Are You “Inter” Faith?

It was Inter Faith Week last week. A bunch of us had a really lovely welcome from

the Sikh community at the Thurrock Gurdwara on Maidstone Road. We were able to

join in evening prayers and share some of the traditional hospitality that Sikhs are so

well known for. I don’t think I’ve ever had samosas, bananas AND chocolates offered

in the same meal before!

Maybe all this Inter Faith stuff has passed you by and maybe you are part of an

increasing group that avoids faith because, as I’ve heard it said, “religion is the cause

of so many of the world’s problems”. They cite radicalization of young people and the

dreadful horrors of religious wars in the Middle East and parts of Africa.

I can understand the reticence to adopt a religious lifestyle if it seems to encourage

hatred, narrow-mindedness and prejudice. Nobody wants that. But let’s look at it

another way.

God never intended us to be “religious”. Really! Religion is to do with regulation and

sectarianism. It promotes those who are “in” and those who are “out”. And it has

nothing to do with Faith!

Faith is about Someone we can believe in. Someone who loves us. Someone who

longs to embrace us and welcome us into a family. It is from that kind of Relationship

that springs the values that should guide our lives and our society. My Friend reminds

us that: “God is Love and whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”

Faith matters. It matters in Thurrock and it matters in our world. And a world that is

coming apart needs a people who are coming together. Will you join us?

HOW READY ARE YOU? (a reflection on the Remembrance Sunday readings)

In 1 Thessalonians 4: 13 we read: we do not want you to be ignorant! What does this mean? To refer to somebody as “ignorant” is usually a term of abuse, something we apply to people we consider as slackers, time wasters, no hopers. But to be ignorant actually means to be without knowledge.

You might be interested to know that the word used for "foolish" in the Gospel reading from Matthew 25 is the Greek word “moros”. Can you guess what word we obtain from that nowadays? A moron is a term usually applied to an adult who behaves like a 10- year-old! We don’t really want to be ignorant morons, do we? How foolish is it to be

ignorant? Or without knowledge? Is ignorance really bliss? Or does it mean we've stopped learning? That we've given up on the learning of our our discipleship?

The passage goes on to say: we do not want you to grieve like those without hope. Is there a difference between grieving with hope and without hope? What is that difference? It is found in the very next two words of the following sentence.We believe…! And what difference does that belief make to our lives? To our grieving: in

bereavement and in remembering? What is it that keeps us hoping as we stand around the War Memorial or beside the grave of a loved one? Is it not what we believe and know about Jesus - that he died and rose again (v. 14)?

How then should we live? As people who are ready! Some of us will have received a small brown booklet in the last few months. This is a replica of John’s gospel given out to service men and women during the First World War. On the front we find the words

"active service". And "please carry this in your pocket and read it every day". Does that still happen? Do we carry a bible or even a gospel? And read it? Every day? And is it perhaps because we no longer see ourselves as being on “active service” that we perhaps do not?

The last paragraph of the opening page of the booklet is very telling. We read: "in

God’s Word many soldiers, sailors and airmen found peace when they were afraid, strength when they were under pressure and comfort even in the face of death." 

How prepared are we? How hopeful? How knowledgeable of His Word?

1 Peter 3:15 tells us that we should always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us. On a Sunday like this, at a time like this, we need to consider when we might be asked to answer, to bear witness, to give the reason for that hope. 

If we do not have sufficient oil then our lamps (like the foolish virgins) will begin to grow dim and go out.

And who then will light the way and brighten the darkness in this lost and hurting world?