To be racist is to be human

 In this interview  Akala speaks very eloquently on why Britain is racist.  He doesn't give any statistics, but I have no reason to believe his general comparisons are wrong. 

The problem is, they're all chosen to point in one direction. 

Britain is Racist. 

Of course Britain is racist.  Every country is racist; and within every country there are tribes, groups, regions and factions who band together to oppose anybody who isn't 'the same' as them. 

I come from Northern Ireland where people who don't believe in God, but claim to be Catholic fight (and sometimes kill) people who don't believe in God but claim to be Protestant.  Both groups look identical, aren't seriously interested in changing national boundaries, live within a few metres of one another, have the same ethnic background and have exactly the same agnostic materialistic worldview, yet divisions have been built up which will take generations to tear down.  We call it sectarianism, but it's exactly the same as racism.

Zimbabwe is racist.

You might say that the racism there is a direct result of British Colonialism, and you might be right, so does that mean the racism in Zimbabwe is right? or wrong?  To assume that everything about colonialism was wrong is a ridiculous simplification similar to assuming that all chairs are uncomfortable.

Meeting any individual, we instantly gather a wealth of information about them.  Skin colour, sex, age, clothing, bearing, transport, accent, and many other attributes -  To try and stop gathering information would be foolish.  People have many different skills and attitudes, and this information gives the first clues as to what a person can do, or will do.   We are more likely to trust those who are similar to ourselves, distrust those who are different. If you want to con somebody, become them.
After that, if we have previous experience, we'll compare the data we've gathered against our previous experiences, all categorised using big generalisations.

Here's two examples of racism. 

India. Big place. Billion people; geography ranges from mountains to deserts, fertile valleys to seaside resorts, mud huts to vast modern cities. 

I work with Indians. 

My experience working with Indians has been very positive.  They're intelligent, hardworking, eloquent and extremely helpful.
When I now meet anybody who's Indian, my initial prejudice is that they're going to be the same.   Hardworking and loyal.

I've a friend who works for another company.  He too works with Indians.  He finds them lazy, incompetent, untruthful and ignorant.  His prejudice is that any new Indians he meets will be the same.  Lazy and untrustworthy.

 If I come across one of my friend's colleagues, I'll trust them fully, they'll let me down, and my attitude to all new Indians I meet will become tarnished.
If my friend comes across one of my colleagues, he'll probably not give them free rein to show just how good they are, and his tarnished view will remain unchanged.

That's a natural racism. It's logical and biased, it's wrong and it potentially creates a downward spiral that eventually leads us to treat certain people as less than human.

"All humans are made in God's image and should be treated with respect and dignity."

Those who don't agree with that phrase may be able to use their worldview (depending on exactly what their worldview is) to categorise people into different levels of humanity where some types of people are closer to animals than others.  Those of us who do believe that people are made in God's image, can't.

One of my friends shared this video on Facebook. 
https://www.facebook.com/BuzzFeedVideo/videos/1816363428504531/
It's painfully defensive, unbelievably weak, and depressingly wrong.   
 If that movie reflects their image of what Christians are, and what Christians should be, then there's no point any of us labelling ourselves Christians (except maybe the slightly larger music catalogue)

Becoming a Christian is a life-changing event.

If we're the same after years of sanctification as we were before God saved us then we need to seriously question what we've been saved from and what we've been saved to.

If our morals come from our own idea of what's right and what's wrong, or if they're based on popular consensus then we have completely ignored God and what He wants.

Let's start with the assumption that all true Christians base their Christianity on the Bible.

Look at Luke 6:46-49.
If you're a Christian you'll know the story.
The wise man built his house upon a rock.  The foolish man built his house upon the sand.
Build your house on the rock and it will stand firm through the storm, build it on the sand and it will collapse.
Logical thinking there from Jesus.  A simple story with a deeper meaning.  How well do you actually know the story?

Does Jesus then go on to explain what this parable means?
or does he just leave us to interpret it on our own?

How do you understand it?
Put your trust in Jesus and everything will work out OK?

That's a lovely thought, but let's actually look at what Jesus says:

 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

It's not even about 'building your life on God'.  It's entirely about doing what Jesus commands.

So, Number One Priority to avoid collapse and destruction.... Find out what Jesus commands, and do it.


http://swapmeetdave.com/Bible/Commands/Commands-list.pdf

Don't Like.... WHAT??!!

so a normally mature and sensible person I know posted this on facebook today.   It's a very strange, pointless, inarticulate, badly thought through, illogical rant

WHAT??!!

