed to give Melody "Hell". The Doctor in desperation and agony appeals to Amy and Rory to save her... which they do... but this in turn puts them in peril. The Doctor is in so much pain and is so weak that he is unable to do anything to save them... he desperately calls out to Melody to change her ways and save her parents. The TARDIS materialises within the tesselator in the nick of time... but its pilot is not The Doctor... it is Melody who has been taught by the TARDIS (and is indeed also a child of the TARDIS), who has heeded The Doctor's words.

As the Ponds rematerialise inside the restaurant, The Doctor's life ebbs away. He appeals to Melody to find River Song and pass on to her his final message and then breathes his last. Melody does not understand who River Song is... but Amy uses the tesselator to transmit an image of River Song... which convinces Melody that she is in fact one and the same. Realising the level of her mistake and understanding who The Doctor really is and what he means to her, River draws upon all the remaining regeneration energy inside her body to resurrect The Doctor.

"Hello Sweetie." River has a change of heart and brings The Doctor back to life.

I loved the central overarching theme of this episode... it was all about redemption. As Melody, River is exactly the ruthless, pathological killer that the Silence raised her to be and who the daleks were terrified of. Yet in spite of this, The Doctor still cares about who she will become and wants to prevent her from being harmed/killed. It doesn't matter what judgement or punishment others want to subject her to on his behalf, he sees her actions as answerable only to him. The following exchange perfectly sums this up:

The Doctor: What do you want with her?
Captain: She's Melody Pond. According to our records, the woman who kills The Doctor.
The Doctor: And I'M The Doctor... so what's it got to do with you?

This for me resonates very well with the central message of the Christian gospel. Our bad actions, our mistakes, our wrongness... these things are responsible for the death of Christ. He willingly underwent the crucifixion as a payment for the things we have done wrong... and all through his ministry and life, he made it very clear that we were not to judge others for the things that they get wrong... because in the final analysis all wrongs committed were committed against him. Even his dying words expressed to his Father in heaven, bore testimony to this:

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Luke 23:34a

In tonight's Doctor Who episode, Melody/River is very much the enemy and yet The Doctor sees past that... he sees her personal value - what she means to him as a person... and the individual she will become. In the same way, when we don't know God and are gravitating in a world without him and knowingly or unknowingly in rebellion against him, we are described as his enemies. However... just like The Doctor, he doesn't hold this against us and instead chooses to see our value to him and the untapped potential he has for us:

"For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Romans 5:9-11

In the Bible when a person changes direction... they often gain a new name. Perhaps the most radical example of this is Saul of Tarsus. As much as Melody Pond had been conditioned to kill The Doctor... Saul had been trained to persecute Christians and we first meet him nodding in approval at the stoning of Stephen - the first Christian martyr. After having a personal encounter with the divine Christ, Saul did a complete U turn and became an apostle and apologist for the very belief he persecuted.  He became known as Paul.

The taking of a new name is symbolic, it speaks of gaining a new identity... one that is free from all the baggage that went before. So in Doctor Who, Melody Pond takes the name of River Song and in the Bible, Saul takes the name of Paul. We too have a heavenly name; we may not know its pronunciation... but it exists nonetheless (this is a theme that Max Lucado explores at length in his famous book "When God Whispers Your Name). We can begin to know it if we listen to God and allow him to work in our lives.

In both the case of River Song in Doctor Who... and Paul in the Bible, we see that there is a price to pay in return for our redemption. River passed on all her remaining regenerations in order That The Doctor could live again; Paul realising the great debt that had been paid on his behalf committed his life to God in a very special way.

It's interesting that in both fiction and real life, we see a recurring theme - that the price of a person's redemption comes at great personal cost to another... one that usually demands a life. It's equally interesting that the beneficiaries of said sacrifice (be they fictional or actual), often feel an obligation to give something back to the individual or individuals who paid the price for them.

What sacrifices have been made for you, that have positively changed the direction of your life? What are you doing or what will you do in response to those sacrifices that honours the person/people who made it? Do you recognise what I consider to be the greatest sacrifice of all and what does it mean to you, personally? These are just some of the questions I hope you reflect on having read this article.

If you have any thoughts about tonight's episode of Doctor Who yourself, or if perhaps if anything I have said here has given you something to think about that you wish to share, I'd very much love to hear from you.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Debtwatch 7: Tetelestai!

