GETTING BIBLICAL

"I listen intently to the Book. But I do not acquiesce in it. I rail at it. I make accusations. I censure it for endorsing patriarchalism, violence, anti-Judaism, homophobia, and slavery. It rails back at me, accusing me of greed, presumption, narcissism, and cowardice. We wrestle. We roll on the ground, neither of us capitulating, until it wounds my thigh with 'new-ancient' words. And the Holy Spirit is there the whole time, strengthening us both." - biblical scholar Walter Wink

Here's something I wrote on the Bible a few years ago - for a website thats now rolled into InclusiveChurch, by the way. Not so long ago, I recall my astonishment during a public meeting when a humanist friend made a comment about how easy it must be for Christians, "just having to do what their book tells them."

SO ARE THEY REALLY LISTENING?

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said that he will "listen and lead" in the wake of the Labour Party's disastrous showing in the local elections last week, in the opinion polls generally, and in the London Mayoral contest. So I was intrigued to receive the following email in my inbox this morning: "Hi, simonbarrow. DowningStreet is now following your updates on Twitter. Check out DowningStreet's profile here: http://twitter.com/DowningStreet." And yes, it is the Number 10 crew, getting the word out via the latest micro-blogging sensation. I'd better get those 140 character policy suggestions flowing urgently, huh? Here's my first pitch. Judging from this recent pic, I think Gordon's impressed already...

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

"There is hope in honest error. None in the icy perfection of the mere stylist." -- Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Or as Snoopy once put it: "A mistake is evidence that somebody tried to do something." I also liked his, "The world can't end today, because it's already tomorrow in some countries."

CHARITY IN THE CRUCIBLE

Writing in The Spectator (former editor: Boris Johnson), writer and fellow freelance theologian Theo Hobson meets Gene Robinson, the only openly gay Anglican bishop, who says that homosexuals are more open to the Christian message of radical change.

"His book, In the Eye of the Storm, is pinch-yourself bold in its association of homosexuality with authentic Christian faith. Being gay, he says, is his ‘little window into some of what it must be like to be a woman, or a person of colour, or a person in a wheelchair — and countless other categories the dominant culture has controlled, diminished and oppressed’. So being gay enables Christian empathy. No wonder I’ve always found it so tough," says Theo.

On the book, Richard Harries, former Anglican Bishop of Oxford, writes: "‘This is Gene Robinson’s own story, told with simplicity and humility and revealing his passionate faith. He recounts how his experience has made him particularly close to vulnerable groups, such as the inmates of a women’s prison, and how we all need one another for our very salvation. This honest account will encourage anyone seriously committed to the message of Jesus, and shows him deeply committed within the Anglican Communion, even to those who vilify him."

SOME TAXING TRUTHS

Not least through the work of Iain Duncan Smith's Centre for Social Justice, which has maintained a critical dialogue with radical Christian community campaigner Bob Holman and others (even at the Labour conference!), the Conservative Party seems to have moved on poverty issues - as Church Action on Poverty has acknowledged. However, we are entitled to ask what the policy substance is behind this. As Bob has pointed out, some of the much vaunted concern has been underwritten by a continuing legacy of paternalism and individualism. So the idea that David Cameron is a saviour of the poor whose party has gone progressive is a claim deserves further examination.

Take the "10p tax" issue, which the Tories hope will win them the Crewe by-election. David Cameron has remorselessly attacked Gordon Brown on this -- not because the Conservatives support a truly progressive income tax regime (their policies suggest otherwise), but as an issue of "competence". In other words, they are trying to persuade lower income people that "we're on your side"; but when challenged about re-introducing the 10p tax band, Cameron does not want to be drawn "on specifics". Of course. The gap between rhetoric and reality on this is bound to be large for the traditional party of organised wealth.

The estimable Kerron Cross, leader of Three Rivers District Council and vice chair of the Christian Socialist Movement (which I left when it affiliated to the Labour Party, by the way) has unpicked some of the contradictions here. Deeper issues, meanwhile, are raised by Jon Cruddas and Jonathan Rutherford.

While we are on the subject of the Tories, Jesuit e-journal Thinking Faith has an interesting article (Who will show respect?) on new London Mayor Boris Johnson's 'get tough' youth policies, backed by 'muscular Christian'. It has been put together by researchers from the Heythrop Institute for Religion, Ethics and Public Life.

A LIFELINE TO BURMA

The United Nations and development agencies are furious about the obstructiveness and incapacity of the Burmese military in the face of the "immediate and vast" aid need. St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace in London has a direct link into the devastated country, for those interested in making a personal contribution.

CHURCH ON THE WANE?

