Time after time the Old Testament shows up justice as the key issue of the day. The poor and oppressed seem to be keenly on God's heart, looking for ways to bring them justice.
It seems obvious that God is looking for people, especially 'His people', to ensure this justice happens, i.e. to work for a just & fair society. Of course in many cases in the Old Testament the issue is highlighted because that is precisely what His people were not doing.
Isaiah 59 is no exception. Look at v15-16. There was no justice, and no-one to intervene.
So what does God do? He steps in and intervenes Himself.
Note the choice of words (at least in the NIV): 'achieved salvation for him'. The concept of salvation is tightly coupled to the whole deal of justice, and thus presumably social justice across society.
Begs the question: how narrow have we made 'salvation' in our understanding?
Another interesting snippet: 'his own righteousness sustained him'. God had to intervene and go it alone. One can infer, from this, that God had originally expected a community of people (who could encourage and help sustain each other) to be working justice at street level.
Wednesday 22 December 2010
Monday 20 December 2010
Our right to travel
Watch this following video. It is a humorous take on our attitude to technology, our ability to fly etc. Pay attention especially to the bit at the end about flying.
Now go to the following BBC News web page and watch the video clip there: BBC News Video
Did you catch that last line? "All of our rights as passengers seem to have been disregarded because of the weather".
That just about sums it up for me. We believe that we have the right to travel wherever we want, whenever we want, regardless. Full stop.
Interesting that the headline is 'passengers describe themselves as homeless'. Try living in Haiti.
I sympathise with travellers left stranded, those who have had their holiday plans messed. I have friends who are affected - I hope they do manage to get away on the holiday they deserve. And maybe there is culpability on the part of the airlines etc.
Yet surely we must remember that we are 'guests' on this planet, entrusted to steward its resources. From time to time conditions may remind us that life cannot always be lived at the pace we have got used to.
Now go to the following BBC News web page and watch the video clip there: BBC News Video
Did you catch that last line? "All of our rights as passengers seem to have been disregarded because of the weather".
That just about sums it up for me. We believe that we have the right to travel wherever we want, whenever we want, regardless. Full stop.
Interesting that the headline is 'passengers describe themselves as homeless'. Try living in Haiti.
I sympathise with travellers left stranded, those who have had their holiday plans messed. I have friends who are affected - I hope they do manage to get away on the holiday they deserve. And maybe there is culpability on the part of the airlines etc.
Yet surely we must remember that we are 'guests' on this planet, entrusted to steward its resources. From time to time conditions may remind us that life cannot always be lived at the pace we have got used to.
Saturday 11 December 2010
We cannot go on like the way we are used to
The protest scenes in London this week look sickening. The mood of a variety of young people groups has erupted, many have got carried away, and the result is literally carnage.
Amongst it all is a 'valid' non-violent protest. The problem is, to me the validity of the student protest is not as clear cut as it would seem. Not because there are no issues with the government plan, and not because I think the students should simply lump it. There are pros & cons to the plan, and how education is funded needs to be carefully thought through to enable it to be accessible and not simply the privilege of the already over-privileged.
Yet underneath it all I think another voice needs to be heard: 'we simply cannot go on living like the way we used to'.
Our Western lifestyle have led us to expect certain things in life (healthcare, education, endless supplies of energy, food, cheap commodities etc.). This is simply un-affordable, by us and by planet earth. Something has got to give in the system somewhere.
The over-spill of public mood into violence has been repeated in other European cities (Ireland, France, Spain, Greece ...). The presenting causes have been different, but I believe the underlying sentiment is probably the same 'we believe we have the right to go on living it up as consumerists'.
I said last time that our biggest enemy is consumerism. These demonstrations are another aspect to the same equation. It has become a deep seated part of people's psyche.
Yes it is complicated - we are talking about welfare, help for some legitimately in need. I am not advocating any simple solution. Yet now fly to much of Africa, South-East Asia, the flood-displaced of Pakistan, or those still camping in Haiti, and tell them you believe you (yourself) have the right to x, y or z.
How can that work?
Amongst it all is a 'valid' non-violent protest. The problem is, to me the validity of the student protest is not as clear cut as it would seem. Not because there are no issues with the government plan, and not because I think the students should simply lump it. There are pros & cons to the plan, and how education is funded needs to be carefully thought through to enable it to be accessible and not simply the privilege of the already over-privileged.
Yet underneath it all I think another voice needs to be heard: 'we simply cannot go on living like the way we used to'.
Our Western lifestyle have led us to expect certain things in life (healthcare, education, endless supplies of energy, food, cheap commodities etc.). This is simply un-affordable, by us and by planet earth. Something has got to give in the system somewhere.
The over-spill of public mood into violence has been repeated in other European cities (Ireland, France, Spain, Greece ...). The presenting causes have been different, but I believe the underlying sentiment is probably the same 'we believe we have the right to go on living it up as consumerists'.
I said last time that our biggest enemy is consumerism. These demonstrations are another aspect to the same equation. It has become a deep seated part of people's psyche.
Yes it is complicated - we are talking about welfare, help for some legitimately in need. I am not advocating any simple solution. Yet now fly to much of Africa, South-East Asia, the flood-displaced of Pakistan, or those still camping in Haiti, and tell them you believe you (yourself) have the right to x, y or z.
How can that work?
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