Yes, I know... a bit of a random subtitle.

I wanted to put something similar to the last post's title... but I didn't want to confuse two completely separate issues.

Fortunately in my bible notes the other day, I came across the word the Greeks use to describe that same phrase Jesus spoke... Tetelestai.

In ancient times this phrase was used to declare that an account had been paid in full. It was customary after a debt had been paid, for the debtor to present their bill to the creditor who would then write across it "Tetelestai."

Paid in full.

Apparently the tense used in the Gospel would render it something like "it has been and will for ever remain finished."

So in a small way, my worldly debts have now joined my eternal debts in being forever paid off by Christ.

Its been an interesting and surprisingly brief journey. I have worked hard and by God's grace alone have been faithful in seeing this through. To think that it all started with the destruction of a Vauxhall Astra back in July... when up until that point I had been dragging my feet and staring at the ground in a spirit of defeatism, astounds me.

I don't just consider the financial aspect of this debt removed... everything that caused me to be in that position in the first place is gone... forever. Anything I do now does not carry with it the millstone of consequence.

It is a new dawn, a new day... maybe even a new age.

The past is nothing more than prologue and no longer casts shadows on my path. I walk free. Once more I have freedom of choice. What I do with that choice is now an open book. Having made stupid mistakes in the past, I don't intend to walk again down the path of self destruction again. In a sense this should also be our attitude to God's saving grace. Having known the damage our sin caused us... and having known the price Christ paid for it... we should not casually stroll down the path of our mistakes ever again. We may stray onto the path from time to time... but if our faith means anything at all... we shouldn't deliberately mistreat Christ's total repayment of our crippling and destructive eternal debt.

Balance left on debt: £0.00
Cash in short term savings reserves: £100.00
Cash left in current account that I hope to spare for debt repayment: N/A
Estimated balance for next Debtwatch report: N/A
Original Finish Date for completion of Payments - October 2007
Estimated Completion of Payments - "TETELESTAI!"

I just want to conclude these meditations on my finances by reaffirming my absolute conviction that, just as God helped me to clear my physical debt; he also has the ability to wipe out the debt of your sin... forever... permanently.

In fact he has already done it, by paying for it all in full on the cross. All you need to do is accept and believe it.... and a new day, a new life shall begin.

Are you ready to do that?

A Beautiful Day at the Foot of the Cross

After yesterday's involuntary incarceration, it was great to be able to finally get out... and what a glorious day it has been.

First of all I ate properly for the first time in over 24 hours... okay it was just a bowl of Weetabix... but it got me started.

Normally on Easter Saturday, some of the locals travel up to a giant daffodil cross that was planted several years ago and emerges every year in time for Easter. Unfortunately, I missed the announcement of what time people would gather... because I was too busy being ill in bed yesterday.

Undaunted by this, I set off for the town centre at about noon, to see if I could ascertain when (from the various noticeboards outside the church and around town), people might be meeting to travel up to the cross. Unfortunately there was no information in town, so I set off for the outskirts with absolutely no clue when anybody else would arrive... or whether or not they had already been and I had missed them.

As I crossed the dual carriageway I was greeted by a "Wahey!!!!" and a two fingered salute from some lads travelling from Stratford-upon-Avon towards Evesham. I've got no idea what that was about.

I climbed the steep hill and reached the foot of the cross at about 1pm. It was a sunny day and I marvelled at a wake of buzzards that circled high above my position. Despite the traffic far below me on the bypass, it seemed very peaceful. It is very strange, but the time I spent up there alone seemed to pass very quickly... and it was no time at all before a steady exodus of roughly 20 townsfolk ambled up the hill.

We worshipped... singing a good mixture of relevant songs and listening to a few short extracts from scripture. Then Simon Hodges, pastor at the local Renewal church preached for a few minutes on the importance of the resurrection message... and how people needed to know that life was to be enjoyed and not just endured - that the people far below us needed to know that Jesus Christ came that we may have life and have it in abundance. One of the verses he quoted, is pretty much a scripture that is the foundation for my own church - the mission it has been called to when the season is right (Isaiah 61).

The other verse he quoted is from a passage that is dear to my own heart - John 10. A lot of the Gospel message can be summarised by what you read in that passage, Jesus lays it all out for you there. He even has the audacity to tell people exactly what is going to happen to him and why. It is powerful and beautiful - life saving stuff. Simon quoted this part:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

It reminds me of the promises we have in Jesus Christ, and the need that the people of this planet have, to hear them. Too easily are preacher's tempted to preach hellfire and damnation... they fail to recognise that many of the people who are lost are not prideful and arrogant.

