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Marshalswick Baptist Free Church -
Nurture |
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ON 11th November in 1918, at 11am, the First World War came to an end. Much of the war had been fought in dug-out trenches across Belgium and France. It is thought that about 9m soldiers lost their lives, and about 27m were wounded - many of them being permanently disabled. It is thought that, in addition to these figures, 10m civilians lost their lives indirectly because of the war. At 11 am, the fighting stopped everywhere - six hours after the Armistice was signed in a railway carriage in Compiegne, northern France. Two years later, the body of an unknown British soldier from one of the battlefields was laid in a coffin and brought over to England. On 11th November 1920, the coffin of the unknown soldier was taken in procession to Westminster Abbey, past the thousands of people lining the streets. During the service, the coffin was laid to rest, with some soil from France, in the floor of the central aisle of Westminster Abbey. The tomb commemorates all British casualties, especially those who have no known grave, and all who suffered during the war and since. During the service John Newman’s hymn ‘Lead kindly light’ was sung. For personal reflection: Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling
gloom, lead Thou me on! I was not ever thus, nor prayed that
Thou shouldst lead me on; So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it
still will lead me on. Adapted by Helen Little from ‘Praying each day of the year’, by Nicholas Hutchinson. Banishing Babel’s towering infernos One of the oldest Bible stories concerns the Tower of Babel. At that time, rivalries were springing up. Warfare was being waged. Some argued that since the gods they worshiped lived beyond the clouds, the tower would make a bridge between earth and the sky, so that the gods could come down and visit men - and men could walk up into heaven whenever they chose. The people began to build a tower, dedicated to the newest and most popular idol among their gods, a deity they called Marduk. Unfortunately, among the thousands of labourers there began to be a confusion of tongues. When the workers couldn't communicate and cooperate the unfinished Tower of Babel had to be abandoned. So, what's the lesson in this story? Well, as human beings we're never satisfied. We seek fame, success and victory. We step on others as we climb the ladder of success. We want what we want and disregard anyone who gets in the way. This alienates us from our friends and loved ones. We don't ‘speak their language’. We become frustrated. We don't really ‘hear’ each other. The natural brotherhood of man gets lost in selfish, greedy, ruthless competition. Fortunately, the Christian message tells us how to overcome this problem. Jesus said, ‘you are all brothers’. (Matt. 23:8b) Paul said, ‘Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love...’ (Rom.12:10) and the writer of Hebrews said, ‘Keep on loving each other as brothers’. (Heb. 13:1) The story of Babel describes how a unified group can disintegrate into an unproductive mob through lack of understanding. This sin of alienation is infecting our society today. Factional groups, including Christian extremists and Moslem fundamentalists, represent division and hostility. In addition to open aggression, we have growing apathy. Our relationships are breaking down. Divorce, child abandonment, teenage runaways and gang-inspired shootings are evidence of this. The unconcern, the lack of empathy, the absence of a helping hand are all combining to destroy our ‘kindredness’. WH Auden said, ‘We must love one another or die.’ Cooperation is what makes that love possible. It is disturbing that, as Christians, we are guilty of intolerance, especially on issues where there are no definite moral guidelines. Too often we say, ‘Either you believe as I believe or you don't believe.’ Sometimes we don't understand the questions; yet, we throw accusations at each other. The world's problems go unsolved while we waste our energy fighting among ourselves. This is alienation. Yet, we are admonished to have patience and compassion. David said, ‘How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity’. (Ps. 133:1) Jesus said, ‘Be at peace with each other’. (Mark 9:50b) Paul said, ‘Live in harmony with one another...’ (Rom. 12:16a). Later, he said, ‘I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought’, (I Cor. 1:10) and ‘Be of one mind, live in peace...’ (II Cor. 13:11) There is an old legend about a herd of mules that was attacked nightly by a pack of wolves from a nearby forest. Every time the wolves came, the mules would began kicking viciously in all directions. The mules maimed and injured each other, while the wolves escaped unharmed. Communities, organisations, families and churches do this. So, how can we learn to cooperate and support each other? There are three ‘A's’ to developing good relationships: Acceptance We all want to be accepted as we are. So, don't set up rigid standards of how you think other people ought to act. Don't insist that others do everything you do and like everything you like. Practise the words of the marriage ceremony: ‘I take you ...for better or for worse...’ A critical person, who always sees where others fall short and usually suggests a remedy is never going to have many friends. Approval Approval goes further than acceptance. It goes beyond just tolerating another's faults and foibles, and finds something positive to like. You can always find something to approve - and disapprove - of in the other person. It depends upon what you're looking for. If you are a ‘negative’ person, always looking for flaws, you won’t have many friends. Appreciation The word ‘appreciate’ means to raise in value. It's the opposite of ‘depreciate’ - to lower in value. We are always looking for people who will raise - rather than lower - us in value. If you put people down, you will never have many friends. There's no record that any Pharisee ever changed the conduct of a single sinner. Now, the Pharisees were good people. They were law abiding and moral but their very goodness separated them from other men and women. They were horrified when Jesus ate with ‘publicans and sinners’. They were aghast when he told the woman taken in adultery, "Neither do I condemn thee." Jesus had a way with people. He accepted them. He approved them. He appreciated them. So, accept, approve and appreciate people and you will have friends - and make this world a better place in which to live. Peter said, "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." (I Peter 3:8) The famed doctor and humanitarian, Dr Albert Schweitzer, was right when he said, "We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness." That's why friendship is so important. Solomon said, "A friend loves at all times..." (Prov. 17:17) So, how high is your Tower of Babel? Are your ambitions alienating others? How can we apply this story in our lives today? Most of us get wrapped up in our own agendas. We manipulate events and use other people. We must win at any cost. Furthermore, we don't have time to listen to the problems of our loved ones and friends. We cause hurts with our thoughtless words. We become hostile when we take statements in the worst possible way. Misunderstanding separates us. We take things wrongly. We misinterpret. We take offence too easily. When the other fellow exhibits a certain behaviour, he's obnoxious! When I act the same, it's nerves. When the other fellow is set in his ways, he's obstinate and stubborn as a mule. When I am like that, it is just firmness. When the other fellow doesn't like my friends, he's prejudiced and narrow minded. When I don't like his, I am simply showing sound judgement of human nature. We give ourselves the benefit of the doubt but we don't do that with our associates. In short, we don't ‘speak the same language’ as our fellow man. We hear what we want to hear, rather than what is being said. Misunderstanding causes divorce, crime and war. It keeps us apart. It sabotages progress. Let's learn from the Tower of Babel and work together with acceptance, approval and appreciation. Let's be friends. By Miles Wesner, of Tom Baptist
Church, Oklahoma, and supplied by Graham Clarke. |
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