Jesus comforts his disciples

I was struck today by a passage in John 14:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my father's house there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go there and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going" (verses 1-4).

It's clear that the disciples are distressed at the thought of Jesus leaving them. Knowing this, Jesus comforts them. The disciples must learn to trust in him. He knows what he is doing, and where he is going. And in the midst of this re-assuring language we find a promise: that where Christ goes, his disciples will go also. They will not be separated from him, but will instead know the joy of being reunited with him. They - and all the believers - will be the honoured guests of the father.

Ray Vander Laan and Judith Markham note in Echoes of his Presence (Zondervan, 1998) the deep symbolism of this passage. In the first century, a man and a woman went through an elaborate engagement ceremony, in which the woman drank a cup offered by the man as he said some words. They would then leave - the man to build an extension to the family house, and the woman to train in domestic duties. The man kept building until the house met the requirements of his father - in other words he had no idea when he would have fulfilled the element of the wedding contract. The woman would fill a lamp at her window every night, so that when the time came, her lover would know which window to take her from.

The words that were used at the engagement ceremony were those used by Jesus. He used language familiar to all of those gathered, and said that heaven 'is just like that'. When the time comes, there be a giant procession back to his house. That's where the party really starts! That will be where God enters his city, and provides the light for the global embrace that is set to follow for eternity.

Blygt.

The only man another man can love is Jesus...?

I just spent the evening watching Brokeback Mountain. If you haven't heard, it's about two homosexual men. Why, some people will ask, would I bother watching such a story? Why am I not in that part of the church-going population that is demanding an xian version of the story, as parodied above? Well, the answer is that I'm a fan of people. People come in all shapes and sizes - varieties, beliefs and orientations. I have several gay friends - I value their friendships, even if we disagree on certain issues, and they have played important roles in my life. That and I'm not just a fan o' prejudice and hate.

To undertake a review of this film is a monumental task, because feelings about it run so strongly and tempers easily flare. But I suspect that by praising the film for its virtues, I’ll receive wrathful letters from its detractors as well. Art is fulfilling its role when it provokes us to reflection, discussion, and growth. If anyone — Christian, pagan, homosexual, heterosexual — responds with rage and hatred, they make themselves guilty of the very “intolerance” that they probably think I am demonstrating. I assure you, my only “agenda” is to observe the story, what it shows us, what it implies about our lives beyond the cinema, and whether or not it stands up to the test of excellence and truth.

Brokeback Mountain is a film in which all kinds of people engage in all manner of wrongdoing. Yes, there are two men who hastily plunge into an intimate sexual bond, and as a result, their relationship narrows to become an unhealthy sexual obsession rather than a flourishing friendship and love — they become enslaved to their lust, and it disrupts the rest of their lives. But there are also heterosexual people guilty of violent hatred, and heterosexuals who engage in hasty sex soon after meeting. Some commit adultery. One man is violent toward his wife. some utter spiteful, prejudicial slurs. Why would I ignore a film because it portrays one particular variety of sin? As with any story, it is interesting to see whether the choices and consequences mirror the truth, or if they have been skewed by the artist to represent a vision of the world that is false.

When I'm asked about my stance on homosexuality, I always think of that passage in John (7:53-8:11) in which Jesus prevents the stoning of an adulteress by a mob headed by religious leaders of the time. It's that famous quote from Jesus that really strikes home with me: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her". None of them did. Instead they were convinced of their own sins, their own problems. So there, don't throw stones at gay people! BUT just look at what Jesus says at the end to the woman: "go, and sin no more". Yes, I can preach a message of forgiveness through Christ, but it also involvesrepentance . Because homosexuality has been condemned through the ages, it would be easy to cut gay people some slack. No. Like adultery it is still a sin that should be pointed out. Like Ang Lee, we should see that sin in us all - and it should break our heart for the world of which we are a part.

Blygt.