No.

There are many who are broken people. People who know the great distance they have fallen, people who are crushed and broken, people who feel the tendrils of despair creeping in and driving out all vestiges of hope. The people who cry out "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man". Such people do not need to know of hell, because they feel it already. These people do not need conviction, for god has already seen to it... these people need one thing.

Hope.

So I want to finish by quoting two more verses. Messages of hope to a fallen people and a lost generation. The words of God that cry out "I love you... come home".

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." - John 3:16-17

and:

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10

May you have a blessed Easter, full of hope and joy.

N

The Inner Dark

Amongst the films I am most looking forward to this year, one of the firm favourites has got to be Spider-Man 3.

I'm looking forward to it because it is going to cover the "black suit/Venom" storyline. Essentially the story of Venom has always been to me, a tale about recognising and fighting your own dark side. We all have a dark side, something deep within that urges us to do selfish things that hurt or neglect others. I don't know what you choose to call it, but I call it sin. I wonder if anyone reading these words, is concerned over attitudes they see in themselves that they know are wrong... but feel helpless to deal with?

This particular Spider-Man storyline serves as an excellent parable of how the sinful nature infects us and affects our lives and the lives of others. In the story, Spider-Man comes into contact with an alien symbiont that bonds with him and boosts his powers. However, what Peter Parker does not realise is that this being that he has made a Faustian bargain with, eats away at his soul... making him more aggressive and dangerous and isolating him emotionally from those he loves most of all.

As a Christian, I believe that sin entered the world... and our lives in much the same way:

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. - Genesis 3:6-7

Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." - Genesis 3:13

and:

But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created - James 1:14-18

The Bible also teaches us that sin crouches at our door and desires to have us... but we must master it. Peter Parker, upon realising what this alien creature is transforming him into, is also faced with this daunting challenge. Either to reject the darkness, or be consumed by it.

In the comics and film, the symbiont is vulnerable to intense sound. Our sinful "symbiont" is vulnerable to one sound... the voice of the God who calls out to us in love.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17

We have to choose to accept that voice, to accept the offer of grace and forgiveness that comes through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, if we wish to remove our inner demon's from the throne of our hearts.

The central theme of Spider-Man is that "with great power, must come great responsibility". We have been given the most precious power of all... free will. You can choose to embrace your inner darkness, explore the apparent freedoms it gives you... or you can choose to recognise that darkness for what it is, repent of it and ask God to get rid of it.

Of course Spider-Man's choice to reject the symbiont isn't the end of the story... and it isn't for us either. You see, once you cast out the darkness from your heart... it doesn't like being rejected... and will always try to get back in through any chink in our armour - any upset, any character flaw.

We have to learn to grow closer to Jesus and take on his character if we are to effectively combat sin, for the Bible says of Jesus:

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. - Hebrews 2:17-18

Go and watch Spider-Man 3, it will probably be a cracking film... but if anything I have said here has made you recognise something about yourself that needs sorting out, I implore you to address it. If you know you need to get right with God, pray with somebody you trust. If that door doesn't appear open to you.... then I am always here and what is said to me, will remain confidential and sacrosanct.

Things to Come

I sadly have not yet had the honour of becoming a parent, knowing the agony and ecstasy of watching something that is a part of you grow up and realising their own personal destiny.

However, I am knowledgeable enough to realise that when a child is born, nobody really knows quite what to expect along the rocky path of pilgrimage that is life on Earth.

Though this is true of every child, it was especially the case with Jesus Christ - not just for his parents, but for all those around him.

When you look at a child it easy to project your own ideas and aspirations about who or what he shall be... because to our eyes a child is an open book.

Even if you take the slightly unsubtle angelic gesture proclaiming the birth of Christ, then just a week into his natural life... Jesus was causing a lot of commotion.

Simeon spoke of him:

"This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

I wonder what Mary made of that? As far as we know, it is the first time she had any hint that the life of Jesus would be marked with controversy and suffering.

