I recently had an e-mail from Facebook (FB) with a link to ‘Privacy Basics’ – so I thought, having been a FB user for a few years, “Right I’m going to take some time to understand about privacy, who can and can’t see what and about likes and tagging and who can do what and what can be reviewed and deleted and how…. all that stuff.” After a simple click, what came up was a lovely simple step by step introduction to privacy, nicely presented, click by click, step by step. But did I feel any the wiser after doing this for 20 minutes? HARDLY, NO!
OK I learned about one or two buttons which can do this or that, but what I’ve never got in my head is the ‘architecture’ of the whole thing and how all the bits relate to one another. I don’t really get the relationship between profile / news feed and timeline (please don’t respond to this e-mail with a long screed of information to explain, I’m just sharing in an honest way that I’m a child of my time). All that I don’t get I’m happy to label ‘mystery’, happy to trust others who do get it to point out stuff I need to know (thank you, you know who you are) and for those I upset because I don’t get it, please be forgiving if I inappropriately tag you or comment or whatever. If you’re not happy with this arrangement please unfriend me – how do you do that?!
I suspect that this sort of trusted ‘unknowing’ is how many Christians view the bible. They don’t really get the architecture of the whole thing: how the OT and NT relate to each other, how the different covenants connect, who is friends with whom and why, who is in charge of this or that at a point in history, and how …. and so on. One of the privileges of having done some theological training is that I’ve had a chance to study the architecture of the bible. I’m no expert but at least I’ve a working knowledge of how it all hangs together – if you ever get the chance for some sort of theological study, I recommend it!
We’re just approaching Advent, the season in which we connect the 1st coming of Christ with the 2nd coming of Christ and see ‘writ large’ God’s salvation plan – past, present and future – our Father God demonstrating his justice and grace. It’s hard to make sense of it all, the deep shape of things, the architecture is complex, but it’s worth persevering with because it throws up awesome insights into the nature and ways of God that are enough to blow your mind and bend your knees to the floor.
FB will come and go, hey ho, but our God is eternal, glorious and just, may your Advent be blessed as you ponder these deeper things.
Yours in Him Stephen (Gunner) Girling

In an attempt to better understand some of the roots of the conflict in the middle east and further afield, I have been reading a book called ‘Touching the Soul of Islam’, by Bill Musk who worked for Church Mission Society, Interserve and others.
The following summary table outlines his understanding of some of the key differences between Western and Eastern cultures. It’s easy to see how some of these very fundamental differences lead to clashes of values, misunderstandings, fears and conflict.
I am particularly interested by the Western focus on ‘guilt’ which tends to relate to particular actions done or not done (‘sins of omission or commission’) as opposed to the Eastern focus on ‘shame’ which is more of a consciousness of something not right about the whole person. Shame is a very biblical concept, not surprising then, considering its Eastern roots.
In the course of speaking to people about the need for forgiveness, many people do not seem to consider their guilt particularly serious, especially in comparison to certain others who really have problems with bad behaviour! A greater focus on the holiness and loveliness and kindness of God, his awesome nature, will perhaps lead us to a sense of shame in relation to him – didn’t Job compare himself to a worm in the face of God? Shame humbles me to see my need to be restored to God, which goes way more than this or that sin needs forgiving, and to see that Christ in me is the only hope. If we ourselves or we’ve got friends, family or neighbours seeped in Easter culture, perhaps we could run this table by them and better understand some of our differences and what we in the West might need to learn afresh.

Table: East and West

In seeking to understand something of the background to the current problems in the Middle East, I’ve been in a dialogue with a friend about Islam and its relations to Christianity and Judiasm.
I’ve also been reading a book called ‘Touching the Soul of Islam’ by Bill Musk, in an attempt to understand something of the cultural differences between East and West that incline us towards particular religious beliefs and practises taking hold in our respective spheres.
One thing that worries me, not just in this debate, but more widely, is a tendency to tar everyone to whom we attach a particular label, with the same brush.
So Evangelicals’ are spoken of as if our beliefs and practises all the same and likewise Muslims’ or Jews’ or Scholars’ of a particular tradition. I’m also still shocked by how many people I meet believe that Roman Catholics are not Christians! I recently read ‘The Chosen’ by Chaim Potok in which the differences between Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Jews are explored, my eyes were opened to understand a little more for example, of what goes on at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Let’s not get lazy, the world isn’t black and white, shades of grey make it hugely complex and hugely rich in diversity. Perhaps we could ask ourselves: ‘If we had to, by what labels we would like ourselves to be described?’ – then most of us would realise how complex we are and everyone is.
Fearfully and wonderfully made, Praise God.