This morning, I woke up, had breakfast and went to work. I worked for 7 hours, came home, had dinner and then jumped online . That was my existence. However, I visited the World Pres Photo Exhibition on Thursday night, and I was reminded of the reality of the existence of people throughout the world: one that is frequently faced with suffering and death. As I looked through some of the photos, I was struck by the fragility of an individual human life. And not just the fragility but the pure insignificance of a single human being. Its worthless! 1 individual human life among 6,697,254,041...? How important is 1 individual life...?
What I just said is politically and socially incorrect. Many people would be outraged at what I said. But I'll describe some of the photos I saw at the exhibition:
1. A man being stoned for adultery in Somalia. Some of the men are smiling as they throw rocks at the mangled body.
2. A girl shot dead during protests against the government in Madagascar.
3. The head of a little girl. The only part of her that is not buried in the rubble of a collasped building in eastern Gaza city. It was the target of an air-strike.
4. A youth lying dead on a street due to clashes between rival drug gangs in Columbia.
5. The scene of the assassination of the president of Guinea-Bissau, a country over-run by drug cartels.
Did any of the people who were behind these deaths stop to think whether the life of a human being was worth anything? For the leaders of men who send their armies to wage war against another, for those who order long range attacks on urban settlements, for the drug lords whose goal is to make as much profit for themselves as possible, what did the the life of an individual human being mean to these people? Not much. If people got in the way of their plans or their interests, just take them out of the picture. Assassination, murder, deposition: these are the many tools that we can use to get people out of our way to further our interests.
Its disgusting isin't it? That these people would see a human being only as pawns or obstacles to their own goals. But before we begin pointing fingers, what about us? For me who spends half of my waking hours working in an office, and the other half living in recreation, what does the unneccessary death and suffering of millions of people mean to me? Not much. For those of us who contributed to spending 1.7 billion minutes on Facebook, how important is an individual human life? Important for us to be stirred to action: to do something, anything, anything at all? Or are we too busy? Too busy, like the drug lord, trying to make the most of his life for himself?
I don't know if unneccessary suffering and death happens in Sydney. What I can say for certain is that Sydney is by far not a perfect city. And though there might not be the same occurances in Sydney as I saw in the World Press Photo Exhibition, there is plenty of need for people to help those who are victims of injustice and ill-fortune.
Is an individual human life that important? Is it really worth that much? Its easy to give a resolute 'Yes!' when we live in our comfortable houses with enough food and face no restriction on our basic liberties. Its easy to say that people should stop killing other people, that no child should go without food and education, that an individual human life is significant. Its also much easier to condemn the injustice that occurs half the world away, then that which occurs within your own backyard. Isin't life just too easy...
I'm going to go on Facebook now.
The World Press Photo Exhibition is on at the NSW State Library Mitchell Wing till 25th July (one week left!). Its FREE entry and is open to 8pm on Monday to Thursday. I highly recommend it. Alternatively, you can see the photos online: http://www.worldpressphoto.org/index.php?option=com_photogallery&task=blogsection&id=20&Itemid=257&bandwidth=low2high . Its not the same as seeing it in real life...
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Encouragement
Last Sunday, I was encouraged by the sermon at church. It is probably the first time, since arriving back in Sydney, that I have been encouraged to be Christian.
I've come to be convinced that the church is not dis-similar to any other social/sporting clubs that are out there. I play frisbee and there is an organisation of volunteers that admister the running of the sport and it is not just an organisation of volunteers. Its a social context that people spend their after-work lives in. There are regular frisbee games, and after the structured activities there are the times you spend with the friends you have made at the regular games. One thing can found in almost any social club, the members are primarily concerned with furthering the agenda of the club. Consequently, nearly all clubs have it part of their agenda to grow the club. Church isin't that dis similar.
In Matthew, Jesus says "You are the light of the world...a city on a hill cannot be hidden...let your good deeds shine for all to see". If you know the context of Matthew, you woud actually realise that Jesus is NOT speaking to Christians here. Matthew wrote his book to a Jewish audience. Jesus at the sermon of the mount was speaking to Jewish people, not Christians. Jesus is saying that the Jewish people, God's chosen people, are supposed to be a light of the world, a city on a hill. God expected the Jewish people to be a light to the world. How were they supposed to be a light of the world? Jesus says it later, by having their good deeds shine for all to see.
Many people think that only in the New Testament does the loving and caring God come about. Thats not true. The call for the Israelites was for them to worship God. Through the sacrifical system yes, but also through letting their good deeds shine before men. Not is Jesus only talking to Jewish, and is it limited to the Old Testament? No, its a call for ALL of God's people. All those who are called by God, are called to do good works. It is a theology that is found in both the Old and New Testaments.
