Living truth in a fallen world: God

 

 
Buy Bridget Jones's Diary (Book) from Amazon.co.uk or from Amazon.com
Buy Bridget Jones's Diary (Dvd) from Amazon.co.uk or from Amazon.com

 

God in the Bible

What is a biblical notion of God? No small question. Of the many answers we could give, ones that spring to mind most immediately are:

• Creator (Genesis 14:22, Isaiah 40:28, Matthew 19:4)
• Preserver (Psalm 36:7, Psalm 119:40, Luke 17:33)
• Lord of lords and King of kings (1 Corinthians 8:4, Revelation 17:14)
• Incarnate in Christ (Colossians 2:9)
• The one True God (Deuteronomy 4:39, 1 John 5:20)

In these Bible passages, eternal truths are expressed: God is the only True God, the Creator, Preserver and Governor of all things, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings seen in bodily form in the person of Jesus Christ.

From a Christian perspective, there is no other God that is worthy of praise and worship and no other God that more fully identifies with the state of a fallen world by choosing to take on the form of a man and live among his people. This God is a unique God, but it is not the image of God when seen through the lens of contemporary culture.

 

God in contemporary culture

How does the biblical ideal of God compare with those expressed in contemporary culture? We will look at two very diverse subjects, firstly the terrorist events of 11 September 2001 as reported by the news media and the book Bridget Jones Diary.

 

11 September 2001

11 September 2001 was one of those defining moments in history. As in the 60s, when most people of that generation could state where they were when President John F Kennedy was assassinated, so for this generation, we probably all know where we were when the twin towers of the New York World Trade Centre were impacted by hijacked airliners.

The fall out from that day is having a major effect on the West. All notions of security and democracy have been shaken. Going to work in a city means watching the skies. Paranoia reigns and religious intolerance rises as some look for targets through which they can vent their anger.

A heartfelt question is of course 'If there is a God, how can he let this happen?' Others may look at the events of 11 September 2001 and wonder if they are under some kind of judgement. Indeed when yet another airliner crashed in the Borough of Queens, New York, two months later, the question was raised 'Why us, what have we done to deserve this?'

It seems that the events of September 11 could be a major barrier to understanding the nature of God. The fact that these crimes where carried out under the banner of Islam (rightly or wrongly) gives extra weight to the thought that 'God' is at worst an evil and vengeful deity or at best distant and uncaring.

The Times on 19 September 2001 reported, 'Britain's churches were fuller than usual yesterday as people gathered for Sunday services to remember those killed in the terrorist attacks in the United States.'

Some people going into a small chapel near Ground Zero were heard to remark, 'They have their faith, we want to show them that we have ours to.'

In fact, people are not looking for God in this necessarily, but for some source of comfort. When an overwhelming sense of hopelessness pervades, it seems that people either go under or look for something to hold onto.

Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democrat said:

'John Bright, speaking in very different circumstances in the House of Commons, once said there was a sense that the Angel of Death was floating above the chamber. I think that the Angel of Death is very much with us today.'

Instead of becoming an obstacle to a journey of faith and discovery about God, 11 September 2001 has in fact created an atmosphere in which spiritual questions have become the norm; prayer has ceased to be the domain of the super spiritual and the weak, but rather a cohesive force, which is helping to hold the New York community together.

The Prime Minster, Tony Blair, speaking to the Labour Party conference shortly after the attacks said:

'This is a moment to seize. The kaleidoscope has been shaken. The pieces are in flux. Soon they will settle again. Before they do, let us reorder this world around us.'

The obvious question off the back of that, and one that provides an inroad for the gospel is this: What new order does this world need and how are we to do it?' Mr Blair is thinking in terms of coalitions against terrorism, but surely a new world order where peace reigns and hatred has no place is more a description of the Kingdom of God, here on earth.

In the midst of the horror and the tragedy, people may look for some ways that they can help to 'reorder' the world. Karen Ponorovsky, a clinical social worker at the time of the 11 September 2001 tragedy said this:

'I am glad that, because I am a social worker, I have some place to go . . . I think most people felt really lost. I think the lines for blood donation are evidence of that.'

Karen Ponorovsky points to an inbuilt need to care, to change society, to be of use and of people being 'lost'. After events like 11 September 2001, people may begin to question the purpose of life, whether it is worth spending every waking hour at the office bent over a computer, or whether in the great scheme of things that they can give more to their world. The Christian lifestyle and relationship with God offers answers to both those questions. Yes, life is more than work, eat, sleep and die and yes, you can change your world through relationship with Jesus worked out in practical care for mankind.