A bit of a barney has broken out over the latest Religious Trends data on church decline in the UK. The Times gave a spin to the statistics which included several unsustainable claims. The Church of England reacted with fury, and said it was weathering the storm thank you very much. Christian Research have been accused of bad methodology. But CR has defended its data and the overall situation remains the same. Inherited church institutions in Britain continue to be in decline - dramatically so since the 1950s and 60s. This is not the same thing as saying that Christian faith is dying, however. Indeed the demise of assumptions about being 'the majority' may be good for the moral, political, spiritual and communal health of the Christian churches, if they can begin to see things differently (which is the burden of my comment for Ekklesia ). Thinking Anglicans collates more responses and debate here.

GIVING TO THOSE WHO DON'T GIVE UP

Communicating development issues to a broad media audience is tough. Often, there's an awkward trade off between what the fundraisers say will generate donations and what the educators want to raise awareness of the deeper issues. Christian Aid are to be congratulated in trying to get the two to work together. This video of their current TV campaign makes a simple but important point that disasters hit the poorest worst, and then highlights community-based and longer term solutions that people can see their money being invested in. The graphics are also nifty. Visibility, durability and credibility.

ROOTS AND ROUTES

Land of hope and glory? Ekklesia, 08 May 2008, 18:07. -- The notion and shape of 'the land' means many things to many people, as the contradictory responses to this 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel are showing. Simon Barrow looks at the relationship between rootedness and aspiration.

JUSTICE FOR BOTH ISRAELIS & PALESTINIANS

Over 140 Christian leaders have made a unified call for a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel. Their declaration is published today in The Independent newspaper.

Never before has such a diverse range of prominent Christians acknowledged that for Palestinians, Israel’s celebration has become a ‘Catastrophe’ (Nakba). They seek a shared solution to the longstanding conflict. Here's the story on Ecumenical News International. And an interesting comment from Jane Stranz.

See also ex-US president, Baptist layperson and peace / human rights envoy Jimmy Carter, on the appalling tragedy of Gaza this morning.

THE END OF HILLARY?

Yes, but can Obama beat McCain? LibCon, 07 May 08, 18.45 GMT -- Convention bloodletting or litigation aside, Hillary Clinton has now almost certainly lost the Democratic presidential nomination to Barack Obama. Those who want to see "real change" in the USA mostly regard that as good news, including an American I happen to be married to! But I'm not nearly so sure. Can Obama take on John McCain in the campaign that really counts, and how much of his emotional energy will translate into the new politics his backers want?

GETTING AND NOT GETTING RELIGION

I maintain an occasional 'work blog' at Ekklesia. We are seeking to transform this area in the near future using an aggregator facility. In the meantime, here's a couple of recent entries: * Obama, Wright and wrong The Democratic contest has been getting ugly. And Barack Obama's church ties have become both a boon and a bane. * Seeing both the positive and negative in religion Much of the current public discourse on 'religion' assumes that 'it' (actually a complex and multi-faceted phenomenon) is either a good or a bad thing per se.

COMING UP...

The Christian leaders' declaration on a just-peace for both Israelis and Palestinians will be launched tomorrow, the 6oth anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. It's still not too late to sign up. http://justpeace60.blogspot.com/

BURMA CYCLONE ASSISTANCE

Latest news reports indicate that three-quarters of structures in the region were destroyed by fierce winds, rain and storm surge. The number of casualties could rise to as many as 30,000, as relief workers are able to reach hard-hit islands and remote villages. The junta has been pushed into accepting worldwide support. Christian Aid is doing its bit, as part of the Action of Churches Together global ecumenical network. The storm was brewing in the Bay of Bengal for several days but communities in the affected areas would have been ill prepared due to a lack of early warning systems. Here's an eyewitness account from the BBC. Development agencies say that the final outcome of the Burmese cyclone disaster, which latest reports suggest has claimed over 23,000 lives, may be on the scale of the Asian tsunami a few years ago.

CONSIDERING CREATIVITY

"Creativity is the supreme mystery of life, the mystery of the appearance of something new, hitherto unknown, derived from nothing, proceeding from nothing, born of nothing other..." -- Nikolai Berdyaev

Actually, I don't quite agree. Creativity as we understand it (and however surprising or unmerited it appears) is always premised on, or emerging from, something. Only the world as a whole is given ex nihilo, as both atheists and believers accept. Though on very different grounds and to very different ends.

BEYOND TECHNOBABBLING

Oh dear... for reasons I'm still fathoming, I've finally given in to Twitter. You'll find mine (http://twitter.com/simonbarrow) under my profile in the column on the right. Is this a useful new tool, or is the world being buried in meaningless technobabble? As I wrote last month, the jury is out. Unless you're some kind of public figure, a human rights lawyer, or you're being tagged to keep the rest of the community safe, telling people what you are doing every moment of the day really is gratuitous (in the modern, pejorative sense of that word). But the idea of micro-blogging ("less is more", "let them have clips", "to be interesting be interested") has more going for it. I think. We'll see.

