White Wine in the Sun (Son)

Tim Minchin released a song a few years back entitled "White Wine in the Sun".  I really love this song, it epitomises all of Christmas, but it reflects on the concerns about Christianity.  The lyrics of which I have copied in italics throughout, cos I just really like them.

Verse 1: 

I'm looking forward to Christmas

It's sentimental, I know, but I just really like it

I am hardly religious

I'd rather break bread with Dawkins than Desmond Tutu, to be honest

Christmas to me is firstly celebrating the immeasurable love of God and the freedom He intended when He sent His son, who in turn points us back to the Father.

Secondly, Christmas is a time for loved ones and family.  Christmas is such a tough time for the majority of people.  When I examine the human heart and all that it means to be human, most of us are lonely and longing for connection.  We have become isolated from each other due to past hurts, and spend all of our time protecting ourselves from being hurt again.

But why does Minchin state that he would prefer to break bread with Dawkins than Tutu? I think this predominantly has to do with Christian prejudices toward the majority of each other (including other Christians).  As Christians, we tend to be more fundamental, more judgmental, and more prejudicial than every other human being ['selah' - think on this].  We use our Christian belief to impose rules and regulations on most people we encounter, and particularly ourselves, boxing ourselves within a requirement to behave properly.  

Dawkins appears to have an open dialogue, he appears to be a person who is open to the opinions of others, listens to others perspectives and he professes that if he is wrong on a matter, he will reconsider his position. 

The scientific community is open to peer review, this doesn’t seem to be the case in the Christian community. If you have a different opinion on God, or Christ, or any aspect of your faith or the bible, you tend to, in the first instance, be told in no uncertain terms that you are incorrect, and then if your opinion doesn’t ultimately align with your fellow Christians, you are ostracized.  This is NOT who God is.

Christ came to 'set the captives free', to 'heal the broken hearted', 'to restore sight to the blind' (lacking understanding of God and who He is); Isaiah 61.  Freedom in Christ is professed throughout the scripture, BUT smattered within these same 'new testament' scriptures are more rules to abide by.  These rules, as instructed by Paul or Peter, or whomever it may be, can lead to a great deal of confusion.  

One such example, is the requirement espoused by Paul in 1 Cor 11:5-6 where women are admonished to cover their heads, and if they do not they dishonour their husbands, which in turn dishonours God.  This is a directive from Paul.  So why isn't this scripture followed in most churches today, while the other rule-like teachings within scripture are vehemently professed and proclaimed.  This is a double standard; and, the Bible is contradictory and complex.

A wise friend of mine said that Pauls' letters were written while he worked out his own Christian journey, and learning more about God as he spent time with Him.  He was originally a judge of the Christians, executing those who professed Christ.  While his radical transformation revealed Jesus to him, how to live like Jesus was a progressive revelation for him, and is evidenced in his letters.  So Paul used the doctrine and dogma of the Jewish faith to teach us how to live, as he was still working out his own Holy Spirit inspired faith, and regrettably in some instances his teachings are counter-intuitive. 

Many things contained within the Bible are truth, SOME are not and are written from the perspective of the author, based on their fallible nature.  I'm sorry to say this, but the Bible is NOT the infallible word of God, whenever 'man' gets involved in the things of God, the true meaning can be lost, or interpreted from the perspective of the person, which taints the original intention or meaning.  So when Paul teaches on wearing head coverings he's doing so because of the era in which he lived.

The fallible word of God is a complex thing, something about which I've wrestled with and chatted to God about over many, many years.  I am not professing that I know the whole truth, and that my understanding is correct, but what I am suggesting is that as I ask God about specific things in the bible which are contrary to His 'love' He will show me, through His Holy Spirit and other scripture, the answers. And, if I don't hear Him correctly, or reason (misinterpret) what He has said, I am confident that He will reveal that to me in time.

Christ gave TWO commandments, and a stack of wisdom throughout His teachings; Love God and one another.  Simple.  

All scripture is to be interpreted with the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the only way to develop a relationship with God is by spending time with Him and thus increasing the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.  And this relationship is built on love alone.  When you love God, you become more like Him, and His love is unconditional, and non-judgmental.

Verse 2:

And yes, I have all of the usual objections to consumerism

The commercialisation of an ancient religion

And the westernisation of a dead Palestinian

Press-ganged into selling Playstations and beer

But I still really like it

The "reason for the season" is quoted constantly by church-goers, but is Christ compassionately reflected in their lives?  Do they love God AND love one another? 

If the truth be known, I don't think many Christians spend a lot of time getting to know their Heavenly Father.  They have "second-hand" faith, which they have learned from others around them, who have learned it from others around them, and so on ad infinitum, which leads to living a Christian life with rules and regulations, rather than love and compassion.

This second-hand faith is not founded on love; not love of God and certainly not of others, and so again judgment is portrayed, or hypocrisy in professing one thing and acting contrary. The presence and power of God, and a relationship with Him changes you, slowly over time.  It is a direct result of a relationship with God.  You don't need to 'try' to be anything, you simply, as His spirit works through you and changes you, become more like Him and less "works" focused and broken. 

This is the truth of Christmas, and so I understand Minchin’s concern that it is focused on consumerism.

Chorus:

I, I really like Christmas

Though I'm not expecting a visit from Jesus

I'll be seeing my dad

My brother and sisters, my gran and my mum

They'll be drinking white wine in the sun

I'll be seeing my dad

My sisters and brother, my gran and my mum

They'll be drinking white wine in the sun

He's not expecting a visit from Jesus.  Why? The next verses for me partly explains why.