Do I need to go through them one at a time?  I do want to.

1. Cigarettes.  I don't like them.  Secondary smoke is irritating and causes serious diseases and possibly death.  I don't smoke, but whose rights are being taken away if you smoke near me?
2. Don't like alcohol?  well, it's OK, I'm not a huge fan.  What I'm really not a fan of is getting my nose broken by a drunk teenager while I was trying to keep him at a safe distance from some children.  Whose rights got taken away (well mine, and after a while his right to freedom went too)
3. Don't like abortion?  never tried it.  I would ask somebody who did, but they're all dead.  every single one of them.  
4. Don't like porn?  I actually sort of do like it, but if I watch it I start to think of my wife in a very one-dimensional way.  She's better than that.  I stopped looking at porn for her sake, not my own.
5. Don't like drugs?  never tried them.  Got a crossbow shot at me once by a thief who was high. Thankfully he was so high that he missed.  Me not taking drugs didn't really help there.
6. Don't like sex?  strange question.  I do.  Not sure what they're getting at.  Since the rest of the list has negative consequences, maybe they're wanting us to think of sexually transmitted diseases, rape and unplanned pregnancy? that's just speculation on my part.
7. And the first one.  Gay marriage.  Even if I'd been a fan at the start of the post I'm pretty certain, having read all the rest of the items in the list, that there must be some dire consequences for anybody who has ever met a gay couple.  Probably safest to stay well out of their way.

Broken

We insulate ourselves from the painful things that go on around us.
The way we live in 21st century "Western World" we are vaguely aware that there's somewhere out there called the "mddle east" where impossibly large numbers of people are dying or fleeing their homes. We're vaguely aware that if we stop and think about it we'll probably realise that those nameless, faceless masses of people are made up of individuals very like us, and they're not enjoying themselves.

So we slide our finger up the 4" oLED screen and move on to the next story.

Some of us though, come face to face with the Horrified and catch a glimpse of reality. It's a strange experience. It's different when it smells and feels and doesn't end as soon as the interesting action sequence is over. It's not the same when you then have to eat dinner with the weeping victims.

What's even more surreal is when you leave, and come home and try to explain it to everybody who still imagines it on their Apple Device, everybody who thinks they understand, thinks they're being sympathetic, but they just Don't GET it.

I've... seen... an odd thing happen to some... others...  who fly out, see horror for a while and fly home. We retreat into ourselves. We come to believe that nobody understands but us, that nobody cares but us, and that, since words can't explain what we've seen, we are helpless to do anything but mourn.  Christians who went out with big plans break down and succumb to deep depression.  The irony is that those we went to help are relishing the joy, seizing every opportunity and growing in the Lord - often buoyed up by the support we brought and the promise of our prayers, while we shut our minds off from the world and suffer a whole different kind of pain.

The story is not about us. It's never about us. God's plans are always unexpected, always complex and He always sees the bigger picture.
We are always selfish, always biased and can't even see what's right in front of us.

If you meet someone who has been on a traumatic mission trip, treat them carefully, listen properly to what they're saying and encourage them.  I mean really listen and really encourage them.
If you've been away, look after your head and understand that you've had a bigger impact than you can ever imagine.  Keep telling people what you've seen.
They won't understand; but neither do we.

(picture - not everybody from Somalia, Northern Ireland and Pakistan is a terrorist)

Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis 

Leptospirosis is a notifiable disease, with three cases reported to the duty room in 2011. Of these three cases, two are believed to have been acquired in Northern Ireland.

Leptospirosis is relatively rare in the UK, with around 50–60 cases reported each year. It is important to identify and treat cases, and leptospirosis should be considered a differential diagnosis in patients with abrupt onset of fever who have a history of contact with animal-urine-contaminated water or animals known to carry leptospirosis.

Leptospirosis is caused by spiral shaped bacteria of the genus Leptospira . The bacteria infect a variety of wild and domestic animals, often asymptomatically, and are excreted in their urine. Common sources of infection in the UK include rats and cattle. Person-to-person spread is rare. Infection occurs when infected animal urine or secretions come into contact with broken skin or mucosal membranes, directly or via water, soil or vegetation. The risk is therefore higher in farmers, vets and people taking part in water sports.

