fidzbit

Should we really be surprised at the intensity of reaction to the ‘apparent’ murder of George Floyd? I use the word apparent deliberately because, whilst the policeman involved has been charged, he has not yet been convicted of murder. And that is a vital distinction. The claim is that a massive injustice has been committed and that this is indicative of systemic injustice against black people. From the video footage we have seen of the incident, it seems fairly clear that a crime has been committed. But I do not believe that we can call it injustice unless the wheels of justice - police investigation, trial by judge and jury, conviction or acquittal, and sentencing - fail to turn. In fact, it seems to me that uproar at this stage reflects a different kind of injustice which has become increasingly common in our media driven society. It is the injustice of mob rule. If enough people congregate to protest the police will make a ‘tactical’ decision not to intervene, despite current ...

Ecclesiastes 3:7 says that  “there is a time to keep silence and a time to speak”. At the start of the virus outbreak I felt that it was a time to speak. There was something to say. There was a need to encourage other Christians and try to answer some of the questions that crisis was raising about God. In the last few weeks I felt that it was a time to keep silent. Several reasons. There is a mushroom-cloud of virus responses on the internet. It is saturated with voices claiming to be Christian.  I don’t want to add to that cacophony. People have settled into new routines and are not asking the same questions any more. Along with others, I am weary of the information overload and don’t want to contribute to it. The coronavirus discussion has revolved more and more around political issues. It saddens me that the sense of goodwill that brought communities together can turn so quickly into partisan political finger-pointing and vigilante social-di...

We seem to be moving on, at last. The lockdown restrictions have been relaxed which allows us to do more of what we wish to and points towards the coming return of other longed-for freedoms. A social-distanced visit in the garden with friends is exciting and tells us that it won’t be too long before we can once again greet each other with a hug or a handshake. Some restaurants have started selling take-away food and it won’t be too long before we can sit down for a meal out. We are enjoying privileges which are ours already but still longing for something more. It is a kind of ‘already-and-not-yet’ tension. The Bible presents the whole Christian life as a spiritual ‘already-and-not-yet’ tension. We live in the era between Jesus’ death and resurrection and the time when He will return to judge the world. Whilst we already enjoy many, many spiritual privileges, we do not know the half of what God will give us in heaven. We know Jesus in His Word and by His Spirit but one day w...

The previous blog quoted 1 Peter 5:6. The sentence continues into the next verse: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you ( 1 Peter 5:6-7 ). What is going on here? Let me try and explain. God is fundamentally opposed to the proud (v5). He will not, ultimately, tolerate anyone or anything that tries to usurp His glory. But this does not mean that He impatiently writes people off. Quite the opposite. Verse 6 tells us that His “mighty hand” is pushing down. He exerts His almighty power to press proud people, to lower them, into their proper position. That is, He actively puts people into the place where He can bless them . It is often through suffering that we experience the mighty hand of God most acutely. Suffering teaches us things we cannot learn in any other way. It shows us that we are frail not invincible. That we are vulnerable not im...

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you...” ( 1 Peter 5:6 ) This blog post is proving difficult to write. That is not because there is nothing to say. It is because the middle finger on my right hand is currently out of use. A few weeks ago I decided to pick up an old hobby and whittle swords and whistles out of sticks for the children to play with. Of course when you are learning mistakes happen and mistakes with a knife can be painful and disabling. Choosing the wrong tool for the job is a novice error and it was a painful lesson. The cut is not too bad but it will probably take a while to heal and there is no way to short-cut the process. All I can do is accept my limitation until function is restored and determine not to err in this way again. To suggest that suffering is sometimes a necessary part of learning is not a popular idea. However, it is something that resonates with many people who have expe...

Quarantine seems to have its own life-cycle. There was an initial energy, a ‘buzz’, that propelled us into preparation mode as we stocked the cupboards, searched for resources to school the kids, and adapted to working from home. National Health Service staff became heroes overnight and there was a sense of communities pulling together locally and nationally.  For many, there has followed a period of what can only be called enjoyment. The spring weather arrived at the same time as your boss lowered his expectations and you didn’t have to commute anymore - there was time to binge watch TV shows and take up a new hobby. At some point I think we may enter a different phase and this one concerns me. We start to get bored, frustrated, and impatient - even angry. Worries and concerns grow, fed by internet scaremongering and conspiracy theories. For the most part we are safe in our own homes, protected from immediate danger. Perhaps we start to wonder whether this pandemic i...

While the sun has been shining brightly in most parts of the UK over the past few weeks, for many people the isolation of lockdown is proving to be a very dark experience. Perhaps it is emotionally dark because you are grieving a bereaved love one at a distance from family and there was no opportunity to say goodbye. Perhaps it is psychologically dark because the isolation is exasperating your depression or some other mental health problem. Some are facing the terrifying darkness of being locked down with an abuser who they cannot escape (if so please seek help - see the note at the bottom of the page). For others, having too much time to think allows a bad conscience, regrets about the past, and fears about the future to magnify at a time when it is not just your friends and your pastor who are at a distance - God seems out of reach too. For you it is a spiritually dark place. Suffering in any way is a dark experience which, in a biblical worldview, can always be trace...