{"id":2807,"date":"2011-08-10T08:43:30","date_gmt":"2011-08-10T12:43:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedockchurch.org\/blog\/?p=2807"},"modified":"2011-08-10T12:59:37","modified_gmt":"2011-08-10T16:59:37","slug":"questions-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.the-dock.org\/blog\/2011\/questions-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Questions, questions…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Another week of a world on fire on our TV screens. \u00a0It’s hard to know how to respond, isn’t it?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>What can possibly be in the mind of someone who chants “England!” as they tear England apart? \u00a0Why are those who feel hated, rejected and outcast acting in a way which will ensure that they are even more hated, rejected and outcast?<\/p>\n

Is it right for ordinary citizens (like these guys in Enfield<\/a>) to take matters into their own hands? \u00a0Or does that run the risk of vigilantism – and who watches the watchers? \u00a0Are we watching a victory for local community spirit, or mob rule? \u00a0And what happens if groups with political\/religious\/ethnic agendas start pulling the strings?<\/p>\n

(Are there other ways to respond? \u00a0Check out the Wolverhampton Clean-Up Macarena<\/a> on YouTube for an example of something a bit different!)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>What is so wrong with our world that such an outbreak of violence is just simmering under the surface, ready to explode? \u00a0Where has all this anger come from? – both the anger of the rioters themselves, and of bloggers, observers and commentators advocating their brutal and violent punishment? \u00a0(How many “kill them all!”-type comments have you seen on Facebook over the last few days?)<\/p>\n

And where does our faith connect with it all? \u00a0On the Dock Walk this week we were chatting about the readings from the book of Romans featured on Wordlive last week (and continuing this week). \u00a0Paul was writing to a violent, unsettled culture, in a time of persecution and mob rule – and to a church which was catastrophically divided over several contentious subjects. \u00a0He wouldn’t have been surprised by the news this week. \u00a0His instructions to the Christians of Rome are as relevant, as challenging, and as difficult to put into practice as ever:<\/p>\n

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.\u00a0\u00a0If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.<\/em><\/p>\n

If you have time, the last 2 weeks of Wordlive<\/a> teaching on Romans have been phenomenally good and really worth checking out – and you can catch up on those passages dealing with conflict by clicking the date at the top of the page and navigating to the 2nd\/3rd\/4th August). \u00a0Or you can pray these words from the Psalms (I made this video last year, when the violence had kicked off in parts of Belfast, but it’s no less relevant today):<\/p>\n