Stimulus Vol 18 Issue 1 February 2010 |
Table of Contents“Go from your country”: missiological reflections on Asian Christians in New Zealand Models and metaphors: Science and the virgin birth Thinking biblically, speaking secularly: thoughts on Chris Marshall’s article “What language shall I borrow? ...” Holding humanity to account for the future state of the planet Accelerate or slow down? St Imulus: And they appointed pastors (and other things) Metaphor, meaning, and the resurrection
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February 2010 |
EditorialLiving under the Jolly Roger
Recent political posturing around official flags, made me muse about death, about what it signals to us, and about how the fear of death as nihil drives many to grasp some or other at-hand ideology by which to construct their importance, by which to make something of themselves – this in spite of knowing that they live under the shadow of the Jolly Roger. The ideology doesn’t really matter; it is the importance that counts. The piracy is often subtle. However, most of us engage in it, one way or another. Then, out of the blue in the middle of that musing, my daughter read a passage to me by Lesslie Newbigin. It expresses these things in a nutshell. Unbelief means that man turns from the true God to a false God – to himself. He behaves as though he were the centre of the world, as though his own good were the most important thing in the world, as though other people existed in order to serve his own ends. But of course this behaviour is based on a lie. Man is not the centre of the world; God is. In his deepest heart man knows that this is a lie. He knows that he is not the centre of the world; he knows that he cannot himself control the world, or even control the events of one day in his own life. He is threat ened in all sorts of ways – threatened by the natural calamities that may come to any man, such as sickness, bereavement, unemployment or other ac cident, threatened by the claims of other men who also behave as if they were the centres of the world and seek to override and exploit him, threatened above all by death. All these things make him anxious. And in order to overcome his anxiety he must still more assert himself as if he were the controller of events. He tries to safeguard himself in all sorts of ways, and to increase his power to control his environment, and the people around him. But the more he does this, the more anxious he becomes. The more he accumulates wealth to safeguard himself, the more he fears its loss. The more he tries to become the leader among his fellow-men, the more afraid he becomes of the rivalry of others. The more he tries to make himself secure in this life, the more he is afraid of death. The more he fears, the more he tries to shut out the truth, and the more he shuts out the truth, the more he fears. The more he succeeds, the more he is blinded to the truth. Thus the lie in his heart eventually creates a deep dishonesty in his whole conduct. Even his conscience becomes corrupted, and he does evil things believing that they are good. Thus the Jewish church leaders crucified Christ, believing that they were serving God. This is why Jesus had to speak such terrible words to them in order to make them understand that, although they said “we see”, they were really blind. Sin creates blind ness, but those who are thus blinded do not know that they are blind. As St Paul says: “they hold down the truth in unrighteousness.” (1) Each of the contributions to this issue arises from – among other diverse considerations – the conviction that life is not a transient personal utility rendered meaningless by death. For example, mere existential utility has no real reason for environmental concern other than the cause might be as good as an for making things “meaningful” and oneself important while one’s doomed voyage to nowhere lasts. Rather, each contribution points beyond itself to, and is rendered meaningful by, Jesus’ resurrection. It is within the context of Jesus resurrection, and the ultimate transformation to which it points, that all things have meaning and all things are made right that should be made right and remain. As we approach Easter that is the flag we should fly in the face of all self-important posturing.
1. Lesslie Newbigin, Sin and Salvation (London: SCM Press, 1956), 26-27.
Gavin Drew for the editorial committee Douglas Maclachlan Publisher |
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Asians in New Zealand |
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“...to be part of the gospel imperative to transform minds and put faith in God into practice.” |
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STIMULUS THE NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF CHRISTIAN THOUGHT AND PRACTICE |