A short while later and Mary, Joseph and Jesus get a visit from some foreign wise men. They bring gifts "gold for a king", no surprise there... that's in line with what the angel said... Son of David, reigning over his kingdom - no problem. "Frankincense for a priest" - hmm interesting - whatever could that be referring to? After all Jesus was of the tribe of Judah - not Levi. What could it mean? Finally, "Myrrh" for the grave. Now everybody dies... but these gifts were to signify that kingship, priestly virtue and death were to play a major role in Jesus destiny. What could it all possibly mean?

As Jesus grew into a healthy teenager, favoured by God and men... he began to openly recognise the unique nature of his relationship with God in heaven. Hew began to say and do things that made his earthly family uncomfortable.

Eventually as a man, he struck out on his own... pursuing his Father's business, THE Father's business - namely making known the good news of the Gospel message: healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, feeding the hungry, raising the dead, proclaiming the forgiveness of sins and the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Just three and a half years later, his body hung limp on a cross - bruised, battered, cut to ribbons, drained of blood and life.

Just three days after that he was ALIVE. Not just revived, he had gone beyond death and become something so magnificent and wonderful... we can barely grasp the concept.

No one could have seen that coming as he lay gurgling away in the straw of Bethlehem. Who could have seen it?

My Christmas message to you is simply this:

What is Jesus to you? What do you expect from him? Is he merely forever frozen in time and space as an infant fairy tale on a stained glass window? Is he a wise teacher? Or is he the magnificent and wonderful risen Lord who comes to change the destiny of mankind? My challenge to you, whatever you see Jesus as this Christmas... is to let him grow in your heart.

"Don't be afraid!" That is what the angels said to the shepherds... and that is what I say to you. Don't worry about what Jesus will become in your heart, or fret over who or what that will lead you to become. Unleash God in your heart and just wait and see what happens.

God bless and Merry Christmas!

Nick

A Day of Atonement

Today is the Jewish festival of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and although I'm not jewish... today has seen an atonement of sorts for me personally.

No, I didn't fast for 25 hours or follow any of the practices of modern Judaism... and I certainly didn't have any bulls or goats sacrificed on my behalf in Jerusalem... for as a Christian, I believe that Jesus' death outside Jerusalem has paid for my sin... or as Matt Redman once put it - the cross has said it all!

Anyway, I digress. The atonement I speak of today is a financial one. Today, the last direct debit on my penultimate loan came out... and siezing the moment, I took the opportunity to alter my final outstanding loan. I will no longer have to wait 18 months to be free... by God's grace I have reduced the timescale down to a maximum of 12 months... and I have changed the nature of my loan, so that I can pay extra amounts if I choose to. Optimistically I could well get the heck out of Dodge by late summer next year!

Glory to God!

OK, so you could argue that I'm ahead of myself here... I'm not free yet, after all. However, to cite an example:

In the United States of America, Independence Day is celebrated on the 4th
July... but the historical fact is that independence had not been secured on
that day. The war did not end... and my people did not recognise
the Declaration of Independence until over 7 years later.

In the same way as America's founding fathers served notice on Britain, I have served notice to my own tyrants... though my enemies are not flesh and blood... but fiscal.

"No dictator, no invader can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom. Against that power tyrants and dictators cannot stand. The Centauri learned that lesson once. We will teach it to them again. Though it take a thousand years, we will be free." - Citizen G'Kar (Babylon 5 Season 2: The Long Twilight Struggle)

Again I want to use this post as a rally cry to those struggling in sin, debt or any weakness. If I can be free, then any of you can be free... all of you can be free!

You don't have to write what your problem is here... but send me a comment with just your name in it... that can be YOUR signature in your own personal declaration of independence from whatever problems ail you. If your name goes in here... not only are you making your pledge to fight for yourself.... but you have my word that I will at the very least say a prayer for you.

If you want to be free of your chains then give them to Jesus, for this is why he came:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

If you don't feel in a position to do that then lay them here at this door and be assured that those who follow Christ and read this blog... will take up your cause with you. I fundamentally believe that whatever weighs you down today... be it guilt, sin, hurt, fear, illness, bitterness, loss, rejection, neglect, abuse... whatever it is... God would have you be free of it and I offer you the chance to cry out for that freedom here and now!

For freedom's sake write down your name.

God bless you... whatever you decide

N

Amen

The following poem is by Adrian Plass. I felt it appropriate to share it on Good Friday, it is a challenge to us to really considfer the cost of discipleship and take up our own cross:

When I became a Christian I said, Lord, now fill me in,

Tell me what I'll suffer in this world of shame and sin.

