Good News in a Pandemic: 3. Prophecy

Jesus said, "There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places and fearful events and great signs from heaven." (Luke 21:11).

While each of the first three Gospels devotes a chapter's length to Jesus' prophecies of things to come, in the good times that are now past there has been a strong preference to avoid them.  Better by far (it has seemed) to speak and think about the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the healing of the lepers or the welcoming of little children.  The good news is not in those scary prophecies.

However, now we see why Jesus told us about such things.  If our faith is in Jesus we are glad to find that the pestilence which has knocked the 21st century world sideways is perfectly in keeping with our Saviour and our Heavenly Father's plans.

Had Jesus only predicted the good times, then we should lose our faith in Him.  Instead we can learn the lesson of the fig tree.  In his words, "When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves you know that the summer is near.  In the same way, when you see these things, know that [the Master] is near, at the gates." (Matthew 24:33)

World Cup Blogs 23: Russia

Russia have done a great job hosting the World Cup.  Despite pre-Tournament misgivings it has been very safe and straightforward into this final week.  Their team - almost incredibly - was the lowest ranked of the 32, below nations with inauspicious football reputations such as Saudi Arabia, Iceland and Panama.  Still, they did very well. The last shall be first . . . (well at least a lot higher than last anyway).

Running through the spirituality of Russia is an almost unique streak of similarly bizarre upside-downness: the holy fools.  Lest you think I have dug this from an obscure corner of Siberia I point out that St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow - featuring often in World Cup preliminary picture shots - is named after one such holy fool.

The monastic practice of foolery was an enactment of a Biblical theme found, for example, in Old Testament prophets who behaved in various unorthodox ways (including nakedness) and in Paul's teaching - e.g.

"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."

The historic church in Russia is known as the Orthodox Church so it is amazing to think that its perhaps most iconic church is named after a saint who adopted a life of shoplifting.  I'd call that unorthodox.

Basil shoplifted and gave the proceeds to the poor; more orthodox (for a Holy Fool) he spent a lot of time naked (this is Russia remember, a little chilly in the winter).  He also chained himself with heavy chains, also a common practice adopted by Fools.

St Basil's Cathedral was taken into state and secular ownership in 1929. Because it was too iconic to destroy, God was taken out of it instead,  Doing away with God seemed quite a trendy idea in the 20th Century.  Perhaps the authorities at the time failed to see the irony of St Basil's being taken for atheism.

As the Psalmist wrote: The fool has said in his heart "There is no God". There is a greater fool than a holy fool and someone who tries to remove God is such a one.

Teenager

So Google is thirteen today!

And yet it is so hard to remember life without Google.  Was there a time when a whole day passed and nobody, nobody in the wide world said, "Just google it"?  How did you find the Stagecoach timetable?  How did people find Luther's 95 theses?  Is it possible that Alexander the Great conquered the world and it wasn't mentioned on Google?  Could Methuselah have lived 969 years and not used Google even once?

The preposterous thought that Google has become what it is in such short order is a solemn sign I think.  Could one entity rise to prominence in a world of billions of people as the Biblical prophecies suggest?  Can the whole world really be part of anything when there are billions of us that will never meet each other?

Google is, methinks, not the Beast!  But perhaps it reminds me how plausible the previously implausible has become.  In no time we could be at the end of time. 

Today

"Quick!"

According to eccentric old Harold Camping you only have 60 seconds left - no less than that . . . . .

"No, Wait!!"

No, wait a minute - or more - Harold is over in Western America.  Phew! 8 hours more!

"No, don't wait!!!"

You and me both - we can't see 60 seconds ahead ever.  So old Harold was not right on two counts:  he was too early regarding the Lord's return, and he gave us too long - the time to make Christ Lord of our lives is always NOW.

MLK

Last night at church we thought about prophecy.  At the birth of the church Peter quoted Joel's prophecy,

Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.

Every believer has a capacity, and therefore a responsibility, to listen, wait, search for the 'now' voice of God.  This prophetic element will not contradict the perfect word of the Bible, but will bring its application up-to-date in our lives and community.

Speaking of which, today is that rare thing - a day named after a Baptist minister!  On Martin Luther King Day let's have a quote from him,

The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. [1963]

Prophetic people are the only ones who have a more powerful voice inside than all the cacophony of voices outside.  They are a precious resource, but only if they will listen to that Voice.  And the Voice does not always say what we most want to hear.