Thursday, March 7, 2013

Will I get to Lindisfarne like this?

Well for the last 12 days my cycling has been frankly pathetic.... My excuse is simple... I've had man flu... well flu, or a bad cough or .... I don't know what it's been but it hasn't been nice. Still coughing up trash now!

On the other hand in this time my other attempt to get to Lindisfarne has rocketed. Lindisfarne is the place where Christianity first became part of English society.... A Scottish monk by the name of Aiden, was brought down from Iona by the king of Northumbria to try and establish Christianity.... he did it, he taught, he listened he lived an alternative way... and something good happened.

Well many years have past since Aiden, that is quite sure... and something to be honest has gone quite wrong, Christianity once a clear source of goodness, kindness and truth became something else: a form of control a worldview that made us feel a little superior to others. All sorts of things went wrong, some of them definitely in me. So my pilgrimage to Lindisfarne is about rediscovering the good and throwing out some of what I've become. So I've been reading... and reading and reading.... I'm loving it. As most of you know I love the bible, I love the stories, something in Jesus just does it for me.... BUT... and it's been a pretty big but... some of the understandings of the bible and the way we've used the bible have really jarred with me. Well today, I felt like I practically arrived at Lindisfarne... this book "A new kind of Christianity" just blew me away. He undid loads of problems all in one go. The bible actually says that loads of us are going to hell right? It says that the world was perfect and we FELL and screwed it up right, so God hates sinners, right? Well no, wrong. We've read it like that because for 100's no 1,000's of years that's what we've been taught it says, but it doesn't say that. McLaren retells the fall story, like it is, a story full of grace, like a parent trying to teach her kids to learn to take responsibility. So those who screw up.... (all of us) can have a little hope again. Adam and Eve... naked, disobedient... what does our angry God do.... begins fashion... with fig leaves. Even Cain, who kills his brother.... what does God do...yes he banishes him.... it is bad stuff to kill your brother!! But it's not sorted by someone else killing Cain, so he's marked/ protected as he wanders the earth and learns to live with his mistakes. I could say more, but the best bit... and this is my GOD bit... what is God like, is he angry, vengeful, just waiting to catch us out. No, that couldn't be further from the truth in these stories, or indeed in my life... what is God like... he's the one who overcomes evil with Good. The first book of the bible Genesis, ends with the story of Joseph... he is wronged by his Dad, shows of to his brothers, is sold by them as a slave, is wronged by his master's wife and so wrongly imprisoned. even there he helps out people who forget him, until one day... it all turns on it's head, and God uses him to bless Egypt, to bless his Father and brothers... to bless the whole known world. What is God doing? "You intended it for evil, but God intended it for good." He is the one, the only one who can really show us how to overcome evil with good." Awesome stuff... mind you I failed to do it today. Out walking the dog... bemoaning other people who don't pick up their dog's poo...If I'm serious I guess I have to start taking out the extra poo bag... and helping God overcome evil with good in me........ So maybe I've still got a way to go till I reach Lindisfarne!
Stephen