The revolution will not be televised

We're now on season 6 of Homeland and the opening sequence has changed. Now it's concerned with terrorism on US soil and a voice can be heard running through the sequence that may be familiar to many but I had to search to find its origin.

It's the voice of Gil Scott Heron reading his own work, The revolution will not be televised. He wrote it a number of years ago as a young activist and it's easy to understand why it became almost an anthem to disenfranchised and alienated youth. It's haunting and makes you want to say, 'Yes, let's do it!' And that's from me a respectable white middle-class woman.

Anyway, and I'll get to the point now, it's the first line that came into my mind last night: The first revolution is when you change your mind about how you look at things, and see there might be another way to look at it that you have not been shown. 

In bible study at Zac's we were looking at the story of the good Samaritan and who are our neighbours (answer: everyone including our enemies) and what it would feel like to be cared for by our enemy. Somehow the question of who would get into heaven arose and varying views were shared.

There's a popular view at the moment that absolutely everyone will get in (although I read a book that has been decried for saying it but as far as I could make out the author didn't actually say that). On the other hand you have the 'each of us is a sinner and we must repent, say the prayer, be baptised and live a good life,' viewpoint.

I am somewhere in between, admittedly with far more of a 'you're going to be amazed when you see who's in heaven' slant.

I believe there has to be some acknowledgement of what Jesus did by dying on the cross, an awareness that nothing we can do to earn God's love but that it's all his idea. But I believe that God gives us chance after chance after chance to meet him and accept his forgiveness. Even if that is on the deathbed - or later!

But there was a minor revolution in my brain last night when I accepted that a verse I've always thought of as being simple - Jesus is the only way (paraphrase) - if I look at it another way may not be as simple as I previously thought. 

Which meant a slightly sleepless night as I pondered.

But the emphasis I've always had is not that I believe in Jesus because that means I'll go to heaven but rather I'll believe in Jesus because I want his presence in my life, to help me get through it. 

Thank God it's his job to judge and ours to love and care for people regardless of their belief, colour, gender, or anything else that makes them different from us. To bring God's kingdom to earth.

Love God with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbour as yourself.

God the great upcycler

I've always thought or sort of assumed that the root of the word salvation came from save. It doesn't, which makes sense when you realise that there's no L in save.

Anyway according to Chambers Dictionary it comes from the word salve meaning to salvage. I love this idea: that God reaches down into the wrecks of our lives, picks up the usable pieces and turns them into a new and beautiful creation.

Today it's very fashionable to salvage furniture and make it into something new; shops are opening up all over the place. It's reassuring to know that God was upcycling before it became trendy. And will continue to do so when it's no longer fashionable.