Dear Christine,
By the time you read this, it’ll be clear that God didn’t whisk all believers into the sky, and that May 21 was just another day. Then we’ll all share a laugh at the expense of the latest attention-seeking bumpkin claiming to represent Christ.
Hucksters are nothing new, of course. They tend to adopt the spirit of the age. As the Koran-burning preacher Terry Jones taught us, Americans will grant momentary fame to anyone uncommonly tasteless and repugnant.
And today, rapture salesman Harold Camping followed up with his own lesson: ‘You don’t get famous for being wrong. Only extravagantly wrong.’
Whenever religion becomes a circus, my mind turns back to 1527, to a handful of believers who, while fleeing the Taliban of their own medieval Germany, laid their coats on the roads and distributed all their possessions amongst themselves, a bit like Jesus taught.
They flourished in small pockets across Eastern Europe and Russia, farming quietly, welcoming Jews, Moslems and Christians alike into their midst. They also practiced a type of socialism and refused to fight in wars. Their faith survives to this day. They are called Mennonites.
Such attitudes don’t make you the belle of the ball in religious circles.
They tend to believe that actions speak louder than words – a rare breed among the overtly religious.
No billboards, no buffoonery, just a warm welcome to anyone who comes their way.
Mennonites will never make the headlines. They are, however, well-known in countless small villages around the world for their green thumb and their quiet convictions. The world could do with
more of them.
– OS
Dear OS,
I agree that there needs to be more biblical inspired expressions of faith and kindness and less of bigotry masked as fundamental religious beliefs and practices.
For me, Christianity is about a relationship with God. And the word of God is the Bible. More people need to recognise this truth.
The Harry Campings’ and Terry Jones’ of this world were always with us, and will most likely increase in number given the ease with which information can be disseminated. But as Jesus’ actions spoke loudly about the goodness and justice he stood for, so too should all those who believe in Him see the truth of His life, death, resurrection and promise of a better tomorrow as contained in His word, the Bible.
– Christine
