Sorry about the headline, I worked for 9 years for Rupert Murdoch, so attention grabbing headlines were the order of the day. Also if you thought it was some news about my medical condition, it's not. I am writing about a beautiful plant that was in the garden at the back of Café Forever, digitalis, otherwise know as a foxglove. I thought I'd better check up on the safety of the plants in the garden and I knew these were bad, but just how bad. The whole thing is deadly, even if you drink water from a vase which contained the plant you could suffer - as have many young children. It is dangerous to humans and animals. It works on the heart, causing arrhythmia and heart block. Throw it out. But wait, medical science has investigated, through interest in the human condition, and discovered that it's toxins can actually be utilized in curing some heart conditions and it is prescribed. So should I throw it out? Of course. I am not a doctor, medical scientist or ignoramus. It is important for the safety of our visitors. But I find it interesting how the poisonous condition of the plant has been turned around for good.
So often things that are meant to be good are turned around for bad, and tend to end up used for eiether making money or war or both. The good potential is still there.So what is the good news? Well, quite literally, the good news is that things that often look bad can be turned around for good. The local fellow who is feared by society and busy with negative behaviour can be turned around for good. The British soldiers in Iraq had a goal "changing hearts and minds". The method they used was to walk around in the streets in Iraq without full armour and no helmets and befriending locals. One thing that was a definite no-no was wearing sunglasses when trying to befriend somebody. The military had come to realise that it was important to get the support of the locals in order to bring about change in the region. It could've worked except that perhaps they expected change to happen overnight. They had committed war and were now holding out a hand of friendship. I think sometimes we don't realise how deep some wounds made in the name of Christianity have gone, nor how long they will take to repair. Here at Café Forever we are aware that the process is a very long one. Jesus though is still the only solution.
One chap who I have known for at least 4 years has visited me recently to help him out with getting a video onto youtube. It took us about two weeks, I would help him when I had some spare time. He has been very appreciative and the time I spent with him has given me an opportunity to talk about what I believe in. I spoke to him one day about the size of the universe and that all of it is in God's hand - trying to give him a perspective on the awesomeness of God (I have been reading 'You can Change' - by Tim Chester). He was very impressed and promised to come to church the following Sunday. Well, he didn't, but when he came in the next Monday morning I told him how I had been hoping to see him. We talked about the service on Sunday and I showed him the psalms which we are busy studying. He was particularly sturck by the fact that David wrote Psalm 22 about 700 years before Jesus died and was able to predict the suffering of Jesus. I think he, like most East Enders had slept in and forgotten about sunday services, but I do think I have achieved a lot in comparison to a British soldier in Iraq.
It is a long process and there are so many cultures that you have to adapt your thinking to. One chap I met on the beach the other day - his daughter is in the same class as mine, was talking about the safety of children on the Isle of Dogs and asking about schools. I told him about the church and how through close relationships we become safer. That the church is a good place to look for good influences for our children. He countered that all religions will tell you that, and maybe he has a point.
Speaking of which, there was a good discussion going on in the Café today between two people who would probably never chat to each other. They were talking about computer games and their affect on our children - how they can influence young children dramatically. There was one point of consensus, they are bad. They couldn't seem to agree how to deal with the situation. Get rid of games completely, from the whole of society? NO WAY! That would be ridiculous, right? Think of all the jobs that would be lost, think of all the spare time we'd have to do other things! There are so many places (not just computer games) where we compromise. Sometimes it takes big changes to bring about big changes. Raising children is a community issue - it takes a community to bring about changes. Winning hearts and minds is done not through mere words, but actions. But my actions will deny the truth - that is why it is Jesus' job - Christ in me, the hope of glory.
So often things that are meant to be good are turned around for bad, and tend to end up used for eiether making money or war or both. The good potential is still there.So what is the good news? Well, quite literally, the good news is that things that often look bad can be turned around for good. The local fellow who is feared by society and busy with negative behaviour can be turned around for good. The British soldiers in Iraq had a goal "changing hearts and minds". The method they used was to walk around in the streets in Iraq without full armour and no helmets and befriending locals. One thing that was a definite no-no was wearing sunglasses when trying to befriend somebody. The military had come to realise that it was important to get the support of the locals in order to bring about change in the region. It could've worked except that perhaps they expected change to happen overnight. They had committed war and were now holding out a hand of friendship. I think sometimes we don't realise how deep some wounds made in the name of Christianity have gone, nor how long they will take to repair. Here at Café Forever we are aware that the process is a very long one. Jesus though is still the only solution.
One chap who I have known for at least 4 years has visited me recently to help him out with getting a video onto youtube. It took us about two weeks, I would help him when I had some spare time. He has been very appreciative and the time I spent with him has given me an opportunity to talk about what I believe in. I spoke to him one day about the size of the universe and that all of it is in God's hand - trying to give him a perspective on the awesomeness of God (I have been reading 'You can Change' - by Tim Chester). He was very impressed and promised to come to church the following Sunday. Well, he didn't, but when he came in the next Monday morning I told him how I had been hoping to see him. We talked about the service on Sunday and I showed him the psalms which we are busy studying. He was particularly sturck by the fact that David wrote Psalm 22 about 700 years before Jesus died and was able to predict the suffering of Jesus. I think he, like most East Enders had slept in and forgotten about sunday services, but I do think I have achieved a lot in comparison to a British soldier in Iraq.
It is a long process and there are so many cultures that you have to adapt your thinking to. One chap I met on the beach the other day - his daughter is in the same class as mine, was talking about the safety of children on the Isle of Dogs and asking about schools. I told him about the church and how through close relationships we become safer. That the church is a good place to look for good influences for our children. He countered that all religions will tell you that, and maybe he has a point.
Speaking of which, there was a good discussion going on in the Café today between two people who would probably never chat to each other. They were talking about computer games and their affect on our children - how they can influence young children dramatically. There was one point of consensus, they are bad. They couldn't seem to agree how to deal with the situation. Get rid of games completely, from the whole of society? NO WAY! That would be ridiculous, right? Think of all the jobs that would be lost, think of all the spare time we'd have to do other things! There are so many places (not just computer games) where we compromise. Sometimes it takes big changes to bring about big changes. Raising children is a community issue - it takes a community to bring about changes. Winning hearts and minds is done not through mere words, but actions. But my actions will deny the truth - that is why it is Jesus' job - Christ in me, the hope of glory.