He said, your body may be killed, and left to rot and stink,

Do you still want to follow me? I said Amen - I think.

I think Amen, Amen I think, I think I say Amen,

I'm not completely sure, can you just run through that again?

You say my body may be killed and left to rot and stink,

Well, yes, that sounds terrific, Lord, I say Amen - I think.

But, Lord, there must be other ways to follow you, I said,

I really would prefer to end up dying in my bed.

Well, yes, he said, you could put up with the sneers and scorn and spit,

Do you still want to follow me? I said Amen - a bit.

A bit Amen, Amen a bit, a bit I say Amen,

I'm not entirely sure, can we just run through that again?

You say I could put up with sneers and also scorn and spit,

Well, yes, I've made my mind up, and I say, Amen - a bit.

Well I sat back and thought a while, then tried a different ploy,

Now, Lord, I said, the Good book says that Christians live in joy.

That's true he said, you need the joy to bear the pain and sorrow,

So do you want to follow me, I said, Amen - tomorrow.

Tomorrow, Lord, I'll say it then, that's when I'll say Amen,

I need to get it clear, can I just run through that again?

You say that I will need to joy, to bear the pain and sorrow,

Well, yes, I think I've got it straight, I'll say Amen - tomorrow.

He said, Look, I'm not asking you to spend an hour with me

A quick salvation sandwich and a cup of sanctity,

The cost is you, not half of you, but every single bit,

Now tell me, will you follow me? I said Amen - I quit.

I'm very sorry Lord I said, I'd like to follow you,

But I don't think religion is a manly thing to do.

He said forget religion then, and think about my Son,

And tell me if you're man enough to do what he has done.
Are you man enough to see the need, and man enough to go,

Man enough to care for those whom no one wants to know,

Man enough to say the thing that people hate to hear,

To battle through Gethsemane in loneliness and fear.

And listen! Are you man enough to stand it at the end,

The moment of betrayal by the kisses of a friend,

Are you man enough to hold your tongue, and man enough to cry?

When nails break your body-are you man enough to die?

Man enough to take the pain, and wear it like a crown,

Man enough to love the world and turn it upside down,

Are you man enough to follow me, I ask you once again?

I said, Oh Lord, I'm frightened, but I also said Amen.

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen; Amen, Amen, Amen,

I said, Oh Lord, I'm frightened, but I also said, Amen.

I just want to say thank you to Jesus for being man enough to pass through Gethsemane... to endure the cross for salvation.... mine and yours. The cross has said it all. As Jesus said, it is finished.... completely completed... the great Amen.

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" Luke 9:23-25

As I said the other day, enjoy your life... but enjoy it in context. The lives we live today are merely the tip of an iceberg that runs into eternity. You cannot see eternity, but it is there nonetheless. Don't sacrifice that which is eternal for that which is temporary. The Bible speaks of wisdom being supreme and that though it may cost you all you have, it is worth attaining. How much more so is salvation? Accepting the free redemption offered by Christ is the highest wisdom.

For he is no fool

Who gives what he cannot keep

To gain what he cannot lose

The Cost of Correction

Many years ago Arun Gandhi (grandson of the political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi), moved back to South Africa with his father to continue the struggle against apartheid. One day Arun was asked by his elderly father to drive him to a meeting in Johannesburg, then drop off the car at a garage for it's service before picking him up from the meeting at 5pm.

Now Arun realised it would take some time to wait for the car, so he decided to bide the time by going to watch a film at the nearest cinema... which just happened to be showing a double feature that day. He emerged from the cinema and checked his watch. Horrified, he realised that it was already past 5 o'clock. He rushed to the place where his father was waiting, on the corner in the pouring rain... rapidly thinking of plausable excuses for his lateness. Then he said "Father, you must forgive me. It is taking them longer to repair the automobile than I thought it would take, but if you wait here I will go and get the car. It should be ready by now."

His father silently bowed his head and looked downward, then after what seemed like a long time he finally said "When you were not here at our meeting time I called the garage to see why you were late. They told me that the automobile was ready at 3 o'clock! Now I have to give some thought as to how I have failed, so as to have a son who would lie to his own father. I will have to think about this. So I am going to walk home and use the time during my walk to meditate on this question."

