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Viewpoint 14 and
THE few years of Jesus’ ministry present us with pictures of him extracting some understanding of his teaching from those with whom he met and conversed. For example, after telling the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus asked an expert in the law: ‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’ (Luke 10:36).
At his trial, in his discussion with Pontius Pilate over the false claims against him, Jesus explained: ‘Everyone on the side of truth listens to me’ (John 18:37). To which Pilate replied: ‘What is truth?’
Both these incidents show how Jesus appealed to what might be described as the divine spark within people – to what they instinctively knew to be right or true. In each case a choice had to be made and, as always, that choice had consequences.
Human beings are egocentric, but we can choose that which benefits us as individuals or consider others who may be affected by our actions or responses. As the moral story of Adam and Eve makes clear, we all have to accept responsibility for the choices we make. This is an essential aspect of being human.
Most parents teach their children to be honest, truthful, kind, helpful and as caring of other people as possible. But even if this is not always evident in some children when starting school, most teachers – especially of the very young – would seek to foster these values as children develop socially, morally and personally. Indeed, some schools go further by expecting pupils as they grow older to show some responsibility towards younger pupils in order to develop the school as a social community.
However, on leaving school, many young people may well find themselves in a changed world. Targets set could require corners to be cut or incomplete or inaccurate information to be given to secure business or advance a career.
The business sections of national newspapers over the past few years provide ample evidence of mis-selling, bogus claims, fraud and much more. The building industry has been much in the news over some firms using faulty or dangerous materials, which has led to loss of lives and homes. The key point here is that the alternative meanings given to everyday words can change the ethical character of people’s actions. ‘Mis-selling’ is not stealing or fraud, but just another acceptable way of doing business – along with misleading statements about goods on sale, as in the case of someone who bought a box of strawberries marked ‘half price’, only to find that it was also half the quantity of a normal, larger box.
While some people have been less than honest in the past by misinterpreting statistics or prospering from their false promises, today we see the rapid development of some world leaders and their followers further undermining the ethical values of societies across the world by changing the meaning of valuewords. This means that the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad is merely a different way of describing personal or collective actions
or decisions. These have just become alternative narratives.
So what now of traditional ethical values? When we read relevant parts of the Bible we can find parallels with many situations and problems, not only in our personal lives but also within the wider community and the world at large. Other writings also suggest parallels. Those familiar with George Orwell’s 1984 may recognise a society based on ‘newspeak’, a fictional language in which the meanings of words have changed so that ‘war’ is ‘peace’, ‘freedom’ is ‘slavery’ and ‘ignorance’ is ‘strength’. Along with this comes ‘doublethink’, which Orwell describes as: ‘To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it.’
Alternative truths, alternative narratives, fake news and newspeak can all be present in what we hear and see in the public domain. In the past the churches have not always had clean hands in this respect either.
Some years ago Richard Hoggart, in his book The Uses of Literacy, looked at the influence of mass media in the United Kingdom. He pointed out how all news coverage through the media is edited but that uncensored news helps to ensure that truth prevails in a democracy.
We live in a world of languages in which we express our thoughts, feelings and everyday experiences. Words have meanings and those that express our ethical ideas are important, as parents and teachers know. Today, however, influential people are changing the meanings of words, thereby creating confusion and uncertainty. Surely churches and schools should have something to say about the possible consequences of this linguistic confusion.
The third letter of John addressed to Gaius says: ‘Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone – and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true’ (vv11 and 12). By our Christian example and influence, we need to show that there is no place for doublethink or newspeak, but that our testimony is true. This may well appeal to what people instinctively know to be right and cause them to consider what the truth really is.
THE REV PAISEY IS A RETIRED MINISTER OF THE SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH LIVING IN UPHALL, WEST LOTHIAN
Finding the angle
Major Mal Davies explores what it means to fish for people
MARK 1:14–20
DO you recall those schooldays when the selection of sporting teams was – depending on your sporting prowess – either a joy or a misery? Two captains would be chosen, or just declare themselves to be captains, and everyone else would line up for the ritual selection of teams. Many of us stood there thinking ‘pick me, pick me’ as we dreaded being the last one selected.
QUESTIONS
How does it feel when there is a pleasant task or a responsible job to be done and you are picked to do it? How does it feel when you are not picked? What do you think being regularly picked last might do to a person’s morale and sense of self-worth?
In each of the Gospels, we read of Jesus selecting his disciples, a process they would have associated more with a rabbi or teacher than a carpenter. In Mark 1, we read that Jesus was at the Sea of Galilee when he asked two fishermen, Simon (later known as Peter) and his brother Andrew, to ‘follow’ him. Which they did. A bit farther along the shoreline, Jesus made a similar request to James and John, sons of Zebedee, and they also complied.
Note that between his baptism by John and his calling of the fishermen, Jesus not only did his 40 days in the wilderness (see Mark 1:12) but also moved around considerably, including: attending a wedding in Cana (see John 2), meeting Nicodemus in Jerusalem (see John 3), ministering in Judea (see John 3:22), meeting with a woman at a well in Samaria (see John 4), and healing an official’s son in Galilee (see John 4:46).
While Simon and Andrew had met Jesus just after his baptism – Andrew had been a follower of John the Baptist (see John 1:35–42) – they were not called to be Jesus’ disciples until some time later, when he came across them again on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
To leave their livelihood behind must have been challenging for the first disciples Jesus called. After all, no one really knew what Jesus could or would do. Salvationists still respond to God’s calling on their lives, some leaving their jobs and homes to become officers.
QUESTIONS
Has God called you to serve him in any way – at your corps, in your community, in ministry? How did you know it was God? How did you respond?
Through the week with Salvationist
– a devotional thought for each day
by Major Lynda Levis
SUNDAY
Those first disciples of the Lord/ Received the promise of his word/ And in their lives such power did dwell/ To speed the message they should tell/ To all mankind, that Jesus lives,/ And grace to each believer gives;/ May that same grace inspire today/ To live for Christ, the life and way.
(SASB 680)
MONDAY
He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’
(Mark 16:15)
TUESDAY
There are people hurting in the world out there./ They need you, they need me, they need Christ./ There are children crying and no one to care./ They need you, they need me, they need Christ./ And they’ll go on hurting in the world out there,/ And they’ll go on dying, drowning in despair,/ And they’ll go on crying, that’s unless we care!/ They need you, they need me, they need Christ. (SASB 935)
