Who knew prayer could be a crime?

It seems as though every time I read the news these days there’s a story about how Christianity is being sidelined in the UK.

There was the story about BBC director-general Mark Thompson, who said Christianity is treated less sensitively on TV than other religions because it is more “broad-shouldered”.

A Catholic himself, Thompson believes broadcasters are far more cautious when representing other belief systems because the threat level in the complaints received is significantly greater. He claims the BBC would never have broadcast Jerry Springer: The Opera – which depicted Jesus in a nappy – if had featured alluded to Mohammed.

Then there was the piece about Christians wearing crosses to work. ‘Equalities’ Minister Lynne Featherstone told government lawyers to oppose the assumed ‘rights’ of Christians to wear crosses at work when they try upcoming cases at the European Court of Human Rights. The Strasbourg court is set to address Nadia Eweida and Shirley Chaplin’s cases.

British Airways employee Ms Eweida was suspended from work in 2006 after refusing to remove the cross she wore to work, while Ms Chaplin was banned from working as a nurse at an Exeter hospital when she refused to conceal or remove the cross she wore.

The British government’s submission to the court is that: “In neither case is there any suggestion that the wearing of a visible cross or crucifix was a generally recognised form of practising the Christian faith, still less one that is regarded (including by the applicants themselves) as a requirement of the faith.”

However, the Equality Commission, headed by former Labour politician Trevor Phillips, is backing the two women, and David Cameron and Boris Johnson have also spoken out in support of the two women.

In my opinion, the worst of a bad batch was the story about prayer being banned before council meetings. Atheist Clive Bone, who left his post at Bideford Council because of its "refusal to adjust" its prayer policy, tool legal action in 2010. He contacted the National Secular Society and their lawyers argued that non-Christian council members were being "indirectly discriminated against”.

The judge said that: “The council has on two occasions by a majority voted to retain public prayers at its full meetings. But that does not give it power to do what it has no power to do.”

He acknowledged that the pre-meeting prayers were optional, but ruled that this turned meetings at Bideford Council into: “a partial gathering of those councillors who share a particular religious outlook, or are indifferent to it or – as in the case of Mr Bone – too embarrassed to leave in public”.

Now I’m not saying Christians should be given special treatment, but I do think we should be respected the way people of other faiths, or no faith, are. I don’t wear a cross myself, but I see no reason why a person can’t do so in the workplace; they’re not forcing other people to believe what they believe, or to wear a cross themselves. And optional prayer before meetings – the key here is the word “optional”.

As Rt Revd Michael Langrish, Bishop of Exeter, points out: "Every time there is a survey of religious beliefs in this country, around 70% of the population profess a faith and to saying private prayers.” He added that the House of Lords open with prayer and thinks this practice is unlikely to end.

And Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "While welcoming and respecting fellow British citizens who belong to other faiths, we are a Christian country, with an established Church in England, governed by the Queen.

"Christianity plays an important part in the culture, heritage and fabric of our nation. Public authorities – be it parliament or a parish council – should have the right to say prayers before meetings if they wish. The right to worship is a fundamental and hard-fought British liberty.”

What’s going to happen next – a ban on carrying Bibles in public? The abolition of songs that mention God? The complete segregation of Christians and non-Christians? Ok, I’ve gone too far there. But it worries me that people feel so threatened by Christianity. It’s as if people feel they will somehow be overpowered and forced to believe something they don’t want to.

If we’re expected to be tolerant of all-things non-Christian, why can’t non-believers simply return the favour?

No turning back

I don’t pretend to be a Bible scholar, but I had a revelation recently.

Here’s the scene. Two angels turned up in Sodom, and Lot invites them to stay with him. 

During the night, a load of men from the town come to the house demanding sex with the visitors, but their rapacious advances are thwarted and Lot and his family are allowed to flee the city. 

In fact, they left hand in hand with the heavenly guests.

The angels then warn the family to flee without looking back, but wifey can’t resist and becomes a salty pillar.

I must admit, I’ve always found this a bit hard to accept. In the grand scheme of things, Lot’s wife glancing over her shoulder doesn’t seem like a massive crime.

