Christian Hope and Action

The writer of Psalm 42 cries out, “As the deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.”  He used to be involved in the procession to the house of God but now he is now stricken by illness. He is even taunted by people who say to him continually, “Where is your God?”  It seems that God has forgotten him. He goes on to ask, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?” He hopes for God and wants God to help him. When difficulties surround us do we turn to God and what do we hope for? What action should we take as well?

Prayer and Meditation

Prayer and meditation are helpful and important spiritual practices for Christian disciples. They assist us in our relationship with God and in seeking to live as followers of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God’s Spirit assists us as we engage in these practices. The two practices are not the same and have different emphases. I will outline what these are.

Healthy Living

Amantha Imber has a helpful science-backed book, The Health Habit. She deals with sleep, movement and nutrition in the first half of the book and strategies in the second half. I will outline some of the points she makes that I found useful, then offer some thoughts that go beyond what she presents.

Spirituality

Most people nowadays affirm spirituality. They may well claim they are not religious but are willing to say there is a spiritual dimension to human life. They state that they are not merely people who are focused on material things and making money. They say they are also interested in developing their spiritual nature which is open to more in life, open to the transcendent dimension however that is conceived. From a Christian perspective that is God or God’s Spirit.

Christmas 23 and Hope

Advent is a season of expectation and hope. We look towards the coming of Jesus celebrated at Christmas time. At present however, it is hard to be hopeful. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is appalling with all the death, destruction and suffering of people there. The Ukrainian-Russian war has become a stalemate with continued attacks by both sides but no prospect of an end. Climate change is evident with 2023 already being pronounced the hottest year on record. The resulting extreme weather events have been experienced this year. Yet there is still reluctance in regard to phasing our fossil fuels. The Australian government has said it is on side with doing so and transitioning to renewable energy sources but continues to approve new coal and gas mines. So where is hope?

God’s Judgment

We recently had Christ the King Sunday with Jesus’ parable of the last judgment (Matthew 25:31-46). Many Christians have difficulty with the idea of God’s judgment. The past emphasis on hell and damnation by some preachers has given way to an emphasis on God’s unconditional love. While this is appropriate for love is the primary characteristic of God as revealed by Jesus, it should not rule out all notions of judgment.

The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

The conflict between Israel and Palestinians has been appalling. First Hamas engaged in a terrorist attack that surprised Israel and led to over 1200 deaths and over 200 hostages. Hamas must have known that Israel would respond harshly and they have, with over 10,000 Palestinian deaths including over 4,000 children at the time of this post. Hospitals have been bombed. Homes and infrastructure have been destroyed. Thousands of people have been forced to flee. What do we make of this terrible, lamentable situation?

Truth and Civil Society

I am concerned that truth is no longer valued as it should be and this is a danger for the functioning of civil society. We have seen this especially with Donald Trump in the USA and in regard to the Referendum for a Voice to Parliament in Australia. Misinformation, unfortunately, is listened to especially when loudly and repeatedly asserted. The use of social media comes into this. I will outline my thoughts on this.

Climate Change and Providence

I attended a two-day conference titled “Pilgrims with the Planet” which had Ernst Conradie of South Africa as the keynote speaker. He has written extensively in the eco-theology field and raised the issue of climate change and providence. I will offer my own thoughts following my reflections on the conference.

Changing of the Guards

Some time ago I wrote a blog about Bob Dylan’s song, ‘Changing of the Guards’. It is one of his most enigmatic songs. It has a strong driving beat, uses female backing singers and images that defy clear explanation. It was on his Street Legal album of 1978. The key I think is the title, “Changing of the Guards”. The images are like a dream sequence in which one scene gives way to another without clear logic. What matters is the overall impression given. The song concludes with the conviction that peace will come but we need to avoid false idols. So how are we doing over 40 years later? Is society making any progress? Have the guards changed and if so for the better?