What’s the problem?

Is there an overall problem in our world? If you were asked to state, as briefly as possible, what you would wish to put right in this world, what would it be?

The Jewish people have preserved their own Bible. The Book of Genesis is part of that Bible. Genesis is a key part of the national archives of Israel. It contains the earliest part of their story.

On the sixth page (in normal print) of Genesis – the first book also of the Christian Bible – the writer of Genesis (a person named Moses) recorded the words in bold above. He identified two problems on earth in the days of Noah. Those days were at least 4,300 years ago.

Two problems: corruption; violence. What had caused these? The cause was identified - in the Bible - in Noah's day - as "all flesh". The cause was people – not animals, nor plants, nor disease, not natural disasters. “The earth ... was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” People ha\d corrupted everything.

In Arabic hamas means “zeal”. That meaning of hamas actually fits well even today. The zeal of Israel is, at a high level, similar to that of Hamas: to get and to retain their rights. One group is zeal for what it desires. Another group is also zealous for what it desires. The outcome? Violence, destruction, wilderness. ASOS.

The national archives of Israel contain another book still today of great interest. The book of Isaiah the prophet. That too is included in Christian Bibles because Isaiah wrote of Jesus Christ – the Messiah (the Anointed One) who was to come later..

Isaiah (probably around BC 700) used the word “violence” (hamas) three times. Here’s one – in which he wrote about the covering-up of corruption: “Their spider-webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence (hamas) are in their hands.” Iniquity (or sin, or corruption) can't be covered-up, nor can violence - not even when (as so often these days) the violence is intended to be hidden.

Violence and corruption in Noah's day. And in Isaiah's day. And today. 

What do you think today? Is it corrupt if a person receives something for nothing and then insists on payment from others who desperately need it? What about a grower who will not part with crops (which have come from seed, as it were from nothing) - even to the starving - because of a zeal for profit for himself? What about a lawyer who will not act for a distressed client unless the client pays dearly - sometimes up front, to be sure? What about a supermarket chain which advertises that it is selling at the very lowest prices but covers over that it is in it for the profit for itself and its owners? 

In the field of medicine one thing is very plain these days: no one can see a doctor privately unless payment has first been made or guaranteed - no matter how bad the illness. In fact it's only because the state pays doctors to see us that any of us can see a doctor. 

And the "boat-people". In the recent UK election, virtually all parties clearly stated their commitment to controlling immigration - irrespective of the violence which that implies to the huge number of displaced people in this present world. These polices were adopted because of the support of UK voters for them. Zeal to retain everything that we have. Violence follows.

Is it really surprising today that people are continuing to resort to violence - as their response to violence.

One man demonstrated what it meant to live without such corruption - and without such violence. 

When walking along with his disciples he came to a village and to a funeral procession. A widow was burying her son. He did not ask for anything from her. He stopped the funeral bier, raised the son from the dead, restored him to his mother, and went on his way.

As you might have twigged, this sort of thing was abhorrent to other human beings, zealous to get and to keep their authority and their wealth. This Jesus, the Anointed One, died a violent death after false evidence at two corrupt court hearings. And he suffered and died to make plain for all to see the corruption and violence which was then and is now dominating the earth. 

And he died and rose again, in order to be able to forgive the violent and corrupt before they may come under judgment from him.. 

To forgive me whilst there was time..

And to call me away from my own “zeal (hamas)" for myself and for what I wrongly think is mine