If I had been fleeing something awful, I might have been tempted to see what was going on behind me. So why the harsh punishment?

Well, first, she had specifically been told by the angels – God’s messengers – not to look back. Second, looking back can be pretty dangerous if you’re in the process of fleeing. If you don’t keep your eyes on where you’re going, you are liable to fall.

Ultimately, though, I think looking back symbolised a form of ‘backsliding’. She couldn’t completely cut herself off from her old life. Perhaps looking back might have led to turning back. Or maybe she was thinking about the possessions she’d had to leave behind. It seems you can take a girl out of Sodom, but you can’t take Sodom out of the girl.

It’s worth remembering that looking back not only brought Lot’s wife to a sticky (or salty) end, it had long-term repercussions. In her absence, her two daughters got their dad drunk and slept with him. Both conceived and gave birth to sons whose descendents were the Moabites and Ammonites – who were constantly at war with the Israelites.

Thankfully, I’ve never been turned into a pillar made from any kind of condiment. But I’ve certainly been guilty of looking over my shoulder and finding myself getting sucked back into circumstances and thought patterns God has already delivered me from.

Knowing that He’s done everything to save us from danger, sin, our pasts, broken relationships and so on, why do we look back? After all, Lot’s family aren’t the only ones to have been saved from a bath of burning sulphur.

So why do we look for ways to say connected with the very things God has delivered us from?

Rather than thinking about the past, we should be grateful for our salvation and eagerly look forward to the future and to eternity with our heavenly father.

We all stumble at times, but keeping our eyes on the path ahead will help to prevent any major painful and dangerous falls.  

This still leaves the question of why Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt, of all things. I’m sure there are plenty of theological explanations, but I’m going to offer my own (probably flawed) theories.

Pillars

Pillars were used in the Old Testament as a marker, or a “witness”. Jacob set up various stone pillars to mark important venues, and God himself appeared as a pillar of cloud and fire to lead the Israelites.

Pillars carried esteem and were largely depicted positively in biblical terms. Psalm 114:12 says that “our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace”. But in this instance, it seems the pillar in this case was designed to act as a warning to anyone who saw it (including Lot and his family) that they were to take God at his word.

Salt

Salt was a coveted commodity in biblical times for preservation purposes and to improve the taste of food. It was used to purify offerings to God and was celebrated for its healing properties. The Bible tells us to season our conversation with salt, and in Mark 9:50, Jesus says: “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other”.

But salt was also used in the Bible as a means of destruction and cleansing. In Judges 9:45, Abimelek destroyed Shechem and scattered salt over it. This symbolised both destruction and a completely fresh start. Becoming a pillar of salt fits with this symbolism, but unfortunately Lot’s wife had to lose her life to become a lasting representation of this.

Read more from Joy in the next issue of Liberti magazine.

Show me the money!

Some Christians have a problem discussing finance because they feel it is a “worldly” concept that will inevitably corrupt the soul. 

The word “prosperity” is often dismissed as an Americanism that doesn’t match up with biblical teachings.

I strongly disagree with this. Jesus mentioned money more times in the gospels than any other topic apart from the Kingdom of God. If it’s good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me. According to my calculations, the word “prosper” is used a whopping 49 times in the Bible, while “prosperity” is dropped in on 17 occasions.

We need to remember that it is the love of money that is “the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10), not the money itself. We all need cash to put food on the table and to keep a roof over our heads, but that doesn’t give us carte blanche to become greedy and covetous. We are called to rule over our money rather than letting our financial circumstances rule us; to stop comparing ourselves with others and to value people over “stuff”.

The Bible tells us we should be “wise stewards” of our money (Luke 12:42). In other words, we should not spend beyond our means and we should use our cash to live honourable and generous lives. In actual fact, the more sensible we are with the money God has already blessed us with, the more he will entrust us with in the future. So if you need a few extra quid, maybe it’s time to readjust the way you view the money that’s already burning a hole in your pocket.

As Christians we believe that everything in the universe was created by, and belongs to, God. So whatever we earn, we should remember to give thanks for it and use it for His glory, not to keep buying endless pairs of shoes (is it just me that struggles with this particular temptation?).