Infection may cause a range of illnesses, from asymptomatic or mild, flu-like illness to severe disease with hepatic and renal failure (known as Weil’s disease). Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice, red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and rash. The incubation period is usually 7–13 days. There are often two phases to the disease: an initial bacteraemic phase from which there may be complete recovery, followed by an immune phase, during which there may be complications such as hepatic and renal failure, meningism, vasculitic manifestations and clotting abnormalities.

Diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion and can be confirmed by laboratory testing. Treatment involves antibiotic therapy, which should be given early in the course of the disease. Patients usually make a complete recovery; however, leptospirosis can be fatal, usually as a result of renal failure.

The public health role includes advising on prevention and responding to potential or confirmed cases of leptospirosis. Prevention strategies include control of the rodent population, immunisation and treatment of infected animals, and the avoidance of swimming or wading in potentially contaminated water. Education and advice for those at risk due to their occupation or leisure activities is also important. There is no vaccine available for humans in the UK, but pre-exposure prophylaxis can be considered in those known to be at high risk for limited periods.

When a potential or confirmed case is reported, the initial public health action is to gather information about the patient, risk factors and possible exposures. Exclusion is not recommended; however, others with similar exposure who may be at risk should be identified to enable the provision of education and advice. Screening of contacts and pets may be indicated in some situations.

The HPA recommends the following advice to reduce the risk of leptospirosis in those who are in contact with fresh, surface water – eg canals, ponds or rivers – or with rats.

•  Cover cuts, scratches or sores with a waterproof plaster and thoroughly clean cuts or abrasions received during activities. 
•  Wear appropriate protective clothing, gloves or footwear. 
•  Wash or shower promptly after water sports, especially if immersed. 
•  Avoid capsize drills or rolling in stagnant or slow moving water. 
•  Wear thick gloves when handling rats. 
•  Wash hands after handling any animal, and before eating. 

Useful resources
HPA website: 
National Travel Health Network and Centre:
Leptospira Reference Unit:

Judith Ewing FY2 Public Health

churches are full of people

I've seen some discussion recently about emotional/spiritual abuse in churches. like this one from Jonathan Hollingsworth in Relevant Magazine, and this one by Thom Rainer on ChurchLeaders.com

Don't allow the edges to get blurred.  There is a clear separation between loving biblical discipline and  abusive bullying, and oversensitivity to well-intended criticism is a different issue altogether.

I was brought up around churches. I grew up understanding the wring of emotions a pastor goes through while preparing sermons, trying to guide his flock through their problems both from the pulpit on a Sunday, and individual counselling - and receiving sustained verbal abuse in return. I've seen several good people give up everything to go and serve on missions, only to return within months because of internal politics or a personality clash with leaders and other missionaries. 

 It's heart-wrenching. 

I've been in the middle, between pastors and irate parishoners who want the church to suspend basic biblical principles, and where selfish and power hungry elders and deacons conduct full-on, red-faced, finger-jabbing shouting matches because they aren't getting their own way.

I used to think churches were a unique case. "If you want to be offended" I'd say "you should join a church!" 

Now I've spent several years working with sports clubs and non-church charities, and I've realised that whenever certain people get a sniff of power in any setting they turn into monsters. I've worked with serial club-and-charity destroyers who move from one organisation to the next, dividing the members and destroying the club from the inside. I've seen groups with potential to thrive becoming utterly stagnant because one or two members have moved into positions of authority and imposed their self-serving agenda. And yes. I've seen full-on red-faced, finger-jabbing shouting matches at Annual General Meetings because some people didn't get their own way.

 So am I saying that churches and missions are just clubs or charities like any other?

Well, no.  I'm not. 

Churches are full of people.
People who come for the right reasons, the wrong reasons, and for no reason at all.
People who treat church like a club.  Their club.  Their own personal multi-faceted charitable club where they can meet with their friends, do their activities and separate themselves from 'the world' - which means anybody who doesn't come to 'Their church'.

Those of us who are believers shouldn't need reminding.  Church isn't about us.  Church is us.  We exist because, even though we're self-centred self-seeking sinners, Jesus sacrificed himself so that we can return to a proper relationship with our maker and his creation.

That makes the abuse all the more demoralising.  

Emotional and spiritual abuse within churches is a natural and predictable consequence of us twisting the church away from the Christ and turning it into our own introverted social club.  Instead of spreading the word about what he's done, we've built barricades, driven needy people away and begun the process of tearing ourselves apart.  It's wrong, unbiblical, self-defeating and will have eternal consequences.

We can never tear his Church apart, but then what we're presiding over is no longer a church.  It's our club.