Breaking out

Breaking out I am in Britain and the media is full of terror threats following the killings in France and Belgium. Efforts are being made to step up security as an immediate response but people are also asking fundamental questions. Why is this happening in the 21st century? Why are people behaving like this? We are beginning to realise that there are issues we have not dealt with in regard to relationships between Islamic countries and “the West.” As, for example, with the thirty year “troubles” in Ireland when almost 5000 were killed, so now a time will come when the issues will have to be addressed. But why does it take us so long to address them? Why is humankind so sluggish in facing the obvious? In a time in ancient Israel when things looked pretty dire Samuel appeared. His teacher, Eli, is old and blind and his sons are scoundrels. But it is this same Eli who sets Samuel on his way and he becomes a kingmaker solving Israel’s problems for a time. The legacy of Judaism and Christianity – not that they have a monopoly on this – was the rise of a succession of leaders who appeared at critical times to steady us and show the way forward. In the opening chapter of John’s gospel we see Jesus calling disciples; Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathanael. In the chaos after his crucifixion they will take the infant community forward and, with astonishing confidence, give it direction. When Peter announced that they were going to accept pagans into the community the others were at first horrified. We read all about this now as part of the story of the early church but we would do well to zoom in on our present situation. Whether in Zimbabwe or in Britain we need the leadership that will break us out of mind sets that are not getting us anywhere. Samuel felt threatened by Saul, the very man he had made king. And Peter found himself in prison for doing what he knew he had to do. We look for great leaders who can make a difference but we can also create the climate where leaders can emerge by ourselves practicing the art of “breaking out” of our comfortable assumptions. We could begin by really asking questions. Maybe we know little of the societies far away from us but we can go deep into the issues in our own yard. Why are things the way they are? Do they have to be like that? Is there really nothing I can do except wait for someone else to do something? In perhaps the tiniest ways we can say with Andrew, “We have found the Messiah,” and we are going to follow him. 18 January 2015 Sunday 2B Samuel 3:3-10 1 Corinthians 6:13-20 John 1:35-42