The challenges of life

 

Life can be challenging and often presents unexpected obstacles. I am currently in Aberdeen attending the wedding of a young man and his bride, whom I have known since he was born. He is the youngest son of dear friends. Unfortunately, his grandfather passed away suddenly just over two weeks before the wedding. They are a very close-knit family, and they would have loved for him to be present at this special occasion.

 

I feel the need this month to reach out to those of you who are struggling. Unfortunately, life often involves suffering, and we all grapple with this reality. It's common to feel angry when life presents us with such complex challenges. As hard as it may be to accept, the Bible teaches that nothing in life is random or without purpose. Nothing happens without God's permission. This doesn't mean we understand why things happen or believe they are fair. 

The Key to Kindness

 

Kindness is at the very heart of the Christian gospel. The Bible calls us to embody compassion, forgiveness, and love, and history shows us powerful examples of this lived out in the UK during the 20th century, such as the work of the British Red Cross during wartime relief efforts.

In reality, kindness is not optional for Christians. It is commanded. Scripture reminds us to “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” This verse captures the essence of kindness, rooted in God’s forgiveness and love. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus demonstrates kindness to the marginalised: the leper, the Samaritan woman and the tax collector, to name but three. His acts were not mere politeness but radical compassion that broke social barriers.

Special operations

 

As I write this, the world is reeling from the fallout of war. I know that, technically, nations prefer to speak about special operations and other expressions that describe their actions. Essentially, these terms aim to mitigate the harshness of the word ‘war’. 

Humans are naturally very vulnerable and need to protect their property, livelihoods and lives. In the case of nations, this often involves territory, intellectual property or routes to and from their markets. We live in an increasingly complex world where attacks on national well-being have moved on from military action to include cyber-attacks and other forms of warfare.

The potential for war is constant - most of us know the current locations - Israel, Gaza, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, USA. In the past fifty years, wars have taken place in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Vietnam and, sadly, many more locations.

Our proclivity to fight has existed from the beginning of time. Whether you think of the first murder case (Cain v Abel) or the first recorded war in the Bible between a five-nation v four-nation confederacy headed by the King of Sodom and the King of Shinar (ancient Iraq), aggressive action has always existed. 

Take some time out this week

 

Some people have good physical and mental health well into old age, but we are all different, and for many, these latter years can be a struggle. However, there are some advantages to growing older. I am writing to highlight these benefits to the individual and the wider society. 

Time to Think

In our busy lives, deep reflection often takes a backseat but taking time to think is crucial for effective decision-making, and certain jobs naturally provide more time for contemplation, such as those that involve long-distance travel.

Unfortunately, some people choose to avoid deep thinking about life and continually focus on the day-to-day grind. The Bible encourages both the young and old to consider life’s deeper issues. The wise sage Solomon wrote, "Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth," and Paul the Apostle said, "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel," Thinking is not wasted time if it leads to wise decisions and positive actions.

If you have not considered "the God question" or the afterlife, now may be the time to reflect on these matters before it's too late.

Life's Big Questions

 

We often ask questions like: Where did we come from in terms of the origin of life? Why is there so much evil in the world? Why can’t we ever seem to find peace? The answers to these big questions can be found in the book of Genesis in the Bible.

Genesis tells the story of our world—God's perfect creation, humanity's rebellion against Him, and the downward spiral that followed. The first book of the Bible describes significant social disruption, domestic abuse, and problems that regrettably have become normalized in our society. It recounts the first murder, lying, scamming, gang wars, riots, and other issues that bring us face-to-face with dysfunctional families and siblings betraying one another. Effectively, it portrays a society remarkably similar to ours, a world filled with selfishness. One major question arises: How did the world spiral out of control so quickly? The answer is later found in the holy scriptures: "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12, Legacy Standard Bible).

Why is the Bible banned in so many countries?

 

Some of you will know that in recent years I have had the joy (and sometimes the stress) of travelling to different parts of the world. The main reason I visit is to share the message of the Bible with unbelievers and to talk with believers about some of the Bible's great truths.  I was once asked what I did for a living. That can either be a conversation stopper (if the person I am talking to thinks being a Christian preacher is weird) or open an interesting conversation. On that occasion, I decided to be a little coy with my answer, so I said, 'I research and promote the world's best-selling book.' Of course, I was talking about the Bible. You might be surprised by that fact, but it is true. Billions of copies of the Bible are sold every year, and every major source agrees that no other book, religious or secular, comes close to its total circulation[1]. Statistically, no other book comes near. The Bible stands at around 5-6 billion copies sold or distributed; Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung, 1.1 billion; The Qur'an, 800 million, and so on. 

There are around six countries where the Bible is either banned or makes owning a Bible so dangerous that it effectively functions as a ban. In nine nations, despite not having a formal ban, the activity of extremists, and the levels of government surveillance make access to or the use of the Bible extremely difficult. You might be asking, "What is your point?" I have a couple, so please bear with me. Firstly, we should all be grateful that we still have the freedom to read and evaluate religious texts such as the Bible. Secondly, you need to ask – what is it about the Bible that makes it so feared?