Verse 3:

I don't go for ancient wisdom

I don't believe just 'cos ideas are tenacious it means they are worthy

I get freaked out by churches

Some of the hymns that they sing have nice chords but the lyrics are dodgy [sic] [Should be "spooky"]

Christianity has some pretty horrific origins, the crusades', the dogma of various flavours of Christianity which bind its followers to behave and act in particular ways, and I'm not going to delve into these areas much further, as all religions, and all peoples, conform in order to feel secure, and receive acceptance and feel that they belong to that group.  Suffice to say, the way Christianity is portrayed is detrimental to the truth of who God is.  He is NOT sitting in judgment, or requiring you to behave perfectly, this is far from the truth.  We can "come as we are" to God. The end. 

His love, when it permeates through your being, and changes you over time as you commune (spend time) with Him, will affect every area of your life and you will become more like the person whom God originally intended you to be.  No longer broken, or carrying the weight or burden of your past, or insecure, or any number of things.  His love, casts our all fear, and helps you realise that you are "fearfully and wonderfully made, and marvelous are the works of your [Gods] hands". The key component of Psalm 139:14 is the last line, which states that "my inner self knows right well".  

So many of us, Christian or not, lack self-confidence, feel insecure, in some cases hate who we are; being in a relationship with God allows you to realise, again over time, to be comfortable with who you are.  God is NOT a magician and does wave His magic wand to change us; our change occurs over time as we fellowship with Him and allow Him to 'heal' and 'refine' one area of our life at a time.  God IS a gentleman, and He gently leads us.  BUT, He does instantly ignite the power of the Holy Spirit within us when we acknowledge Him.  But this is HIS power, and so we can be confident that we are not required to do anything in our own strength.

So the spooky dogma of rituals aren't needed, and are in actual fact counterproductive.  It's all about relationship.

Verse 4:

And yes I have all of the usual objections to the miseducation

Of children forced into a cult institution and taught to externalise blame

And to feel ashamed and to judge things as plain right and wrong

But I quite like the songs

This last verse highlights the main arguments levelled at Christianity.

Externalise blame? This area alone is complex and multilayered.  Simply put, stop pointing the finger, or laying blame, or focusing on the perpetrator of your pain.  Allow God to lead you on past the pain.  Don't permit yourself to remain a victim, trapped in the pain.  Acknowledge the pain, take the time to understand why it happened.  But don't fixate on it.  Allow God to heal you.

When Jesus instructed us how to pray, "The Lords Prayer", He told us to;

1) Acknowledge our Father - tell Him how magnificent He is and love on Him

2) Let your will be done on earth as in Heaven - not pray can I have this or that....

3) Give us this day our daily bread - help me live today the best that I can, and acknowledge that God will provide as long as you follow His lead.

4) Forgive us, as we forgive - I'm human, I'm going to stuff up, and I can obtain forgiveness. I forgive others because it sets me, and them, free from the burden of our failings.  In actual fact, the bible states that if you don't forgive, God can't move in your life, He can't help you, His hands are tied. [Matt 6:14-15].  The other side of forgiveness is choosing not to act poorly in the first place, being mindful of those around you, but this is a whole other discussion.

5) And lead me not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one - this doesn't say, blame the evil one, or rebuke the evil one, or concern yourself wholly with the evil one.  It simply says; help me to navigate life and as I focus on You [God], You will lead me, and guide my path [Psalm 37:23].

  

It's interesting to consider that as Christians we are called to walk with God, being led by Him, seeking His will in our lives.  The bible teaches that when we pray, ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, He will answer.  The only way we can know His will is to spend time with Him.  If we walk through life with God, I believe, there is no need to blame others for anything, as we will be living the life 'abundant' that God promises while we're walking in step with Him.

Jesus was followed by the multitudes, people hoarded around Him.  The only way He could refresh Himself was by disappearing to spend time with God.  The scriptures make regular reference to Jesus going to pray to the Father in the secret place.  Jesus' empowerment came from the Father. 

I would like to encourage you to live a life focused on God, seeking Him first.  Don't blame others for anything, take captive your thoughts which are contrary to God.  If you've been hurt, etc., I'm not suggesting that what you experienced wasn't painful, or left lasting scars, and I'm certainly not minimising that pain.  Pain has to be acknowledged and worked through by the love of God and with the help of those close to you.  But, what I am encouraging you to do is take the courage to focus on God and allow Him to heal your broken heart. 

"Plain right or wrong" - this implies a judgmental attitude, which as I've stated earlier, many Christians have.  Living your Christian life with rules [insert laws here] is counterproductive.  Firstly, it binds you to continually judge yourself, and live your life by striving to attain some perfection, and secondly, you will judge others.  There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.  Everything in God refines down to love, and walking in His love refines us over time, and changes us forever.  

Love - it's the simple answer and truth.  It is the heart of who God is.  Love is not jealous or boastful, or exerts itself above others to the detriment of others [see 1 Cor 13].  Love is not selfish, but ALWAYS see's the best in others, encourages others to be the best they can be, and is who God is.  I've written about 1 Cor 13 in a previous blog, so if in doubt about who God is, look there, and perhaps start to spend more time with Him.

Be a true Christian, just like Christ, this Christmas.  Or consider what a true Christian is.  Don't base your opinion of God on Christians you've encountered, UNLESS they resemble and reflect Him in love.

I just really like [love] it [Him].