Today as we huddled round a radio to
catch the broadcast of the Oscar Pistorious trial verdict, thoughts
crossed my mind of how the world waited and held its breath while
Neil Armstrong and crew proceeded as they took their first walk on
the moon.
This lead to thoughts about other key
moments in history which people had come together to experience while
huddled round a radio. News of the 1st and 2nd
world wars as they raged on I Germany, Japan and in many other
countries around the world; the coronation of Queen Elizabeth;
broadcasts of major sporting events and many, many more.
Why is it that hearing news live is so
key in our lives? I believe it is because one way or another, these
events will fundamentally change the way we view our world. We may
be delighted and overjoyed at the events or we may even be totally
horrified about the news we are hearing. Our world view has a major
impact on the kind of people we become.
Our world view however does not only
shape our beliefs about the people on this planet but also the way in
which we view religion. Many people the world over have turned their
back on God due to the disappointment they felt over a particular
incident and this happens even more when a religious figure falls
from grace and one we all remember well in this case would be the
Jimmy Swaggart scandal.
As a church today we have a
responsibility to consider what people will think when they view our
actions today and whether or not we maintain the integrity of God's
church and the ministry.
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