 

One of the wonderful things about sharing that Bible with people is knowing how powerful it is. It is the word of God (I know you may not agree, and thankfully, you have the freedom to do so), and it claims to be eternal and living. Reading, believing and acting upon its truth will change your life – maybe this is where the 'fear factor' comes from!  The apostle Peter wrote a similar description of scripture in one of his letters. He was describing the effect of becoming a Christian and confirming that the source of that change was God, as revealed in the Bible. Let me quote the whole of his statement so you can read it for yourself:

 

'Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, "People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you,' 1 Peter 1:21-25 (NLT).

 

I challenge you to get a Bible and read it this year. That privilege may not always be available to you, so take the opportunity while you can. Have a good year.

 

[1] Source – Guinness World Records and multiple independent analyses confirm its number one position.

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

The changing landscape of life

 

I was in the Emerald Isle for a St Patrick's Day conference several years ago, and it lived up to its reputation - green and beautiful even on misty and foggy mornings. It was a very sunny day when I arrived, and the views from the plane were stunning. Beautiful beaches and scenery. As I looked out the window, I wished I were there on holiday, but it was a business trip, and there was work to be done.

My mother and my wife are from the north of the country, and there are many similarities in the people's mindset. The way they think and their attitude to life are quite similar, especially those from rural communities. At that time, it was interesting to see the evidence of prosperity; every house I came across seemed to be bigger than the one before. It is, however, not the way things were when I visited. The country was struggling economically, and I was told that there were whole estates of houses which had never been occupied and might even be knocked down. What a shame and a waste of money.

Advice for Growing old

 

We know that life is constantly changing and that nothing lasts forever. In many ways, this is a harsh and sad reality. Most of us find it hard to accept that we will grow old, that loved ones will pass on, and that children will grow up and leave home. You know the types of things that I am talking about. Sad but true!

Please read on, as I have good news for you. The Bible teaches that God made us with an eternal soul. The soul is the real person, the real you. Although the body ceases to live upon our physical death, the soul lives on. Many people don't believe this anymore. The late Stephen Hawking, a British Physicist and author, dismissed the notion of an afterlife in an interview in 2011 conducted by Ian Sample for The Guardian. In that interview, Hawking was discussing his views on consciousness, death, and the afterlife and said, 'I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers. That is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark'. 

Stressed about world affairs?

 

As I sit here writing this, I wonder how you are feeling? I know that many of us find the way things are in the world quite stressful. I know there are a lot of people who really struggle with the negative news feeds and the constant barrage of updates on social media. So I set out to explore whether it was just a general impression I had and discovered that global conflicts are causing widespread stress, anxiety, and profound mental health issues. This is described by experts as a form of ‘globalised trauma’. This stress stems from fear, hopelessness, and a loss of control, affecting not just those directly in combat zones but also civilians worldwide witnessing the events*. 

What is happening globally at the moment is not unexpected. The Bible vividly portrays a world of escalating military conflict. For instance, the Lord Jesus taught His followers (recorded in Mark chapter 13 verse 7, ESV) - ‘And when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet’. This is not the only place where this warning is given. If you do a little research, you will find that Iran, Israel, Russia (there are more) are all prophesied as being involved in global conflict in ‘end times’. It would be unwise to claim that these predictions are currently being fulfilled. Still, it would also be careless to ignore the possibility that various scenarios are rapidly taking shape.

A hospital visit that posed a bigger question!

I was going to visit two Christians who were in hospital. It was a high rise building and the people I wanted to see were on different levels. I went to the area on the ground floor, from which the elevators could be accessed and was soon on my way up. After spending a little while with the first person I made my way back to the area where a number of people were waiting for an elevator. Soon it arrived and we were asked, "Are you going up?" This immediately divided the people because some said, "No we’re going down". I got in and was in the company of people, all of whom were going up; the others we left behind and they were going down.

Later, as I pondered this simple incident, I thought it was just like humanity; some are going down and some are going up! The destinations are certainly not on earth. Some people are going up to heaven, while sadly very many are going down to hell. Dear reader, which way are you going?

Free of charge but costly

We have had reason to attend two NHS Fife hospitals over the past few weeks, writes Bert Cargill of St Monans Gospel Hall, and we are so grateful for the treatment we received. Our needs were met with care and kindness, as well as with skill and professionalism. The system is complex, the staff numbers are huge, the running costs are staggering, but we found that individuals matter.

 

I’m told that NHS Fife is the largest employer in the county – I cannot think what the wages bill must be. The equipment costs are well into millions of pounds, from thousands of sterile syringes and hundreds of BP monitors up to large body scanners and X-ray machines. Then add in heating, cleaning, catering and servicing costs, and the admin office work to support each function. We benefit from it all, provided free of charge. However, I was quite horrified to find out that wasted medicines cost NHS Fife £2.1 million each year. Those of us who get the medicines free have a responsibility there.