The churches in Sydney, the ones who term themselves 'evangelical Bible-believing', are shining their light very brightly as they can. The problem is I'm not sure if its the right light. Because if Jesus defines shining the light as doing good works, then we've got to wonder about what type of light we are shining? We shine a light of Bible studies, conventions, evangelistic events. Are these works any different from that of a social club in furthering its own agenda? Just ask non-Christians what they think of zealous Christians who spend heaps of time in church activities? Shining a light such that even the unbelievers praise God as Jesus says in Matthew 2:16? Or do they see such churches as on the same level as a cult? Some might say, that this is God's agenda. Perhaps yes, but as far as Jesus has just expounded on, it seems like we might be missing out on God's agenda. What type of light does this really shine?
I've personally felt this. I've tried to distance myself from bible studies and I've told people that I am keen on getting involved in community service. Many people have told me how important it is for me to be in a 'fellowship' group and tell me that I should get involved in a Bible study. More importantly, no one (barring one person) has encouraged me in getting involved in community service, to help those who are not as blessed as I am, to help those who Jesus would have spent time with should he have arrived in this present day. Now I'm not frustrated at any person or people. I'm just stating the objective facts. While many people gently rebuked me for not joining a bible study group, only one encouraged me to be involved in community service. If there is something that I am emotional about, it is the extent of religion within our church: where what is being taught and modelled to the large majority in churches is more concerned with advancing God's 'glory' and not obeying his instructions.
Last Sunday, I was encouraged by the sermon at church. It is probably the first time, since arriving back in Sydney, that I have been encouraged to be Christian.
I've come to be convinced that the church is not dis-similar to any other social/sporting clubs that are out there. I play frisbee and there is an organisation of volunteers that admister the running of the sport and it is not just an organisation of volunteers. Its a social context that people spend their after-work lives in. There are regular frisbee games, and after the structured activities there are the times you spend with the friends you have made at the regular games. One thing can found in almost any social club, the members are primarily concerned with furthering the agenda of the club. Consequently, nearly all clubs have it part of their agenda to grow the club. Church isin't that dis similar.
In Matthew, Jesus says "You are the light of the world...a city on a hill cannot be hidden...let your good deeds shine for all to see". If you know the context of Matthew, you woud actually realise that Jesus is NOT speaking to Christians here. Matthew wrote his book to a Jewish audience. Jesus at the sermon of the mount was speaking to Jewish people, not Christians. Jesus is saying that the Jewish people, God's chosen people, are supposed to be a light of the world, a city on a hill. God expected the Jewish people to be a light to the world. How were they supposed to be a light of the world? Jesus says it later, by having their good deeds shine for all to see.
Many people think that only in the New Testament does the loving and caring God come about. Thats not true. The call for the Israelites was for them to worship God. Through the sacrifical system yes, but also through letting their good deeds shine before men. Not is Jesus only talking to Jewish, and is it limited to the Old Testament? No, its a call for ALL of God's people. All those who are called by God, are called to do good works. It is a theology that is found in both the Old and New Testaments.
The churches in Sydney, the ones who term themselves 'evangelical Bible-believing', are shining their light very brightly as they can. The problem is I'm not sure if its the right light. Because if Jesus defines shining the light as doing good works, then we've got to wonder about what type of light we are shining? We shine a light of Bible studies, conventions, evangelistic events. Are these works any different from that of a social club in furthering its own agenda? Just ask non-Christians what they think of zealous Christians who spend heaps of time in church activities? Shining a light such that even the unbelievers praise God as Jesus says in Matthew 2:16? Or do they see such churches as on the same level as a cult? Some might say, that this is God's agenda. Perhaps yes, but as far as Jesus has just expounded on, it seems like we might be missing out on God's agenda. What type of light does this really shine?
I've personally felt this. I've tried to distance myself from bible studies and I've told people that I am keen on getting involved in community service. Many people have told me how important it is for me to be in a 'fellowship' group and tell me that I should get involved in a Bible study. More importantly, no one (barring one person) has encouraged me in getting involved in community service, to help those who are not as blessed as I am, to help those who Jesus would have spent time with should he have arrived in this present day. Now I'm not frustrated at any person or people. I'm just stating the objective facts. While many people gently rebuked me for not joining a bible study group, only one encouraged me to be involved in community service. If there is something that I am emotional about, it is the extent of religion within our church: where what is being taught and modelled to the large majority in churches is more concerned with advancing God's 'glory' and not obeying his instructions.
Last Sunday, I was encouraged by the sermon at church. It is probably the first time, since arriving back in Sydney, that I have been encouraged to be Christian.
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