We have the freedom to choose whatever we may. That is our right. The consequences that flow from our choices are our responsibility. We cannot be seen to complain if the end result is not what we had anticipated.
True giving is not about how much you give but how much it costs you. As Christ said of the widow who made her meagre offering: “truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing… For they have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.” (Mark 12: 43 – 44). Now that thought puts quite a different slant upon what true giving is.
A God who we claim we can know is not God. God is totally the other. This means that our task of seeking him is a never ending journey but, wonder of wonders, once that journey has begun then the more we seek the more we want to seek. It is then that most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord. Such is the joy of a Christian.
There is a saying that “all roads lead to Rome”. That may well be true of the earthly Rome but it most certainly is not true for the heavenly Jerusalem. And the way to the heavenly Jerusalem is clear: it is the Lord who is not only the way but also the truth and the life. You see, there is no relativism in Christian belief – and just as there is only one Christ there can only one holy, catholic and apostolic church.
“As the face is reflected in water, so the heart of man reflects the man.” (Proverbs 27: 19) You see, whatever we say and whatever we do cannot go against our inner nature. Those who think good do good. Those who think evil do evil. If we seek transformation then we need to seek to weed out the tares and snares in our heart and till the soil so it is receptive to the good seed. That is the primary function of our human existence.