All it took was a story...

 
All it took was an image. A story.

For weeks we hear the statistics

 

3620 dead in 8 months. Amongst which would have been numerous 3 year olds.

But the headlines continued.

Our politician’s stance became more entrenched.

And then a story.

An image.

3 year old Aylan Kurdi, washed up on a beach.

And everything changes.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe, in the case of Aylan Kurdi, that this is a good thing. It has woken many up to the needs. The statistic back it up. The Bible does too – it always has:

"When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 19:33-34).

But is it always a good thing that a story changes everything?

I would argue no.

Take assisted suicide. Supporters will fling aside evidence and common sense and present a story of someone who took their life to avoid a terribly painful death for example here. And they do it because it works – it sways public opinion. And it risks swaying our lawmakers.

So what can we take from this? Here’s just three.

 

1. Embrace the power of story

Doesn’t this sudden change in mood seem strange? An overnight shift, reflected by the Daily Mail’s front page above.

And yet it isn’t strange.

 

We live in the age of the image. Of the story.

Narrative and stories hold great power.

 

And yet postmodernism doesn’t have a monopoly on stories. Christians believe THE greatest story ever told. God doesn’t present us with facts and figures. He presents us with a person, Jesus Christ, who lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should die. We can boldly present God’s story – lived out in the stories of our lives. But we mustn’t stop with an emotional story - we must also explain the truth and in many cases the evidence that lies behind it.

2. Beware the power of story

Our postmodern age says that just because something moves us emotionally it must be true.
Even if it displaces logic, or flies in the face of the facts.

But we know this isn’t always the case. One might suspect there will be a backlash soon against immigrants when the mood changes and we are perceived to have taken in ‘too many’.

So we need to soberly examine our emotions against the truth of scripture.

3. Mob rule...rules?

When there is media outcry, politician’s minds are changed.

“First of all a couple of articles are written, or documentaries produced, which question what was previously taboo; then the prophets of our age, the stand up comics, take on the “new radical cause”, the soap operas introduce the subject favourably, the opinion polls tell us “what the people think”, social media kicks in and finally the politicians and judges catch up. Anyone who dares question the new establishment morality is sidelined, abused and mocked" George Robertson, Solas CPC

Where is God in this? What happens when mob rule threatens our freedoms like it threatens to with assisted suicide just next week?

And yet in the most profound miscarriage of justice ever, where mob rule condemned Jesus to death, God was supremely in control.

We can trust that he is in charge, even when mob rule prevails; when it seems good to us as in the case of Aylan Kurdi, and when it doesn’t.

My Spiritual CV Isn't Up To Scratch

You may have seen them – blogs written by the mum with 5 kids, who’s writing a book, doing a Masters and runs a website – oh and she home-schools her kids!

Or the guy whose Twitter feed describes him as a pastor, musician, blogger, writer, husband, father of 3, international speaker…and he still tweets 30 times a day!

When online I catch myself -

Comparing me to him. My wife to her.

And I feel inferior. Because both I and my wife are, I guess, ordinary.

I’m 6 weeks into being off work with a broken back – a great time to do some study, read books…grow my spiritual CV – and yet I’ve felt too lousy to do anything at all.

And I’m aware again that my spiritual CV seems so inadequate.

Do you ever feel like that?

How should we respond when we do?

 

Relax – it’s ok to have a great spiritual CV

I need to remind myself that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with having a great spiritual CV. Look at the Apostle Paul and how God used his background! If you’ve got the gifts, I reckon go for it! I am glad there are high capacity, clever Christians with well-researched blogs (unlike this one!) and who lead big ministries.

Remember – my CV isn’t a measure of my godliness

I am so impressed when people have all these degrees and qualifications, or when they’ve ministered somewhere for 40+ years. But it doesn’t mean they’re more godly. In fact, it means they are more at risk of being the older brother.

Just last week a good friend of mine had a big accident that meant he might not walk again (yes, like me he fell off his bike!). He would say his spiritual CV was in tatters – for months he has been miles from God.

But God is healing him.

Unexpectedly he can walk.

And he feels closer to Jesus than ever!

The work of grace in his life may have a greater impact on his kids than 18 months of consistently being a great dad.

 

Not that this is a pattern to follow, but it shows God’s outrageous grace to sinful people; God’s throwing a party for him.

And you know my natural reaction?

‘Hey God. I’ve been trying to be faithful here. I’m working hard. My CV is growing. Now look, this guy is closer to you than I am. He doesn’t deserve it!’

I guess I need to remember that God measures things differently.

I want to rejoice when God brings the lost son home

For others, their CV just isn’t as impressive-sounding. My wife deals with ones and twos. She is faithful to what God has given her to do. It doesn’t write up great on a twitter feed or description of herself. Only God knows her faithfulness to him. It’s not for me or another to judge.

 

 

Relief - God uses those with holes in their CVs

Most of the Godly people I meet don't have impressive CVs. In fact the bible is full of such characters like Peter, Moses and Abraham – it’s not an excuse, but the reality.

