Newbigin and Politics

My interest in politics has recently been revived after a few encouraging conversations with an old friend and watching Gorgeous George on celebrity big brother (I know, big brother, yes, I'm a hypocrite). At the same time, a few of us from church have been studying Leslie Newbigin's brilliant 'Foolishness to the Greeks'. In commenting on the great left/right divide, Newbign argues that both positions arise from a similar starting point,

'In the one case (capitalism), freedom is pursued at the cost of equality; in the other (socialism), equality is pursued at the cost of freedom. Both derive from the Enlightenment vision of human beings as autonomous individuals with innate and equal rights to pursue self-chosen ends to the limit of their powers.'

He then goes on to outline how a the gospel provides a true alternative that critiques the very basis of contemporary politics,

'From its first page to its last, the Bible is informed by a vision of human nature for which neither freedom nor equality is fundamental; what is fundamental is relatedness. Human beings reach their true end in such relatedness, in bonds of mutual love and obedience that reflect the mutual relatedness in love that is the being of the Triune God himself. Neither freedom no equality are words that can take us to the heart of the matter.'

A truely challenging perspective.

The Exorcist

For years I chose not to watch 'The Exorcist'. I thought it was an evil film, a film that Christians shouldn't watch, a film that could damage me spiritually. About six months ago I finally changed my mind. I was suprised by what I saw. Far from being a demonic film that endangers the spiritual health of its viewers, I found 'The Exorcist' to be a film about the battle between faith and science.

The film is about two journeys. On the one hand, we meet a mother (Chris McNeil) with a troubled daughter (Regan McNeil). In the search to help her daughter, Chris exhausts the resources of the medical profession both somatic and psychiatric to no avail. As a last resort, the doctors suggest she asks the church to help solve her daughter's problems.

On the other, we meet Father Damien Karras, a priest with a troubled faith. As a result of his training in psychiatry, the conflict between faith and science had started to get too much. After encountering the possessed Regan, however, he begins to change his mind. In the McNeil household, Father Karras comes face to face with a mystery that science could not explain.

Both journeys expose the myth that science explains all. Once Father Karras has grasped this, he commits the ultimate act of self-sacrafice to save Regan. He takes the possession onto himself and ends his own life.

What a film!

London life in Swansea

Only been back to work for a week and already Christmas and New Year feel like a distant memory. Four deadlines and a discussion group to lead all before the end of January, looks like I won't get to ease myself slowly into 2006. I thought life in Wales was going to be much more laid back than this!