Belief, and behaviour!

When I was teaching, I often pointed out to my pupils that what we believe effects how we behave, and that how we behave displays what we believe.  

The previous two posts have tried to deal with a very difficult, but important, concept - that the Cross of Jesus is not just an event in time, but that it was birthed in the very hearty of Almighty God from before the creation of the universe.  I realise that, for many, those posts may have been a little too 'academic', but we now move on to matters that are very practical!

The question that arises from the previous posts is simply this: If, as the written Word of God, the Bible, teaches, the Cross is something that lay upon God's heart in eternity (timelessness, not endless time - see my book Great Words of the Faith), what are the practical implications of that upon the daily lives of those who claim to be disciples of the Christ?

So often, we tend to separate our belief from our behaviour.  The truth that we hold in our heads is not allowed to penetrate our hearts.  Is the truth of the Cross - lying on God's heart in eternity - merely something to intrigue our minds; or did He intend it to be a motivation for our daily living?  I firmly believe that "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ..." (II Tim 3:16), and that, although Paul was referring there, only to the scriptures of the Old Testament, the words apply equally to the writings of the New Testament.  I further believe that those words are to be an inspiration to us in our daily lives.  So how does this amazing truth about the Cross fit in with that?

May I suggest that it does so by revealing to us what is at the heart of the universe? You see, what determines our view of the universe will, ultimately, determine our lives, and our living!  What is at the heart of our understanding of the universe will be at the heart of our conduct.  Belief  D Behaviour!

What lies at the heart of your universe?  What effects your behaviour?   Is it justice; or power; or personal pleasure?   For the disciple of Jesus, it is love - self-giving, sacrificial love.  It is the love that held Jesus to that Cross - love for you; love for me.  

Let us live our lives in the light of that love - and see the difference that we will make in the world!

Inconsistency - or total hypocrisy?

So 15-year-old Megan Stammers is back on British soil, with her mother and stepfather, and safely away from the fiend of a teacher who abducted her and took her to France!

Wait a minute!  I saw the CCTV images that were shown on the TV News programmes.  She certainly didn't appear to be under any compulsion - walking hand-in-hand with her teacher, who was being portrayed as probably having become somewhat more than a teacher!

Understandably, most thinking adults - certainly those of us who are the parents of daughters - have been up in arms over this affair, and the only complaint of which I am aware is that the British police took as long as they did to organise a European Arrest Warrant for 30-year-old Mr Jeremy Forrest.

But wait another minute!  What if these two people claim that they "love" each other?  This, after all, is the reason that is regularly trotted out in favour of the attempts to redefine marriage.  If two men, or two women, "love" one another, they should be given the right to be married.  And a pupil and teacher?  Why not?!

It's another example of the "can of worms" that would be opened if the legislation to redefine marriage is introduced at either Holyrood or Westminster.  Of course, someone may argue that Megan is under-age.  But if they wait even the three years that would be necessary for a pupil-teacher relationship to be legal, would her family (and his wife!) be happy to give their blessing to the union of the 18-year-old and the 33-year-old?  Possibly - but I suspect not.

So, is the difference in attitude merely inconsistent - or is it totally hypocritical?

Post-teaching pleasure!!!

It's heading for 35 years since I was ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament within the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian).  Shortly afterwards, I became a parish minister in Bellshill, and looked forward to many years of preaching the Gospel message within that congregation, and to any other to which the Lord might call me.

As those who have known me for most of those years are aware, this was not to be.  A disagreement with the Kirk over who are the proper subjects for water baptism (I came to the conclusion that, Biblically, only those who were able to make their own profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, should be baptised) led me into the teaching profession as a teacher of Religious (and, late, Moral) Education, and History; and with one break, that was my life right up until I walked out of the classroom - and the school - for the last time, over a year ago.

What I did not expect, at that time, was that I would end up with so many of my former pupils requesting me to accept them as 'friends' on what was then my fairly new Facebook page.  I haven't counted the exact number, but it must be reaching close to 50, and they are all so kind in their comments - some of those who are still pupils even asking me to return! :-)

I mention the fact to demonstrate this wonderful truth that one never knows exactly what the Lord has in store in any given situation.  Most of the former pupils with whom I am in contact want little more than a wee online blether - and I am happy to provide that (it helps to keep me young!!).   However, some have been asking serious questions; one has commented that it is great to be able to talk with me without the 'disturbance' of a class of noisy teenagers; a number, unknown to me, have been following my blog; one has even become a 'follower'!  All of this means that there is the possibility that, for some of them at least, I may continue to be a positive influence on their lives, and for this, I give thanks.  I don't want to 'polish my own halo' too much (!!), but it would seem that being an approachable teacher is paying off!

It's also a helpful reminder that, at some time in the future, I may be so glad that I have had these weeks in L'Isle.  Who, other than the Lord, can say what will result from this experience - in a year's time; or two years; or five years; or whenever?  Meanwhile, I'll enjoy this new type of relationship with so many young people, and pray for them on a regular basis.