Arun could not bring himself to just drive off without his father. Instead, he followed the elderly man home watching him stagger along the muddy road as the rain fell down upon him. Arun continually flashed the car headlights to try and gain his father's attention... but it was to no avail. His father relentlessly stumbled all the way on the long journey towards home. Overcome with remorse for his actions, Arun repeatedly beat the steering wheel and said over and over to himself "I will never lie again! I will never lie again!"

It is a true story - Arun himself recounted it to Tony Campolo when the two of them met.

It is also true that this is exactly how God corrects us. God has a plan for us right from the very beginning in fact even before we are born. However, being selfish and broken by our sinful nature. We rebel against that plan... either by not doing what is right, or actively doing what is wrong. We are disobedient.

The Bible teaches us that the punishment of our disobedience - for being slaves to the sinful nature is death. So what does God do about this? Does he beat us with a big stick or throw lightning bolts at us?

No.

Like Arun's father, God took the punishment of our actions upon himself, by sending Jesus to suffer and die in our place. In the same way that Arun watched his father trudge home in the rain, we look upon Christ crucified... a righteous man willingly taking the punishment for the mistakes of God's children. The price is paid.

However if we look at Arun's response to his father, I believe it gives us opportunity to examine our own attitude towards God. Arun knowing what suffering his disobedience had caused his father... repented and resolved to change his attitude. Imagine you are in that car... that it is you behind the wheel and Jesus is walking down the road ahead of you carrying his cross to Calvary.

The way I see it, there are two responses. You can callously drive off home and face the consequences yourself... or you can follow Jesus... continually reminding yourself of the cost of what you have done and resolving daily not to do it again.

Arun's father did not despise him... he wanted Arun to be a good son. Likewise God does not despise you or I (even though we deserve it), he merely wishes us to be restored to be the people he called us to be. Now let me tell you another story... one that Jesus told:

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 28:9-14

Maybe you think you are OK and don't need Jesus, in which case I urge you to think on why God considered the situation so grave that he sent his Son to make payment by dying for our sins. Then think what the implications of that are for you personally.

Or maybe you are a Christian and have found Jesus and have a relaxed attitude to your behaviour because you know that the blood of Jesus covers our sins. In which case I urge you to think again what those sins did to Jesus, for:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
1 Corinthians 1:19,20

Discover who you are and what you were called to be in Christ, and if you have forgotten... remember.

Jesus did not just die to destroy our sin, he was raised to enable us to rise above it. He promised us his Spirit would be with us until the end of the age. If you want to know what that's about I encourage you to pray these words:

Dear God, I come to You in the name of Jesus.

I now realize that I have a choice to make concerning my life. I believe that Jesus died and shed his blood for my sins and rose from the dead giving me the way to fellowship with You and to live eternally with You.

Knowing this I choose to renounce my past and I accept the price Jesus paid for me to be total and complete, because You said it is. I choose Jesus to be Lord of my life and to live within me, and I choose to live for You from this moment on.

I believe right now that I am indeed born again. My spirit is a brand new creation and I stand before You heavenly Father worthy not because of my actions, but because Jesus justifies me.

Thank You for loving me and accepting me into your family.

Amen

Jesus in Old Testament Law

I thought I would add a couple of posts briefly touching on a few examples from the Old Testament of why Christians see Jesus as the Messiah... both from the Law and the Prophets. This is because I was asked recently about it... and it only seems right to give some kind of answer

Firstly, lets look at the Law.

If you believe the Old Testament, all mankind fell... due to the actions of our ancestors. I'm not getting into a debate here as to whether that is a literal descent from Adam and Eve, or an allegorical descent... you come to your own conclusion... the Gospel message is more important than theology. The only thing I will say is that everyone on Earth today is descended from one woman... our mitochondrial DNA proves it.

So, we fell... we are in a sinful state. Fast forward a few generations. God decides to literally set in stone the actions that separate us from Him... and ways of making up for those actions, through sacrifice. The levitical Law is written. There is only one problem, our actions are borne out of our motivations and our motivations come from within us... our hearts. The Law does not fix us. Lets take a look at two big ones:

Passover Lamb:

Passover recalls how God called the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. They were told by Moses to select a lamb without defect and kill it, smearing the blood on the doorposts. God sent an angel of death to judge Egypt for not allowing Israel to leave. The angel was given permission to kill the firstborn of every household... unless it saw blood on the doorposts. The resulting loss of life moved Pharaoh to release Israel. They were free... no longer slaves.

