My Moral High Ground

What do you hope in? For many of us its the usual things, happiness, health and peace in this life. But what about those less fortunate? the hungry? the homeless? what hope do they have when those simple pleasures can seem so unobtainable?

Hope 2008 is an initiative of the churches of Britain and Ireland which is helping to demonstrate Christian faith in action and to explain the meaning of that faith in villages, towns and cities throughout the UK. On their site they suggest five different ways in which to offer people hope.

• Hungry

Hard to imagine that in wealthy countries like the UK and Ireland that there could be people going hungry. But there are. The reasons are complex. But does it matter how they ended up hungry? Let’s just “be the hope” to them! Oasis is doing just that. Why not join them?

• Stranger

A stranger is a friend we haven’t met yet! One way to “be the hope” is to befriend someone that others don’t care about. For example, The Marylebone Project gives homeless women a shared community and sense of belonging and helps them into independent living.

• Naked

Vulnerable people are often exploited by deceitful and violent people. Stop The Traffik is a global movement working to combat the fastest growing global crime, people trafficking. Visit their website to find out about the issues, and how you can “be the hope” to those affected.

• Sick

We may not be nurses or doctors but we can still help people who are sick. Only 2% of people have basic life saving skills; if more people did then more lives could be saved. St John Ambulance helped with this film and need volunteers. Click HERE to find out more.

• Prison

Hope in prison? How can we can “be the hope” for people in prison? One way may be Restorative Justice - click HERE to find out more or read about it on the Prison Fellowship website (PF helped in the making of the film).

If you want more information on how to give hope to others, why not send off for your free copy of recipes for hope.

Being a Christian in todays society is just too hard, isn’t it? Why bother with something that might actually take a little effort from you, even if the reward is greater than you could ever imagine. If you can’t have it right here right now, is it really worth the sacrifice?

In this video Jude Simpson presents a satirical poem about the cost of following Jesus

Is it just me or are most “Christians Artists” incapable of producing anything more than sentimental drivel. It’s not that I don’t admire them for trying to incorporate their faith in their work, but I’m fed up of Christians always being represented with inferior work. If people really feel that God has gifted them with artistic ability, why are they wasting it on mediocre attempts to glorify him, by reproducing the same stuff over and over again. There are plenty of non-Christian artists who manage to create new innovative work that stands the test of time, so what is stopping us Christians?

It seems I am not the only one holds this view. On Mark Berry’s blog Way Out West, I found a quote from Lou Carlozo, Music Editor for the Chicago Tribune on the same subject.

It’s an outrage to me that so much “Christian” art is in fact artistically inferior crap. Why? First and foremost, I don’t think my Savior, the love of my life, would want His holy name spackled onto something so ham-fisted as most “Christian” music. Talk about violating the commandment of taking the Lord’s name in vain! Jesus as the marketing equivalent of Adidas. A brand name.

UNTIL CHRISTIAN MUSIC STRESSES ART OVER AGENDA, IT CAN NEVER BE ANYTHING BUT SECOND RATE. As a music editor at the Chicago Tribune, I have a responsibility to turn my readers on to the best art out there. And as a Christian, I have an obligation to tell the truth at all costs, as I see it. If it’s bad, awkward, mawkish art that Nashville keeps shipping to me like so many day-glo W.W.J.D. bracelets, what choice do I have? I would rather be the voice of one crying out in the wilderness than win the approval of any cabal that is convinced–for all the wrong reasons–that the majority of “Christian” music serves a noble purpose.

Admittedly this quote is fairly harsh, but sadly there is a lot of truth in what he says. In Britain where Christianity gets a far harsher press than America, Christian artists have really got their work cut out for them, but if they really want to show the power of Christ in there work they should surely be aiming far higher than even human capability, not settling for something that quite frankly does not do God justice.

If you happen to be a Christian musician or artist, please do not be disheartened by all this. Instead be encouraged and challenged to get out there and make some flippin mind blowing, awe inspiring, God glorifying ART!