I know a guy with no qualifications to his name. He’s in his 70s. He would have a fairly blank resumé as we know it if he were to write a blog or list his credentials.

 

He boasts quite simply that he knows Jesus.

 

 

How I want to be like that. Even if I have stuff on my spiritual CV, I hope that I can be faithful to what God says.

'But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me’

Jeremiah 9:24

I don’t want to fall into the trap of measuring my success or godliness by the length or depth of my spiritual CV. And so if my spiritual CV isn’t up to scratch I don’t have to worry.

 

Just trust Him.

 

John Greenall is a Paediatrician and Head of….

Oh stuff it...

John Greenall wants to boast that he knows Christ

Image credit: Shutterstock

3 Things I Learnt From My Technology-Free Day

No email, TV, text messaging, social media…for 24 hours.

Most of you will have clicked here to see how long I lasted so I’ll tell you

10 minutes!

I turned over in bed and checked Facebook  - like I was on autopilot – and I couldn't help commenting on a really incendiary link someone had posted.

After that however, apart from a phone call to the hospital (I’m off with a bad back, see my previous post) the day went well.

So what did I learn from my day?

1.       I’m addicted to it

I constantly look at my phone.

Has this guy responded to my comment on Facebook (not yet)?

Has John replied to my email (come on, I sent it 15 minutes ago!)?

What’s the cricket score (depressing but I still want to know)?

I noticed some simple things on my day off:

Our bathroom echoes (I won’t elaborate)

I heard a woodpecker whilst waiting for Oz and Rob (who were being fashionable late to meet me)

I wondered what I did before my phone – perhaps I used those quiet moments to think, to pray, or to enjoy the silence – now I can fill every waking minute with interesting ‘noise’.

Technology addiction is growing fast; indeed it’s thought to be as strong as craving certain drugs and these 9 facts about social media are amazing.

This experiment has shown me that I am as at risk as anyone, and only by pulling back did I realise my vulnerability.

 

2.       I can’t avoid it

Almost everything I do now is related to my computer.

Be it communicating via email, writing a paper, reading the news or my blogs, using Logos bible tools, e-books….. whilst it has its dangers as I mention above, it is the reality of the world I live in.

And it raises the question

 

'How do I live well as a follower of Jesus in the midst of it all?'

How do I respond to the fact that the pace of my life seems to increase in line with the technology I have?

I think this is a profound challenge to get to grips with.
 

Many have written well on its uses e.g. prayer apps, churches and dangers e.g. idolatry and being a Christian in a digital future highlighting how technology is moulding our identity and its link to loneliness and depression amongst many other things.

I’m sure you have more answers than I have – but its answers we need.

3.       I love it

Many of the podcasts I listen to are funny, informative and I can listen when it best suits me.

Communicating with friends all over the world wherever I am be it in a field nearby or in a refugee camp is amazing. I wouldn't have known that the shaking at 2.43 this morning was an earthquake.

And so I want to embrace it.

I want to learn how to use it more effectively.

In my work with CMF I would love to explore using podcasts and videos (by 2018 79% of the online content consumed by 18-21 year olds will be through video or audio – not plain text!).

And as we seek to share the good news of Jesus - whilst nothing replaces real life on life, face to face discipleship - we have more opportunities than ever to get resources into the hands of people who need them most.

On reflection I have come up with 3 resolutions (you can check with me to see if I keep to them):

 

1.       Have one day a week away from technology

That means a rest from social media and emails for one day

2.       Check my emails just twice and day and never on my phone

This means I’m not feeling enslaved to responding immediately and actually will be much more time-efficient

3.       Do my best to be ‘in the present’ when in company, especially my family

This means I am more likely to listen, enjoy and consider the moment, giving my full attention to people rather than sharing it with someone else 2000 miles away.

 

In other words, no social media until I am genuinely not interfering with a face to face relationship.

 

I hope these resolutions aren’t legalistic but encourage me to be a better steward of what God has given me and to rely on Him to guide me in this

I might even try another ‘fasting day’ - and see if I can last longer than 10 minutes!

 

What do you think? Any tips on how to handle technology?

Image: Shutterstock

 

What’s your pain on a scale of 1-10?

It doesn’t look too high. Come on John, you can do it. You’ve ridden mountain bikes for years.

Pedal, anticipate, maximum speed body weight forward– and jump.

Except I lose the bike.

And I drop like a lead balloon.

 

The pain. In my backside. My back. My legs.

The crack. By back has just broken in two.

As my screams subside, I can’t breathe.

I’m holding my best friend’s hand (which in retrospect is kind of weird!)

The pain is sooo intense.

Minutes pass.

I can’t feel my feet.

My medical brain kicks in – ‘at least I’ve had 3 kids’ I muse.

But I’ve just snapped my back. What sort of dad will I be in a wheelchair?

 

4 hours later and I finally get to hospital.