The Bible makes it clear that we should tithe, which means giving the first 10% of our income to God. I’ll discuss this at length some time soon, as it’s a topic that needs a bit of careful consideration. It also tells us we should use it to help others, particularly orphans and widows; basically, anyone who is in real need.

This is really just an introduction, an overview of the topic, which by now I hope I’ve convinced you is one that is close to God’s own heart.

In future editions of Liberti magazine I’ll be covering all aspects of finance in the future: mortgages, debt, government benefits, credit cards, cashback sites, pensions, inheritance tax, shopping, budgeting, ISAs, online banking and anything else I can think of. If that doesn’t float your boat, I don’t know what will!

Hopefully, I’ll also be able to tailor this to the financial needs of you lovely Liberti ladies by covering issues such as the gender pay gap, childcare costs and upcoming changes to women’s car insurance legislation.

Most importantly, I’ll endeavour to present all of this from an interesting and biblical perspective. So let’s get ready to shake our money makers (what does that even mean?) and cash in on everything God has promised us.

After all, it was God who came up with the “live long and prosper” (Exodus 20:12) philosophy, long before Star Trek’s Dr Spock started using the infamous Vulcanian greeting. So let’s say a firm farewell to money worries and a hearty hello to healthy bank balances!

Read more from Joy in the upcoming edition of Liberti mag.

Lent? It’s a piece of cake

I don’t normally give anything up for Lent. I may be wrong, but I think a lot of people use it as an excuse to kill two birds with one stone: lose a bit of weight/save a few quid and be able to tell people you’re going without something.

I’m not saying self-sacrifice is a bad thing, but I don’t see any biblical basis for staying off the cake for a month (feel free to correct me below if you do).

So when I heard about the 40acts challenge I was somewhat refreshed. Instead of giving something up, Stewardship, the charity organising it, is encouraging people to spend the 40 days doing something positive; introducing an act of generosity for each day.

This might sound like a lot of hard work, but actually each task is very doable. The first, for example, was creating a “giving jar”. If you’re giving something up for Lent, the aim is to set the corresponding sum aside for a cause of your choice. For example, if you normally have a posh coffee on the way to work, try going without and sticking the coins in your jar instead.

I have to confess, I haven’t located my jar yet, but I’m definitely going to and will aim to set aside a few doubloons every day. It’ll probably take me 40 days to decide where the money’s going, but by then I should have a healthy stash to distribute.

Stewardship is also providing daily notes of encouragement for challenge taker-uppers. Yesterday’s came from the charity’s CEO, Mike O’Neill, who said: “Between now and Easter Sunday you, me and millions of other Christians around the world will walk an ancient path. Some of us will give up chocolate, coffee or cakes, while others will become pilgrims; literally walking in the footsteps of countless generations.

“Whatever we do, Lent will unite us: the persecuted Christian living in the Middle East, the farmer struggling against a changing climate in Peru, the mother in fear of war or pain of poverty. And those of us who are none of the above.”

Today’s challenge is to cross a social divide. I’m not entirely sure how I’ll do this, but I’m going on a long train journey today so I’ve no doubt I’ll have plenty of opportunity!

Ram Gidoomal, chairman of South Asian Concern (SAC), comments: “It is all too easy for us to live separate lives, keeping ourselves to ‘our own people’. Sometimes we feel uncertain about how to relate, or are afraid of making mistakes, so being British we don’t do anything…

“That ‘reserve’ can actually be a lack of love. A few years ago I was leading a training session to help church members build relationships with their South Asian neighbours. We encouraged them to talk to at least one Asian person in the coming week.

“At the next session we invited feedback. At first there was silence. Then a woman stood up and told us: ‘At the school gate the Asian mothers and the white mothers stand in separate groups. They don’t talk to each other. They don’t even make eye contact. Last Tuesday I went and stood next to the Asian mothers.’

“A small step, but it had a profound impact.”

Over the next month or so I’m determined to have my cake and eat it. But I’m also going to get into the habit of practising generosity each and every day. Hopefully this will become a lifelong habit.

