tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post8942121529312886609..comments2024-03-19T16:05:38.682+13:00Comments on Anglican Down Under: Stabilizing our witnessPeter Carrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535218286799156659noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-49226283861535631662011-03-21T10:08:03.982+13:002011-03-21T10:08:03.982+13:00"First, that our tendency within our communit..."First, that our tendency within our communities of faith to speak of God suffering with us in the incarnated Christ may be pastorally helpful to the faithful but implausible if not incredible to those not of faith."<br /> - Peter Carrell -<br /><br />If we Christians were actually addressing 'those not of faith' in this way, then that would sound incredible to those people. BUT, it is an encouragement to people of Faith" Just read the exhortations from the Church to Christians in the early days of persecution and you might be able to understand why the Church speaks thus to Christians.<br /><br />What speaks to non-believers in a way that is 'louder than words' and to which they will listen; is the way in which Jesus spoke of his own followers" "They will know you're my disciples BY YOUR LOVE" - not by your critical carping! And certainly not by the insistence of people like Bishop George Carey, who says the Church is being *persecuted* in the U.K.Father Ron Smithhttp://kiwianglo.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-33804748035130511762011-03-20T09:39:38.343+13:002011-03-20T09:39:38.343+13:00'...does it resolve all questions sceptical un...'...does it resolve all questions sceptical unbelievers and agnostics have about the apparent powerlessness of God relative to the power of the natural world?" - Peter Carrell - <br /><br />The obvious answer here is 'NO'. But neither does the situation of earthquakes and tsunamis answer all the questions of people of Faith - Christian, Muslim, Jew or Hindu - or, indeed anyone. The Psalms ask who are we to question the mind of God? So, in the Creation, who are we to question Why? Things just are. How we deal with them is more important that trying to philosophise about why they happen. Trust in God - in darkness and in light, in trouble and in joy - is what we Christians are asked to exercise. Shoud we do more - by trying to explain to people of no faith? I think not.Father Ron Smithhttp://kiwianglo.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-72620027869959165152011-03-20T08:42:03.052+13:002011-03-20T08:42:03.052+13:00re your comment:
"The relatively good record ...re your comment:<br />"The relatively good record of Christians in the last century or so of working for peace, justice and social improvement may delude us as to the impressiveness of our testimony of good works."<br /><br />I don't think that christians have been at all poor in the peace, justice and social improvement area --- we have said less perhaps than many, but we have done rather more. It is no surprise to me that both Bill Gates and our local Gareth Morgan have had to reluctantly say when looking to do charitable work overseas that the Christian groups are doing the most inspiring and heroic work on the grounds. However, they probably haven't spattered it across the <br />TV sets like the musicians and other celebs have.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com