Tearfund's Jenny Beechey spurs us on towards love and good deeds.
Plus, questions for group or individual reflection.
Puddleglum is a character from CS Lewis’ book The Silver Chair, from his Narnia series. In the story, Puddleglum travelled through Narnia with a couple of kids looking for a lost prince. When they finally found him, they were captured by the baddie who proceeded to gaslight them – making them doubt their own perception of what had taken place so far. She told them the place they had come from, and were hoping to return to, wasn’t real (she used a bit of deceptive magic as well). She just about had them believing her, too, until Puddleglum struggled through her spell and her words, and came up with one of The Chronicles of Narnia’s greatest speeches:
“There’s one more thing to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things – trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.”1
I feel that at this point in history, we are being gaslit on an epic, global scale. Might is right. Human rights are wrong. Empathy is a sin. The massive pressure I feel is to think that this is real and all there is. And I find myself driven, more strongly than ever before, back to the words of Jesus (and others of his followers) who, in Puddleglum fashion, remind me what is real:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40)
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” (Matthew 13:33)
It’s clear to me that loads of people reject those ideas. I do also wonder how many people have heard this story, and I suspect that more than ever the church needs to be talking about it. That’s God’s big story: his upside-down Kingdom; the King who dies for his enemies; the transformation that is possible with Jesus; the Shalom that he is bringing where we are reconciled to him, each other and our planet. That’s the real thing. Sometimes I feel like I can’t imagine how that could be possible. I find the jarringness of the insanity, the blatant theft and corruption, the hate and the attack on human rights, is like Puddleglum’s speech – a wakeup call to remember what is real and what is not.
I used to have trouble (and often still do) believing that Jesus could possibly be in charge. A wise person years ago reminded me that I was probably looking for things in the wrong place. I have to remember I won’t see Jesus’ kingdom on the news most days. Because it works like yeast in dough or salt in cooking – it’s small but vital. It gets in everywhere.
It’s the folk in churches giving sanctuary to migrants. It’s the ordinary people looking out for their neighbours and not bowing to fear.
It’s the suburban church pastor faithfully preaching the Sermon on the Mount and pointing to it as the way to be a follower of Jesus.
It’s the Tearfund supporters that are even now digging deeper to give more because they know what’s going on in the world.
It’s the partners on motorcycles in rural areas getting out to communities to help them grow good food. It’s the young adult making time to journey with struggling teenagers, and the older ladies making morning teas for mum’s groups.
It’s the followers of Jesus getting ready to step up to be a voice for the marginalised in parliament, and the toilet being built for a disabled man.
The folk who show up and help out at community events, the seat given up on a tram, Tearfund supporters who call and email to say they are praying for us.
The prayers and actions of ordinary people and their ordinary faith growing the dough, bringing flavour.
The Kingdom of God is very near to you.
Jenny Beechey is an International Partnerships Manager with Tearfund.
1. CS Lewis, The Silver Chair
What we once called normal wasn’t good enough. Now's the time to reset. It begins with our faith.