We too are slaves, not to a nation but to our sinful nature.


The Day of Atonement:

Did you know that the word for atonement in Hebrew had no equivalent in English... at the time it was first translated? The word atonement was made up from three... to perform the job. At one ment. It literally means to return something to being in a state of oneness (with God). Trivia over, lets look at it.

Among the sacrifices that were made were two goats. The high priest had to slaughter one and present it's blood before God. Having done that he had to pray over the other goat, which would be released into the desert... alone. The idea was that the dead goat paid the price of the Israelite's sins... and the live goat carried them away. When the High Priest performed this ritual, he was to be alone. Nobody else was allowed to enter. I've been told that if the sacrifice wasn't accepted the High Priest would fall down dead. He wore a sash with bells. If he stopped moving about, the bells wouldn't ring and therefore he would be pulled out on a rope by assistants. therefore the High Priest was a living symbol of forgiveness. If he did not come out alive, the sins were not paid for.

This is why for Christians, a belief in the Resurrection of Jesus is important. How can he be our High Priest if there was no proof that our sins were paid for. His death was the payment for the price of our sins. His resurrection is our receipt... proof that God considered the debt paid... our atonement.

The pharisees and Sadducee's were Jewish religious sects at the time of Christ. They believed in the strict observance of the Law, but Jesus had this to say:

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."

The important thing to realise here, is that Jesus is saying that observance of the Law is not enough. Yes you can make amends for your actions... but it doesn't deal with the heart... the source of our sin, and therefore you will always be in a state of sin.

What mankind needed was something that represented him... to make amends for him. How could this be? The only thing that could adequately represent man was a man... but every man that was descended from Adam, bore Adam's broken nature. It's like when someone scratches a cd. Every copy you make of that cd will bear the damage on the soundtrack... even if it bears no physical damage. The only person good enough, would have to be someone untouched by Adam... someone who was not sinful.

That is why Christians believe Jesus was God's Son, fully human and fully God. He had to be a human... otherwise how could he intercede for us? He had to be God because otherwise how could he be free from Adam's curse? He had to be perfect and He had to die in order to fulfill the Law (which demanded sacrifice), he had to rise to prove that the legal requirements had been met.

Click here, if you want to read more about Passover.
Click here, if you want to read more about the Day of Atonement.
Click here, if you want to read about Jesus being made like us and interceding for us.

Man that was heavy... wasn't it?

Purgatory

It's been a long time coming... truth be told I've been ducking writing on the subject, but when I noticed somebody had read my "Lost" blog, I was reminded that I had said I would. So I thought now would be the right time.

So lets examine what it is first, before we lay into it. Basically, Purgatory is supposed to be a kind of disciplinary waiting room before you receive eternal life. It is supposed to be between heaven and hell, a place of purification where a soul is made perfect before meeting God. The length of your stay varies according to the quantity and gravity of your sins.

What is wrong with it, is that it doesn't exist! The idea wasn't based on scripture, it was a fantasy invented to make cash for the church of the middle ages... and BOY did it make cash! There was an "economy" for sin. Certain sins cost you bad, so you had to make reparations for it by praying for absolution. Trouble was... the clergy set some sins at ludicrous rates. You might expect to be locked in purgatory for eons. Help was at hand though... if you were wealthy, just build loads of churches, give stacks of cash to the abbot and the monks would pray for your sins... that should shave a few millennia off.

So where does Jesus fit in with this theology? Well we know that:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

Now it wouldn't be very loving of God, to send Jesus to pay for our sins... and then despite all that... say "well boys and girls, you can still bubble away for a few thousand years for what you've done". That is not forgiveness. God's forgiveness is complete. As it is written:

"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him."

That verse doesn't make Purgatory look very likely, does it? i think that makes it quite clear that the death of Christ is meant to be the one factor that reunites us with the Father.

Christians believe that Jesus died in FULL payment for the sins of mankind. There was one sacrifice made for all. That was Jesus. We believe we are washed of all our evil deeds and darkness... by his willing death on the cross. THAT is why the idea of purgatory (as invented by the Roman church in the Middle Ages) should be so abhorrent to Christians, and why it is an affront to God... the author of salvation.

You might be feeling that you have strived all your life to attain a salvation that is freely on offer. If you wish to know how to attain it, I have added a few short pointers.

