From
The Rectory
Some
commentators would argue that the contemporary West has rather lost its way.
The old certainties of 1700, 1800, 1900, or even 1950 are now contested. Even
if we still believe in the progress of humanity, the horrors of the 20th
Century notwithstanding, we can’t always agree which way we are, or ought to be,
heading.
We
are having a Diocesan Year of the Old Testament. And we have been studying the
fascinating and colourful book of Judges (set after the Exodus and Conquest of
the Promised Land and before the Israelite Monarchy of David and Solomon and
the rest). You know? Samson and Delilah and all that. The refrain of the book
is, “there was no king in the land, and everyone did what was right in his own
eyes.” The confusion and chaos can feel contemporary. That emphasis on each of
us deciding for ourselves what is right has a massive cultural resonance today.
Indeed, it seems to be the great virtue of our times. Be yourself! Express
yourself! Do what feels right! You be you! You can imagine the motivational
Facebook meme urging you to live your best life of self-fulfilment. It’s your
duty to find your own unique path to happiness.
We’re
also going to have a sermon series in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, the
book about human origins. The Christian doctrine of Creation, which it
contains, speaks powerfully to our confusions and our spiritual but not
religious creed of celebrating what comes from within.
The
Bible says you are marvellous. You are made not only for time but for eternity.
You are infinitely valuable and more loved than you could ever imagine.
But
we know our world is in a mess. In theological terms, human beings have Fallen
away from righteousness by their rejection of their Maker and his ways. The
Bible’s view is that the world doesn’t always divide up simply into goodies and
baddies. Evil is real, but it is not only out there with those terrible others.
The author of The Gulag
Archipelago, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, said: ““The line separating good and evil
passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties
either -- but right through every human heart -- and through all human hearts.”
The
Christian claim is that Jesus entered his creation to save it from itself.
Jesus was the only human being who could follow his own heart with perfect
confidence, because he is the Son of God who perfectly loved his heavenly
Father. His heart was true, good and beautiful. Jesus was always and only on
the side of the good. But out of love for us, he came to sort out our evil.
Creation,
Fall and Redemption help us not only to understand our world, but to live in it
well, despite all our failures, and all the mess we experience, and sometimes
perpetuate. We can have a spectacular ability to mess up our world, but Jesus
died to win the world. He means to put it to rights. His resurrection shows he
is more than able to make all things wonderfully new. And he invites us to come
along. To know ourselves as his creatures and to express our gratitude to him.
Even amidst the ruins of Christendom, a life of faith, hope and love is still
possible. And in our better moments and our right minds, perhaps we can see that
this is the best life (with all the suffering and sacrifice it sometimes
entails) to which our God-given hearts are calling us. St Augustine of Hippo was
right to say in his Confessions: our hearts are restless until they find
their rest in God.
So,
yes, in a sense, maybe, follow your heart! But your heart belongs, or should
belong, to Jesus, who made you and loves you and would always welcome you back
to him if you will turn to him. Don’t just follow your heart. What a confusing
burden! Follow Jesus! That’s the heart of who we were all made to be. And it is
the hope for a culture and civilization.
The Revd Marc Lloyd
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