Just a quick word to say that these “God Spot” notes are to be shared with Christians. My hope is that they encourage, challenge and/or inspire. I don’t expect that those who are not Christians to understand or respond to these notes, but they are most welcome to read them.
Those who know me, know that I enjoy cycling in London, and besides doing some silly camping stuff with the students during the holidays, it is my main means of exercise. I love the speed and the danger – weaving in and out of traffic; some would say, dicing with death. Whilst I am not the quickest on the road (and considering what some of the cyclists are wearing, they had better be quicker than I am) I would like to think that I am faster than the average casual cyclist. There is one thing that really gets on my goat. Cyclists generally, and with some degree of justification, hold both some car drivers and pedestrians (not to mention taxi and bus drivers) with a certain amount of distain (if not outright antipathy), but I would like to think that, whilst there is a competitiveness, there is also a certain amount of mutual respect. This is what I quietly fume at – when stopped waiting patiently at some traffic lights, a cyclist who is obviously slower than you pulls up in front of you. Inevitably, you have to take your time, when the lights go green, for this sluggard to pull away, whilst you wait for an opportunity to pass them and hope that they realise the error of their ways. The sheer lack of respect, not to mention inconvenience, is galling.
So last night I was cycling on my way home, trying not to jump red lights – it’s so hard, the number of traffic lights down Kensington High Street is simply excessive - when a middle-age woman with a basket has the temerity to pull up in front of me at a set of traffic lights. Perhaps I am being judgemental, but I think to myself, “if I’m not faster than this woman, then there must be something wrong with me” (to clarify: judging her by the type of bicycle, the basket and her clothes, not the fact that she is a woman). Anyway, the obvious happens, and cruising a hundred metres or so in front I pull up at another set of lights. I wait to see if the same happens again. It does, but this time, this woman jumps the lights. Another hundred or so metres on, having overtaken her again, the same thing happens. Finally, she turns off to the right as I carry on cycling along the same stretch of road. Having mellowed in the past few years, only a small part of my mind is raging at the cheek of the woman. The more mature, calmer part of me gets thinking.
This story in itself is just something I thought was amusing and worth the telling. I was infuriated by her lack of respect. Not just for me, but also for the law, which as a Christian I am learning to abide by. The former is just my pride, and I am happy to live with it and just mock myself for it. Painful though it is in these kinds of petty situations, as Christians we are called to submit to our authorities (Romans Chapter 13 – the exception obviously being where it contravenes God’s law).
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.- Romans 1v1-2
As much as we would like to argue otherwise, especially in these minor infringements, by failing to submit to the law of the land, we are failing to submit to God’s Word. If we try and argue otherwise, how different are we than those who commit murder and try to justify their actions? I am sure that most think that they have a very good reason why they are above the law, or an exception to the rule. I realised that I should be more understanding in view of the fact that I had jumped some red lights myself moments before. Do I have a right to be annoyed at this woman? Put simply – no. Consequently, I have no right to judge, but should try to be a good example by obeying the law completely.
This got me thinking and challenged me further. When describing myself and my faith, I regularly say that I am an unashamed Evangelical, taking the whole bible to be the inspired and infallible Word of God (that’s a discussion for another time). I regularly have a pop at Liberals since they, in effect, pick and choose which bits of the bible to believe in. They seem blinkered to the fact that this lessens the god that they believe in (you’ll notice that I don’t consider their god to be my God). Basically, their god is incapable of making sure that his message is kept pure and conveyed clearly and without fault to people throughout all time. It also elevate them (the Liberal) to a god-like position where they can decide what is truth, justice, real and who and what their god is. No matter how close the theology and belief system of a “liberal” Christian is to my own, they are throwing their lot in with anyone who considers themselves to be a liberal Christian, from the most conservative to the lunatic fringe (and I am sure that the vast majority of liberals would cringe at the bad name these people bring to Christianity).
Does that mean that we obey God’s laws blindly? Those who know me and know most evangelicals, know that this is certainly not the case. Challenging what I believe and how I live my life in accordance is very much part of my life, but I hope twinned with a commitment to humble obedience.
I have to admit that I am talking about a general impersonal “liberal”. In reality, when dealing with individuals, I am not nearly so black and white. Like with the story above, I realise that it is not my place to judge. I am sure that many liberals are saved, but I would still assert that they are playing a very dangerous game with their view of God and hope that any reading this will be challenged by what I have said.
The comparison with my thoughts about liberalism and the law are obvious. If start to pick and choose which laws to obey, not only are we disobeying the Word of God, we are elevating ourselves, whilst not as blasphemous as to compare ourselves with God, to one that is way above our status – on par with those God has put in authority over us. We make ourselves criminals, using the same pathetic excuses and arguments that those committing what we see as more serious crimes use, and whilst we may not be murderers, we are law breakers, and so on the wrong side of the legal system.
These comparisons and my own lapses in obeying the law urge me to be gentler, more humble, loving to these liberal Christians, all the while encouraging me to strive to obey the law (including not jumping red lights) more diligently.
All this has to be said with the reminder (something I need to constantly remember and beat into my thick skull) that we obey God’s Word in response to the wonderful salvation he provides for us, not because it saves us, makes us holy, or in any way better than those around us.
***** Additional Note *****
Dear All,
I have been urged to clarify my comments above by a helpful birdie who knows what I meant to say, and not it appears I said. Please do not take my rantings and vitriol about the woman with the basket to read that I am raving loony with real anger issues. I meant to write this with a certain amount of self-deprecation, poking fun at the self-righteous, prideful and oh-so-wrong anger I feel at times. The initial issue of the lack of respect of those who cut up other cyclists at traffic lights, and my subsequent ranting about this is irrelevant to my later points, and I know unhelpful to the main thrust of my conclusions. It was just the story of what happened to get my mind thinking on obeying the law, and the parallels it has to evangelicalism, but inevitably distracting (and may present me as someone with serious rage issues).
I have also been urged to apologise to any liberals out there who might think that I view them in the lowest regard, I don't. I hope you know that I am actually a warm and cuddly person, who actually likes and respects most liberals I know, but just have the odd rant about liberalism as a concept.
Please forgive the tone of what I wrote. I am sure that if you see another additional, the helpful birdie will point out that I still haven't got this one right. I'm trying.
Yours Sincerely,
Sam
***** Additional Note *****
Dear All,
I have been urged to clarify my comments above by a helpful birdie who knows what I meant to say, and not it appears I said. Please do not take my rantings and vitriol about the woman with the basket to read that I am raving loony with real anger issues. I meant to write this with a certain amount of self-deprecation, poking fun at the self-righteous, prideful and oh-so-wrong anger I feel at times. The initial issue of the lack of respect of those who cut up other cyclists at traffic lights, and my subsequent ranting about this is irrelevant to my later points, and I know unhelpful to the main thrust of my conclusions. It was just the story of what happened to get my mind thinking on obeying the law, and the parallels it has to evangelicalism, but inevitably distracting (and may present me as someone with serious rage issues).
I have also been urged to apologise to any liberals out there who might think that I view them in the lowest regard, I don't. I hope you know that I am actually a warm and cuddly person, who actually likes and respects most liberals I know, but just have the odd rant about liberalism as a concept.
Please forgive the tone of what I wrote. I am sure that if you see another additional, the helpful birdie will point out that I still haven't got this one right. I'm trying.
Yours Sincerely,
Sam
