Contents
Editorial
Life
It’s often hard to know how to live out our faith in our everyday lives. In what ways, if at all, should we communicate our faith to the outside world?
The writers in our Life section this issue focus on different aspects of Christianity in our daily lives.
Lizzie Grant explores the much debated issue of whether Christians should drink alcohol or not, while Greg Melia looks at unity within the Church, and tells us why he believes this is achievable.
One way the Gospel message can be heard by millions of people is through the medium of film. This seems an appropriate topic for this issue, as everyone seems to be talking about Mel Gibson’s new film, “The Passion Of Christ.” Ben Samworth looks at various films that have been made about the life of Christ, and examines how successful they’ve been.
Anthony Armstrong, on the other hand, focuses on internal reflection, as he reviews a weekend spent at Mirfield, a silent retreat.
So if you’ve been wondering about any of these topics, read on and find out what the opinions of our writers are. Or, if another issue relating to life as a Christian has been on your mind, why not send us an article of your own?
Rachael Stephenson
”I’d rather have a sparkling mineral water, please.”
A Unifying Hope
Retreat into Silence
The Gospel: The Movie
World
If you’re not in a box, get in one or forever be labelled odd. This is the rule the society of today lives by. Anything, everything it encompasses has to be understandable, quantifiable and then put in a box suitable for stacking with all the others. If something or someone can’t fit in a box then it is ignored or placed in an institution for reshaping. This inherent failure of the world to accept that it can’t understand everything is the worst form of oppression on its citizens. What’s perhaps worse is that anyone choosing to worship an incomprehensible God is, by society standards, due for reshaping. This theme is taken up by James in the fictional account ‘outside’ and its subsequent analysis. The article ‘God’s own country’ talks of a solution to these failings, a society built on God’s foundations.
If society is a mess, what words can tabloids use to describe the NHS? Worse though, is the lack of a third world prescription scheme where need determines the cost of drugs instead of profit margins. James picks up this theme in his article ‘The Price of Life’.
David Jones
God’s own Country?
Outside
The Price of Life
Belief
Are you feeling run down? Tired? Depressed? In musical terms, would you benefit from remembering that “Everybody Hurts”? Or is it that you “Still Haven’t Found what you’re Looking For”?
This section of Christis doesn’t attempt to answer these questions. Well, certainly not the second one. Perhaps, however,. in the doubts of Helen Bourne or the experiences of Ayeesha Bhutta you will be able to find echoes of how you yourself are feeling. Maybe not. Either way, we present them for your perusal, edification and (hopefully) enjoyment.
Meanwhile, for those of you of a less serious bent, maybe our quiz will afford you the opportunity to find out just how holy you are. Whether you’re wholly irreverent or even irreverently holy, we’re sure you’ll find a niche.
Or perhaps your eye will be drawn to Greg Melia’s article. The cross which looms predominantly on page 14 is a symbol with which we’re all familiar, although I feel sure that if you asked five different people what that picture meant to them you’d receive five different answers.
I’m not going to bore you with a lecture about what the cross means to me. Instead, I would ask you to remember the words of a pre-eminent philosopher of the last century:
All you need is Love,
All you need is Love,
All you need is Love, Love,
Love is all you need.
Chris Charlton