‘What’s your pain on a scale of 1-10?’ asks the nurse.

22! I think, but all I can do is sob through the pain.

Some morphine. Then some more. Before finally the pain subsides.

My pain score has been re-set.

What used to be a 10 is now a 5.

And I have a new-found respect for my wife (I thought she was a wuss for wanting more than Entanox in labour – oh the shame!)

As I lay in hospital for those 3 days I was repeatedly asked to score my pain.

Were the nurses that bothered? Did they feel that pain with me? Did anyone care as I lay there in the night?

It didn’t seem like it...

And then I’m home.

And Nepal happens. Over 4000 dead. A nation in pain.

My Facebook page tells me there are 2.5 million child sex slaves in the world.
I know that every minute 15 children die from preventable diseases.
On my very road there are lonely, depressed, suicidal, beaten, chronically abused people.

And I ask myself:

What pain do I feel on a scale of 1-10?

Do I really care about their suffering?

Or am I indifferent?

The girl on my ward at work, with a recurrence of a brain tumour and little hope of a cure.

What pain do I feel on a scale of 1-10?

Do I really care about her suffering?

Or am I indifferent?

When I started medicine my pain and empathy levels were high.

I would be affected. Moved. Angry.
I would feel the pain.

But my pain score has been re-set.

And not in a good way

What was a 10 is now a 5.What was a 7 is now a 1.

And I sometimes barely flinch. I am indifferent.

What will it take for me to feel their pain? Not to feel empathy as I am taught at med school. But to enter into that pain in true compassion?

What will it take for me to be angry, angry enough to get off my backside and give, go, campaign - rather than sit apathetically and wait for someone else to take the lead?

What will make me desperate enough to pray for the comfort of God, for true healing and restoration?

The only way to keep my pain score attuned is to focus daily on the most painful, unjust event in all of history.

As I gaze at the cross, the agony that Christ went through for me – as I see how wide and deep and high and long his love was that took him there – where there was no morphine, no diazepam, no-one to hold his hand – it is there that I am captivated again by his love for me.

It is there that I see him hurting for the girl on my ward, hurting for each of these dear Nepalese. Hurting for my neighbours. Hurting for my patients.

He understands.

Because he’s been off the pain scale, he has compassion for those who despair.

Oh God, re-set our pain score and help us to enter into and feel and journey through the pain with those who are hurting and show them Jesus, the God of comfort, who comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort those in trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

 

 

Image - www.thebricktestament.com

Will it be me or them?

Medicine seemed so…I don’t know…heroic.

Romantic even.

Treating sick patients, seeing them healed and eternally grateful.

That warm glow of appreciation that I could bask in for weeks. 

Yes there’s lots of exams, but the rewards would make it worth it. 

Right?

And yet time and again patients are ungrateful. And sometimes they don’t get better!

What’s more

It’s hard to be friendly with my colleagues on my 5^th night shift

It’s hard to do as my registrar asks me even though he’s really getting on my nerves

It’s hard to go the extra mile and reassure the agitated 86-year-old on Spencer Ward who everyone else is ignoring

It’s hard to treat with dignity the drunk who everyone else on my team belittles and curses, and who belittles and curses me

Outside of work,

It can be hard to get home and put my wife (who is also tired), first

It can be hard to let my children inconvenience me and play ‘My Little Pony’ rather than doing what I want to do on my day off

It can be hard to spend time with a friend who is low because you know what, I just can’t take any more…

Of course there are times to be balanced.

And yet these choices face us several times a day.

My preference or his?

My security, or hers?

My vulnerability, or theirs?

My children’s freedom, or mine?

The simple call of the Christian life is

IT’S ME OR THEM

When God killed the firstborn way back in Egypt, the choice was:

It’s the lamb or the boy.

When Abraham took Isaac to sacrifice him, the choice was:

It’s the ram or the boy.

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus is in agony. The anticipation of what he was about to do caused his great physical and mental distress.

Will he drink the cup of punishment or will we?

Will it be him, or us?

And Jesus says – ‘Father, Your Will be done’.

‘LET IT BE ME, NOT THEM’.

Let it be me, not John.

Let it be me, not you…

That’s how much he loved us.

When we have grasped the depths of Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice, we are empowered to do the supernatural - to truly love others.

To say:

Lord, let it be me, not him

Let it be his preference, not mine

Let it be my loss of security, not hers

Let me risk my vulnerability, not theirs

Let me lose my freedom, not my children’s

So my prayer is that I would be ready to lose

my security

my vulnerability

my time

my convenience

my energy

my professional pride

my notion of ‘what’s in it for me’

and instead be who God is calling me to be to them.

I know I fail using my own resources (I’ve tried and it doesn’t work - for long!), and I am called to imitate Christ, who at the cross most profoundly shows us the way; more than that, who enables us as we trust Him and receive His Spirit to be able to say along with him:

"Let it be me, not them"

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,  since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24

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