Always the Last To Know?*

I am one of those people who always picks up late on things and then gets really excited about them. Some examples: in June my wife and I were engrossed by the first series of 24, which we watched on video, sometimes staying up into the early hours of the morning to watch “just one more episode”. We have now ordered series 1 of "The West Wing", mainly because Andrew Collins recently called it “the greatest TV series ever” in The Word magazine. Even worse, I was about 23 when I discovered the great Van Morrison and it was only about 3 years ago that I decided Johnny Cash wasn’t actually a very good singer and song writer, he was in fact a genius – I guess it was when I saw the “Hurt” video and then bought “When the Man Comes Around”. And I have been buying his back catalogue ever since.

No surprise then that during my summer holiday I finally got around to reading the “Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown, making me quite possibly the last person in the western world to do so (the book was released in March 2003 and has since topped the bestseller lists in 150 countries). However, in this case, I think it was to my benefit to come so late to something that almost everyone else was referring to as a phenomenon. Because although I hadn’t read the book, I was pretty much up to speed on the hype. In the last year, the book has not only been discussed at the Saturday breakfast table, it has been the topic of a sermon in our church and it has led to several of the Christian groups that I subscribe to sending me out letters, booklets, & even a video. The message is the same – THIS IS FICTION – IT IS NOT THE TRUTH.

So what does the layman make of the book 3 years after its release and several months after the hype finally reached its peak? Well two things really. First, for about the first few hundred pages it is a cracking thriller. Personally though I find it runs out of steam by the time the story switches to England.

Second, no matter what anyone says, I think it IS the truth! No, not the stuff about a mortal Jesus marrying and having a child with Mary Magdalene. I mean the fact that learned scholars, scientists and historians have spent years trying to convince the world that Christianity is ill-founded. Sure they are doing it even more today! Everywhere you look in the western world there are those who patronise, dilute or downright refute our Faith. But surely the point of our Faith is that it is bigger the Dan Brown, Philip Pulman or anyone else who either wants their say or who simply see that they can make a quick buck out of it. So bring it on DB! Personally, I’ll stick with the eleven guys who for a couple of days 2000 years ago might just about have believed you were right, but then realised that their pal really was the way, the truth and the life and were prepared to sacrifice their own lives so that I would learn to believe it too.

Just like Johnny Cash, I knew of Jesus Christ for many years before I Knew Him. And I’m very happy to report that I’m pretty excited and engrossed by Him as well.

JUSTCOFFEEFORME

* Del Amitri (1992)

Here, There & Everywhere; Brilliant Disguise; Shelter from the Storm & Into the Mystic

Isn’t it funny how people can see or pick up on different things from a piece of art? I read Graham Willmott’s book about my beloved Jam (Sounds from the Street) while on holiday and was somewhat surprised that, although Willmott clearly loved Weller, Foxton & Butler every bit as much as I do, his reviews of virtually every Jam album highlighted different “must hear” classic tracks from the ones I would have chosen. Equally, if I was to ask the lads across the breakfast table to name the most memorable track on, say Revolver, Tunnel of Love, Blood on the Tracks or Moondance for example, I would have started an argument so long that the Bibles would never get opened before 10:00 am! And guess what? If I asked the same question a month later everyone would pick different songs and still argue passionately for them!

So what’s all this got to do with Amos? Well I’ve found that each time I re-read my favourite single book from the Bible (John’s Gospel) I tend to pick up different and sometimes new things. Is this because I’m older? My mood is different? It’s a different time of year or even of the day? I’ve no idea at all but the chef’ll probably tell me next time I see him.

Anyway, we worked through Amos Chapter 3 last Saturday and one verse/image has stuck with me throughout this week. Verse 12 states:

“This is what the Lord says: ‘As a shepherd saves from the lion’s mouth only two leg bones or a piece of an ear, so will the Israelites be saved’”

Although what is happening in the Lebanon this week might lead one to conclude that the verse is frighteningly prophetic, to my mind what God has said to Amos here is that no matter how worthless and useless they might appear to the world (can you get more useless that a chewed bone and a piece of ear? – England football fans need not answer), these are still my people and I will love and value them.

How humbling – especially when we know now that God sent His only Son to die on the cross to pay for the sins that Amos has outlined in such graphic detail in Chapters one and two.

And isn’t the image of the shepherd putting his life at risk to pull the useless remnants from the Lion’s mouth a powerful one?

During his sermon last Sunday, the young preacher (and what a preacher!) reminded me how bad I would feel if someone I loved passed away an unbeliever and I then reflected on the many lost opportunities to witness to them – how pathetic would “it’s never really been my gift” sound then!

Moreover, Jesus tells us to love all our neighbours – even the chewed bones and pieces of ear – and there are a few of those around our neighbourhood. So how am I to answer him now?

Justcoffeeforme