World Cup Blogs 24: Saudi Arabia

What could be more natural then adorning the pub with the flags of the 32 nations in the World Cup tournament?

But nothing in this world is simple.  In some places local pressure has insisted on the removal of the Saudi Arabian flag from such places because its Islamic connections should not be associated with alcohol.

In a previous World Cup FIFA (football's governing body) fell foul of the Saudis by intending to have footballs with a flag in each panel.  It turns out, then, that drinking by the Creed (for the Muslim Creed is written on the flag) or kicking it is not at all the thing to do.

I have some sympathy for the Saudi problem: every church has a set of dos and don'ts for its premises which can be similarly awkward.  The net effect of it all is to imply a general view that whereas sport unites, religion divides.  But maybe they need to choose to change their football participation or the flag.

Perhaps this kind of religious sensitivity is why the Lord Jesus shredded so many of the religious predilections of his day, eating and drinking with sinners, touching lepers, blessing children and healing on the Sabbath - just generally saying something about people being more important to God than religious rules designed to protect God but divide people.

The Curious Incident of the Baptist Beer Barrel (and a Bottle of Whisky)

What might I find in the Church recycling bin?

An old sermon perhaps?  There'll have been a few of those that could be usefully composted I fear.  Some old hymnbooks?  No, you're wrong there.  Churches never throw out old hymnbooks.  Indeed, Christian newspapers contain baleful ads pleading with others to take ancient, useless hymnbooks into new ownership.  I assert you are more likely to find a collection of diamond jewellery in a recycling bin than a hymnbook. 

I suppose  in some churches there might be a weekly wine bottle from the Mass.  In a Baptist Church make that an old grape juice carton.

Yet if there is one thing nearly as unlikely as an old hymnbook in Baptist Church recycling it has to be what we found last week.  A barrel full of beer.  And a bottle full of whisky too!

What did we do?  What could we do?  What should we do?  How could such a thing happen?

We did exactly the same thing as we would have done if we had found old hymn books there.  Concluded it could not have been us, an enemy hath done this,  and called the Police.

Salvation?

This week Gary Reinbach died in hospital. He was in his early 20s and for half of his short life he had been an alcoholic.

The only surgery that would likely have saved him from a severe case of liver cirrhosis was a liver transplant. But Gary didn't qualify. The NHS rules require several months proven freedom from alcohol before a donor liver is transplanted - so that the new liver doesn't simply open the door for more binge drinking and a wasted gift.

His mother Madelaine told the Evening Standard: "I'm not saying you should give a transplant to someone who is in and out of hospital all the time and keeps damaging themselves, but just for people like Gary, who made a mistake and never got a second chance. These rules are really unfair."

I know nothing of Gary's faith or lack of it and, unlike the NHS, I am not his judge. I do know that if on his death bed Gary had turned to Jesus, as a thief once did upon a cross, his woeful history and doubtful prognosis would not have prevented the Saviour giving him eternal life.