Time moves on, and the events of 11 September 2001 may have less emotional impact on people, but rather like the period following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the outpouring of public anguish and searching once again allows us as followers of Jesus to come alongside people in their pain and in their searching and to help them discover some answers to their questions.

11 September 2001, and indeed any tragedy can provide an opportunity for good news to get out, and certainly in these times, that is what people need.

 

Bridget Jones's Diary

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding was published in 1996 and released as a film in 2001.

The story is that of a 30-something single woman for whom everything seems to go wrong. Bridget finds herself on a doomed quest to find happiness and self-improvement. She is desperate to find a man who will be committed to her. She worries about being alone and dying alone as well as being eaten by alsatians. Bridget is obsessed with her weight and shape.

Some readers view the book as charting the demise of the nuclear family, whilst the cover notes describe it as the perfect zeitgeist of single female woes.

Here are a couple of extracts from Bridget's diary. This first extract is written in the context of a family Christmas. Bridget has tried to find a way of avoiding going home for Christmas, but now finds herself in the last place she really wants to be.

'Dear God, Please help me. I want go home. I want my own life again. I don't feel like an adult, I feel like a teenage boy who everyone's annoyed with.' (Bridget Jones's Diary, Picador 1997, p. 301)

Bridget's view of God is the Santa Claus mentality, (given the time of year, you could excuse that), she sees God as the ultimate Mr Fixit. She has a problem, God should fix it. Most of Bridget's references to God throughout the diary tend to be cries of despair or outbursts of frustration.

In the family situation, she feels that she has regressed to her childhood. Perhaps this is the image of God that most people hold - a time when they might have said 'The Lord's Prayer' in assembly, cross-legged in the school hall and perhaps received some education regarding the Christmas story. Since then, it might appear that her image of God has not progressed very much. He still remains the tooth fairy deity; the Jim'll Fix It of the supernatural realm.

Bridget needs help, but she doesn't think that God can actually help her. In her searching and disappointments, she feels that the only way forward is to 'better' herself. She writes:

'Must centre myself more. Will ask Jude about appropriate self help book, possible Eastern religion based.' (p. 27)

Bridget is looking beyond the Western view of church and wants to have a crack at something that seems to promise a sense of hope and spirituality. It would appear that Bridget feels that the 'Church' cannot give her what she needs, God is not the answer, time to look elsewhere.

If Bridget Jones's Diary truly is the zeitgeist for the single woman of the 21st Century, then it would be easy to become disillusioned and wonder how on earth could people like Bridget be helped to discover something about the good news of God and perhaps begin to investigate His claims.

The diary does provide some wonderful bridges to the gospel. In searching for happiness and love, (something extremely common to today's 'me' society), Bridget writes:

'It is proved by surveys that happiness does not come from love, wealth or power but the pursuit of attainable goals: and what is a diet if not that?' (p. 18)

Bridget is searching for that one elusive thing that will make her happy. Happiness is transitory and dependent on circumstance, hence the attachment to a good diet, when the pounds come off, happiness reigns, when the pounds return, so do the blues.

Most people just 'want to be happy'. This is why DIY stores do such a booming trade in timber decking and so many people wash their cars on a Sunday. What we can get our hands on, what gives us pleasure will make us happy. But Bridget says that wealth will not do it, and even love fails. People like Bridget need something better, something more solid and reliable than a diet and longer lasting than timber decking, and that is where God comes into the equation.

Bridget could find that God would provide something deeper and far greater than happiness, she could in fact discover 'joy' a state of the heart and mind which is dependant on the unchanging nature of God's goodness towards those he loves. Solid, dependable and fat free.

Bridget's view of love is developed further as she writes:

'Oh God. Valentines day tomorrow. Why? Why? Why is the entire world geared up to make people not involved in romance feel stupid when everyone knows that romance does not work anyway.' (p. 49)

The world in which Bridget finds herself has bought into the Mills and Boon view of love. Love is pink and cuddly, laced with chocolates and covered in roses. You can almost imagine Bridget choking on the fluff and shallowness of another commercial Valentines day.

Bridget can obviously see through the veneer, though of course it is her bad experiences of relationships with men that colour her views on romance. Nonetheless, the difference between love and romance provides lots of room for exploration for those searching for love and meaning. What is the difference between romance and love? Is Romance just a feeling that eventually fades? What about love? How do you define true love? Isn't love a choice that a person makes to favour someone else more than himself or herself?

Romance passes, love does not fail. The best example of love is seen in the ultimate act of self giving as Jesus demonstrated his love for people just like Bridget by allowing himself to be put to death on a cross. Now that is love.

Though the events of 11 September 2001 and Bridget Jones diary are so diverse, both can provide valuable bridges over which we can encourage people to cross to discover God.

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