Down-under round-up: 25 November 2015

Issue of the week

The former Australian treasurer (and, I believe, Melbourne Anglican), Peter Costello, wrote with some restraint, yet pointedness, in skewering western liberal political platitudes about Islam, saying “Extremism needs to be wiped out of Islam”.

Like most of us, he knows violent jihadism is a (generally small) minority, but he does want us all—Christians, western secular liberals, and Muslims—to face the fact that “this interpretation has followers from different continents and different cultures, which tells us there is something in the source documents and history of Islam that gives them a peg to hang their hat on”.

To be fair, there are Muslim scholars who have already done what he asked, explaining why in their view, “these difficult sections of the Koran and the Hadiths are not to be taken literally and not to be followed today”.

For me, no expert in Islam, it is hard to tell just how intellectually honest such explanations are. I would love to hear my Muslim friends and acquaintances engage with these questions and to reflect on whether a more liberal, cultural, moderate Islam will be spiritually satisfying. (I certainly can’t see much satisfying in liberal Christianity.)

And once again, I’d love to see Muslim people take seriously the radically different teachings and actions of Christ, who never waters down God in his might or his mercy but gives a very different way of relating to him as Father.

Making disciples of Jesus

Praying is fundamental to Christian discipleship, so here are two Aussie perspectives on another issue of the week: the UK cinema chain banning a mild advertisement encouraging prayer. 

Michael Jensen exposes the hypocrisy of the cinema chain in their excuse of a policy not to run political or religious adverts, and then makes us reflect more deeply on what being religious really means.

Murray Campbell says Richard Dawkins was right (!) in that the cinema chain was within its commercial legal rights to refuse, but totally silly. He also thinks the Church of England should perhaps be a little more cautious in encouraging the use of the Lord’s Prayer so promiscuously by those who do not understand what it is to call God Father, or by what exclusive right we may do so—through Christ who taught the prayer.

Michael Hyatt, formerly in Christian publishing, now an author and blogger in the area of leadership, shares ‘How to maximize your conversations in the holiday season’. He says it comes down to two elements: intentionality and great questions.

I think his advice and suggested questions are also very helpful more broadly for Christians who’d like to make the most of every opportunity with outsiders, and to develop speech that is salty and gracious (Col 4:5-6).

Image of the week

I don’t normally spend time around Michael Hyatt’s stuff, but he scores twice this week, since this Spurgeon quote he featured caught my eye. Discernment is much needed by Christians today.

(Mind you, I’m nerdy enough to wish all these quote meme generators would give you the actual reference for the quote in the fine print somewhere.)