All you need to do to receive that salvation is:

• Believe Jesus is who he says he is.
• Recognise that we have offended God by our rebellion against him in our daily lives.
• Genuinely turn away from that wilful rebellion.
• Accept that your "sins" were paid in full by Jesus death on the cross, and that God
• acknowledged this by raising Jesus to new life (you can call that your proof of purchase).
• Finally you need to let God take a central and more active role in your life through the Holy Spirit. If you want suggestions: Meet other Christians, pray and read the Bible.

Don't believe it's that simple? Well, the Bible puts it like this:

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Or as Billy Graham has said:

God said it (in his Word), I believe it (in my heart), that settles it (forever). No getting relatives to pray for your soul until judgement day... just a solid assurance that God loves you so much, that he sent his Son to die for you... in order that you might live with Him forever.

After reading this... you might want to take a step forward. Here is a short prayer that I would encourage you to say to God:

"Father in heaven, I know that I've sinned against you by my thoughts, actions and inaction. I don't want to be that person any more... I want to be the person YOU made me to be. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to die for me. Please forgive me through his death and resurrection. Come and live in my heart God. I ask it in Jesus' name. Amen"

Remember... God said it, you believe it.... that settles it!

Alien Relations

You know, it's amazing some of the things you end up talking about at church. Some of the lads were talking about alien characters from science fiction who looked attractive.

This ended up moving onto the subject of, "if a hot alien woman came down from another planet, would it be OK to date and potentially marry?" (Leaving the aside the subject of beliefs clashing).

???????????? How did we get on to that???????????????????

There were two principle arguments. The first being, if they were sentient and had free will... then they could be classed as equal to us in God's eyes. So yeah!

Then there was the counter argument that if they were physiologically different from us, you'd be breaking the Torah. You know, the bit about only breeding each according to it's own kind.

Although it's an entirely apocryphal thing to talk about, I reckon if God was OK with it, he'd not make us that genetically incompatible. Some Christians think it heresy to suggest that there might be life out there. however, I know one theologian who is also an astronomy scholar who would give you 50/50 on it.

The big question for me is, if they exist... are they fallen like us? Or are they still in a state where their direct link to God was never broken? Imagine that.

Wouldn't it be tragic if there were say a few other sentient races out there, who only became sinful because of us. They fell, because mankind fell. That would just be awful.

Or what if God created each sentient species in such a way that they would all fall and require his redemption... this is certainly an idea backed up by some theological thinking, after all there is a thought that the plan for the cross existed before mankind existed.

I still can't believe we were seriously talking about it though. Slightly off topic, I managed to find out the name of the actress who played the blue twilek in episode III. She's Amy Allen. I have left a link to IMDB somewhere on here, so you can check her out for yourself.

Doctor Who - Fathers Day

When I saw the trailer for the latest episode of Doctor Who last week, I was worried it would be a bit naff. I was surprised to find the storyline was one of the better ones offered.

First of all, you have a decent explanation as to the nature of time paradox theory, which is a pretty complicated subject.

However, I felt there was a very strong Christian parallel with last night's episode. You can view the sequence I'm referring to watching the video at the bottom if you have time, if not just continue reading.

Rose (the Doctor's assistant), saves her father back in 1987 when in fact he should have died at the hands of a hit and run driver. This causes a "wound" in time that creatures from another dimension feed on like bacteria. People all over the world are dying because of the change. Despite this, Rose is getting to know her father properly in conversation. The Doctor knows how to stop everything going wrong, but he keeps quiet because he values Rose. Instead he tries to find a way around the problem. His makeshift plan fails though, and he is devoured by an alien.

It's at this point that Rose's dad works out how to resolve the crisis. The car that should have knocked him down is travelling in a perpetual loop, appearing and disappearing at the point where the accident should have happened. To restore equilibrium, he has to lay down is life and let it end as it should have, but in the process sacrifice a future of seeing his daughter grow up. This is a theme that was explored previously in films like "The Last Temptation of Christ" and "Donnie Darko" (the latter is a film that pays tribute to the former).

In this way Rose's father saves the world, by sacrificing himself.

In the same way there is a wound in our world, caused as a consequence of the Fall of man. We are constantly being tempted, corrupted and slowly destroyed by our sinful natures. It is for this reason that Christ came into the world and died. If you haven't already, you may want to contemplate the significance of that in your own life.... and how you should respond to it.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

So there's your proof that science fiction and God are NOT opposing forces.