[If giving generously for the next 40 days doesn’t excite you enough, the Bible Society has produced a free audio New Testament. It’s been broken up into 28-minute chunks so, by the time Easter Sunday arrives, listeners will have made it through the whole of the New Testament. You don’t even have to read it; you can listen while you walk the dog or make dinner. Visit www.biblesociety.org.uk to download your free copy.] 

Read more from Joy in the upcoming issue of Liberti.

Getting creative with the truth

Guest blog with Liza Hoeksma

Many of us are uncomfortable with our creative sides. In fact, some of you would probably even deny you’ve got one. The truth is, we’re made by the ultimate creator and we reflect his nature so, well, the jigs up: you are in fact creative.

So why do we find it so hard to embrace? I wonder if the fact that creativity rarely pays the bills means it get less of a look in than other elements of our lives. At school the curriculum often features music, drama and art, but unless you’re the one in a million who is destined for stardom in one of these areas, you’ll likely be nudged into a more ‘sensible’ career path. So by the age of 16 you’ve let most of those creative pursuits drop, thinking you weren’t really any good at them anyway and tucking them into ‘the school years’ file in your head.

That was pretty much my story, anyway. As a result, I spent my twenties trying to silence the creative person in me, allowing instead the much louder, logical voice inside me to take control. I wanted a straight career path; roles and responsibilities I knew I could do well in.

But more recently the creative voice has been getting louder in me. I realised that to be creative I had to deal with my fear of failure. GULP! I don’t like getting things wrong (who does?), but if I only ever do things I know I can get right the first time round, I’ll never get anywhere. Or at least not anywhere exciting.

As I’ve taken small steps to embrace and even cultivate creativity I’ve realised it impacts on almost every area of life. It’s taught me to be kinder to myself, to enjoy and appreciate things that are beautiful rather than just things that are purposeful. It’s given me freedom to express myself; to rethink what I value and the way I spend my time and my money. It’s opened my eyes to so much of the world that I had blocked out in my pursuit of the logical.

How much time do you spend pursuing and exploring creativity? I don’t just mean drawing a picture or writing a song – I mean anything creative from baking a cake to visiting the theatre; from taking a photograph to making someone a birthday present. There are many ways to embrace creativity, but we so often shut them out of our lives and in doing so we shut down a part of who we were made to be.

So this year I want to give it a shot. I want to be free to create ten rubbish pictures because the eleventh might be great. I want to try new recipes and not worry if they don’t turn out like Nigella promised. I want to sew my friends pretty pictures and hope they’ll forgive me for my raggedy stitching. And I want to learn from others whether that means going to the ballet or trying a new author.

And most of all I want to learn from the ultimate creator. I want to sit and watch the sea, calmed by its rhythm and in awe of its power. I want to stand in the middle of a forest and be amazed again at the level of detail God has invested in our world. I want to visit the zoo and smile at the fact that God created giraffes and hippos. The one who created the whole world out of nothing, He’s the one who will teach me – and you if you’re up for it – what it really means to live creatively.

Liza Hoeksma writes for Godculture, an online magazine that showcases Christianity in modern culture. For more articles on faith, creativity, technology, justice, music and more, visit Godculture.

How will you spend Valentine’s Day?

Gone are the days of sitting by the front door, waiting for the postman to arrive laden with red envelopes on Valentine’s Day. It never actually happened, but every year I dreamt my knight would sweep me off my feet with one of Clinton’s finest cards.

Now the only red envelopes that are likely to drop through the letterbox are bills I’ve forgotten to pay. And let’s face it, no-one dreams of having their phone cut off on Valentine’s Day.

I wouldn’t say I’m cynical about it – I have no problem being wooed with flowers or gifts – but I absolutely hate shopping for Valentine’s cards. 

I honestly felt nauseous the last time I did it, and left with the least romantic one I could find. Messageless inside, the front read: ‘Resistance is Futile’. It wasn’t a massive hit.

I think my problem is that ‘love poems’ and clichéd phrases mean nothing to me. I don’t want someone to promise to “love me to the moon and back”, that’s not even possible! I think genuine, heartfelt words and gestures – however small – are so much better.

A packet of love hearts under the pillow, a message in the steam on the bathroom mirror, a trip to the zoo… it really doesn’t matter as long as you have put some thought into it and are doing something that you know your loved one will really like. 

