Inspiration is better than judgement.

‘It’s a show about cakes!’ This was a tweet from Sue Perkins regarding the drama that exploded after the ice-cream/bin incident which occurred in the most recent episode of ‘The Great British Bake Off.’ Now don’t get me wrong, I want #justiceforIan as much as the next person, I am an activist after all. But really, is there a necessity to get so het up about what is comparatively a small issue. When one in eight people go to bed without food every night, and in South Sudan currently one million children are suffering from acute malnutrition; and we seem to be more concerned with an Irish guy having a strop. Something has gone wrong. Our priorities have gotten mixed up.

It seems that we care more about mundane issues on our doorstep than the haunting reality of what is going on in the world right now. Recently people down the road where I live have been getting very stressed because someone has cut their hedge without warning the rest of the street. Seriously. I wish I was making this stuff up. And this is a mindset, a belief we have created that our own comfort, our own way of life is the most important thing. When someone threatens that we will quite happily speak out, but when we hear stories of women sold into slavery in Iraq having been driven from their homes, where is the uproar? Where is the passion? Where is the desire for change?

I’m not saying that we are all totally apathetic, and obviously there are campaigns that are working tirelessly to help those affected in Iraq and South Sudan and other parts of the world. But what I am worried about is that our priority has become more about our own comfort, and the mundane things such as cakes than the harsh reality of this world.

I recently attended a Christian festival, and although I had a great time learning from God’s word, seeing old friends and worshipping my creator, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness. It seemed that even in this Christian event, we have fallen into the trap that the world has created, a trap of individualism, consumerism, with personal comfort at the centre. To use an example, a lot of the worship seemed to be very self-indulgent. How many times does a worship song need to have the words me, or I in it? You are always with me, you never let me go, you love me, all for my good. Yes. These are amazing gospel truths which we need to embrace and to cling on to. But I think we need to remember in our worship to sing this over our brothers and sisters suffering in this world. Even if we changed the words to your love never runs out on us. What a difference would that make to the way we worship, remembering that our worship is not simply about what God has done for us, it is about embracing and praising him for the hope he brings to humanity as a whole.

So what do you do? Well this article is more of a statement of a mission I am on. Talking about this very issue, Danielle Strickland, Salvation Army Officer and activist said, ‘inspiration is so much more powerful than judgement.’ And that really challenged me. Rather than judge my friends, the people living down my street, the worship leaders for what I might perceive as an individualistic outlook, I have to model something different. I don’t know what is going on in people’s hearts, and me judging people for a possible lack of concern for the poor is just as hypocritical. I am guilty of the same sin I am judging them for! So my mission is to live differently. Mother Teresa, one of my heroes, didn’t shout at her contemporaries for their disdain shown towards lepers, she modelled a different way. She demonstrated an unconditional love. And I have to do the same. To live out the importance of justice, of outward looking worship, of concern for the orphan and the widow. So this article is a declaration that I am going to try, and an invitation for you to hold me accountable. To remind me when I am judging and not inspiring, when I am observing as a cynic and not loving unconditionally. And how am I going to do this? Through small actions, through rhythms essentially, which become habits. So when I worship, when I sing ‘you never let go’ sing it over the Iraqi Christians, and pray they know that truth. To buy ethically and so not to be guilty, like Israel, of exploiting others on the day of fasting. (See Isaiah 58). To ‘speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves’, (Proverbs 31) not just when it comes to questionable ice-cream sabotage. Ultimately, to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with my God.

If you too want to inspire instead of judge, and feel this world aching for something more, please join me on this beautiful messy adventure. Join me as we seek to pray for the hurting, care for the sick, give to the orphan and widow, and display a connection with a world beyond our back garden.

The best model I can give for this is the gospel of Jesus. Quite possibly the second best is Tearfund’s ‘Rhythms’ page, helping you take small actions which create Rhythms which can change the world.

http://rhythms.org/

Check it out, sign up and let’s do this together.

‘A life not lived for others is not a life.’ Mother Teresa.