Christianity and my Personal Theology

Talking about Jesus with people

• I read a post on Facebook by Christian Concern this morning that wondered what it would be like if 9 million people "stopped what they were doing" for Jesus instead of watching World Cup Football.
• The problem with this notion is and I mean this sincerely, is that most people won't stop for a God they literally can't see or hear. He is as invisible to them as England's prospects of ever winning a World Cup.
• If you want people to listen to the Gospel, talk to people at their level. The thing is, the Gospel message is an enduring one. If you can persuade people that the Jesus of the gospel is real.
• You're not going to do that by talking to 9 million football fans and saying "Look over here". A World Cup is a stitch in time. The Gospel is not.

About Worry

• This note is about worry about the future - so first off, some scripture that deals with just that. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
• I spend a lot of time worrying about the future. Minor things, big things. Things under my control, things that are not. Some of that is my autism and my brain that does not switch off. Some of it is a reaction to this changing and crazy world that we're in.
• Politics is polarised. Social media algorithms and AI are changing our behaviour. Changing the way we think, the way we do things, I don't have much to offer to counter this. All I have is my ability to compartmentalise. To put worries in a box and try to save them for another day. And for a spiritual answer... try to look at the Jeremiah verse and see how the hope that God offers the Israelites can apply in your own life.

World weariness

• One Sunday, I got slowly and progressively weary of the world. Maybe I should stop reading social media (which is where I get a lot of my news these days). But stopping social media wouldn't stop me seeing the news - and what is happening in the United States.
• At the moment, evil is being allowed to fester in the US because it suits the Trump administration. People are losing their lives who shouldn't be. And literally nothing is being done about it. I also worry that some of it could come to the UK. It makes me sick and tired.
• So, I did something I don't normally do and actively sought some inspiration from scripture. The chaos that is my mind is part of what normally prevents me from doing so. But... I took a few moments to reflect, and I found the following helpful.
• Helpful for me, because they don't make demands of us not to worry. It's more accepting that people do, but while there's trouble and worry in our world, this is something better on offer.
• The scriptures are.... 👉 *John 16:33* “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 👉 *Micah 6:8* “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”

About the rise of Christian Nationalism

• This is an issue that I've thought about a lot over the years. The article I mentioned above promotes the idea that Christianity is being replaced and needs to be supported.
• Now, I don't agree with this. But it got me thinking just generally about whether it's okay that people are coming to faith in this way, so long as people *are* coming to God. I have a lot of uneasiness about this in general, where society is becoming more unstable, more polarised, more angry and more insular.
• I don't have a lot of answers to all of this. But I do think it starts with listening and trying to engage calmly with people. To talk to them - calmly and rationally. To expose them to what it really means to follow the Gospel so they can have Christianity without the polarisation, the division, the untruths... the aggression and what's really at the heart of all of us... the fear of the other. It's the fear of difference, we have in all of us.
• It's easier said than done, but in my opinion, that's where it starts.

Can we rely on the Gospels?

• Can we rely on the Gospels? It's a big question to ask because they are the foundation stones of the Christian faith. It's no secret that the Gospels differ from each other. Some might use the word contradict.
• There are 4 canonical Gospels in the New Testament. No doubt other accounts were written. Some were written decades after the events of Jesus' life and death. They do include eyewitness accounts. I would argue that it does more for the veracity of the accounts that there are these differences than if each of the 4 Gospels were exactly the same.
• They all teach the same Gospel, and ultimately, that is the bottom line. The message is the same, even if the text is not.

More Young People Finding God – A Quick Comment

• I was listening to a podcast yesterday "The News Agents" which did an item on the rise of religious belief in young people. Not necessarily Christian belief although that was the feature in the episode. But if I remember rightly the metric was a rise of 44% of young people have "turned to God" compared to 29% in the last 5 years.
• "has atheism had its day?" was one of the questions asked. And I would always caution against answering that question in the positive. The human race is diverse in thought, opinion and belief. But I do think it shows that however you find it humans do look for meaning if life beyond material things.
• I'm a person that likes material things but I can only say that whether or not the truth of the Christian faith is evidenced, it offers, in my opinion meaning that endures which might be what more young people are tapping into.

Genesis: 1

• Where better to start this collection of thoughts about Christianity and Faith than "in the beginning".
• The Bible writes that God said this thing and that thing and in a period of 7 days the world was created. Science tells us otherwise. And there we have in the first chapter the first intellectual challenge to the faith billions of people go by every day.
• Several years ago I acquired a book; "The Lion Handbook to he Bible". Its explanation of the story of Genesis is that you should not fall into a trap of taking the statements of God creating things in Days literally. It's a means of expressing "the creative energy and satisfaction of God. The Bible says "God did it" but doesn't really go into how other than "let's make this thing happen". It is written to an audience to give us a means of understanding the world was made by *a* creator.
• At this point however you must challenge yourself not to take the Genesis account literally, but if you don't how are you not simply picking and choosing what you believe? I don't have the answer but what I hope I have provided is an explanation at the very least.