I’ve also realised love isn’t only for couples. Whether you’re in a relationship or not, you can show love to someone on February 14. 

I was really touched to see that Kate Middleton (or Catherine Mountbatten-Windsor as she is officially known) will be spending Valentine’s at Alder Hey children’s hospital this year.

She could have spent the day moping over Wills, who is in the Falklands with the RAF, and forgotten about the rest of the world. But her decision to visit kids with serious illnesses is a wonderful way to spend Valentine’s Day, and I’m sure it will put a smile on many faces, young and old.

So what can we do to show real love on this over-commercialised occasion? Perhaps we could offer to babysit for a couple that is struggling to spend time together. Or visit someone who has lost a husband or wife. Or maybe we could find a special gift for someone who is in need.

Whatever we do, let’s make love an everyday event. We don’t have to send a card to tell people we love them – although they might like it if you do. 

It’s about using whatever we have to reach others: on February 14 and the other 364 days of the year.

After all, the Bible makes no reference to Valentine’s Day, but it mentions love more than 300 times. It’s a God-given commandment, and – at the risk of sounding super cheesy myself – one that has the power to change the world.

Feel free to tell us below how you’ll be spending Valentine’s Day this year. 

Read more from Joy in the upcoming edition of Liberti magazine.

My guilty secret

I have a slight obsession with anything crime-related. Cop shows, crime novels, documentaries about serial killers… I even like those terrible American police chase programmes.

There’s something about good triumphing over evil and the exposure of the criminal mind that fascinates me.

So when I stumbled across a free iPhone app called ‘Crime City’ (a real steal!), my fingers started twitching with anticipation. Unfortunately, this strategy game takes the exact opposite approach: it’s all about building up your own Mafia empire through extortion, theft and even assassination. The aim is to collect as much money as you can in order to acquire more weapons, build up your ‘hood’ and attack rival Mafiosi.

You may question how I can play this game as a Christian. But first of all, it is just that: a game. I’m not about to put out a hit on someone for robbing my launderette. Furthermore, there are some hidden biblical principles to pick out (if you look closely enough!).

Firstly, it’s teaching me the gift of patience; something I’m not known for. Each task requires a certain ‘cost’: either to energy levels, stamina or your stash. If you don’t have the necessary items, you simply can’t move onto the next task. Sometimes it can take days and even weeks to get the job done. We often have to wait for things in real life, and practising patience shows that we trust God’s timing, omnipotence and love (2 Corinthians 6:6).

Secondly, it proves that you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7-8). Building defensive buildings and upgrading cash-generating establishments can seem fruitless, but this type of investment often proves crucial further down the line. This is often the case in life – we think a job/degree/relationship has been a complete waste of time, only to find it has laid the groundwork for something wonderful a few years later.

Thirdly, it has shown me the importance of equipping myself for battle. Okay, so I’m not sure we need to be carrying assault rifles or riot shields around with us, but the Bible tells us to “put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). This includes: the belt of truth; the breastplate of righteousness; the shield of faith; the helmet of salvation; and the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God). These ‘weapons’ strengthen us and protect us from adversity.

Fourthly, it demonstrates that certain tasks/challenges need to be completed before we can move onto the next. In the game this might mean robbing a bank or planting a tracking device, but in our lives it could mean forgiving someone who has offended us; learning from a mistake we keep making; disciplining ourselves to read the Bible when we don’t feel like it; or sharing our faith with someone. There are things in each of our lives that hold us back and prevent us from reaching the next level.

Finally, it reminds us to take what is rightfully ours. In the game you periodically collect money from the businesses you’ve set up – if you don’t, the cash stops building up and rivals can steal it. The Bible says God has given us “everything we need to live a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3), so if there’s something missing, it’s probably because we haven’t tapped into it yet. If you don’t use it, you may lose it!

OK, so I’m going to stop flogging this dead horse now (that’s not part of the game!) as it would be just as easy to turn the analogy round to show how Crime City promotes greed, violence and many other Mafia malignancies. Just remember, this kind of game can be a fun way to spend an hour or two but crime really doesn’t pay!

Read more from Joy in the upcoming issue of Liberti.