Meanwhile, my delightful father-in-law, Willard Roth, has given me a signed copy of friend Daniel P. Schrock's charming book Prayer Practices for Terrifically Busy People for my 50th birthday. It's a little worrying to be thought of in that category, since there is no real excuse at this stage in life. You are most likely to be taking too much on, taking youself too seriously, failing to combat disorganisation (cough!) or filling the void. But that's the point, I suppose. And it is the maelstrom around us that sucks us in, if we allow it. The point is to filter out the twaddle from the twitter - if there's any difference. Gratifyingly, Dan's exercises all take about 30 times longer than micro-blogging. That's about 15 minutes.

I shall conclude by repeating that famous story about Archbishop Michael Ramsey. Asked by an interviewer how long he spent praying each day, he replied, "about two minutes... but it takes several hours to prepare for those minutes."

THINKING INDIVISIBLY

"To think as a Christian is to try to understand the stellar spaces, the arrangements of micro-organisms and DNA molecules, the history of Tibet, the operation of economic markets, toothache, King Lear, the CIA, and grandma's cooking--or, as Aquinas put it, 'all things'--in relation to that uttering, utterance and enactment of God which they express and represent. To act as a Christian is to work with, to alter or, if need be, to endure all things in conformity with that understanding." -- Nicholas Lash, in a fine interview with The Christian Century, December 2007.

"A theologian is someone who watches their language in the presence of God." -- Gerald O'Collins

FILMING THE WORLD

"Pangea Day plans to use the power of film to bring the world a little closer together. We're divided by borders, race, religion, conflict... but most of all by misunderstanding and mistrust. Pangea Day seeks to overcome that -- to help people see themselves in others -- through the power of film.



"On May 10, 2008 -- Pangea Day -- sites in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro will be linked to produce a 4-hour program of powerful films, visionary speakers, and uplifting music. The programme will be broadcast live to the world through the Internet, television, digital cinemas, and mobile phones.

"Your film could be part of it. The online video revolution has helped spawn a new generation of grass-roots film-makers worldwide. Much of the output, of course, is mediocre. But hidden in there are amazing talents capable of using film to astonishing effect... and capable of telling stories that can create powerful bonds between us."

BACK TO FRONT

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." -- Soren Kierkegaard

Though, frankly, sometimes it isn't understood at all, and is appropriated in strangely backwards ways. But life does, indeed, go on...

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT?

Update 23.56: Johnson has won; followed by the BBC report.

Well, I said there was no room for complacency. As Paul Linford makes plain. And while Sunny Hundal has given up for a bit, writer and commentator Dave Hill is still live blogging on CIF from the London Mayoral election count. He says (9pm, 2 May): "I've been talking to Sian Berry, the Green candidate. She's hoping her party will hold on to its two assembly seats but is worried about the BNP. They and the Greens continue to vie for fourth place in the mayoral vote and on the London-wide party list and the BNP showing well in some constituencies. I'm told a bunch of their supporters have arrived downstairs, establishing a presence, as it were. Speculation here in the media bunker is that they will hit the 5% mark and therefore take a seat. Two seats is a possibility."

If fluffy Tory hampster Boris Johnson does win (and it seems he will, driven by the divide between inner London and the suburbs), it will be interesting to look at the differential turnouts. In traditionally Labour areas that could be one of the decisive factors for the successes of the BNP, I'd calculate. We'll see. Sian Berry (pictured) has fought a good campaign, by the way. As I've mentioned, I'd have given her my first preference had I qualified for a vote in London.

My friend Henry Potts, who's also my landlord in Parliament Hill Fields, came bottom of the poll for the Lib Dems in Highgate, I see. Bad luck, Henry. Alex Goodman, a 30-year-old planning and human rights barrister, won the election by more than 290 votes from his nearest challenger, Labour's Michael Nicolaides. That's a breath of fresh air.

Incidentally, I see that 'Christian Choice' (says who?) candidate Alan Craig lost a High Court bid to have its party election broadcast (PEB) repeated last week, after claiming it had been censored. Craig said the BBC had "commanded" the words be changed about the Muslim group planning to build a large mosque in east London; a proposal which he opposes.

But judge Justice Collins said the BBC had indicated that if a legal challenge had been issued before the broadcast it would have "backed down and let them publish as they wished." This had not been done and he has ordered Craig to pay the BBC's £11,875 legal costs. The BBC says the judgment upholds its right to raise proper concerns about election broadcasts.