The Merchant of Venice 1936 / 2024

 

I was first introduced to Shakespeare by my English teacher Mrs Grocott. This was at Cwmcarn Comprehensive back in the late 1970s and for “O” level English literature we studied the Merchant of Venice. I had a difficult relationship with English Literature as a subject. I enjoyed the plays (we also studied An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestly and She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith). But the novels didn’t do much for me (one was The Pearl by John Steinbeck) and as for the poetry. It left me cold. So much so that I failed my O level.

But as I’ve said Mrs Grocott introduced me to Shakespeare and for that I’m grateful.

If you’ve never seen the Merchant of Venice, what follows contains spoilers.

Compared to some Shakespeare plays on the face of it the Merchant is an easy one. The story, or should that be stories, are straightforward. Bassanio, a young Venetian of noble rank, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont. But he’s squandered all his money. So, he asks his friend Antonio – the Merchant of the title – for a loan. Antonio’s assets are all tidied up in various trading ships. He’s asset rich and cash poor. Nonetheless he agrees to help Bassanio and Antonio goes a to a Jewish money lender – Shylock – for a loan.

But the loan comes with a heavy price. If Antonio defaults Shylock wants from Antonio

an equal pound
Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken
In what part of your body pleaseth me.

Antonio agrees thinking all will be well when his ships come back to port. But they don’t, and Shylock calls in the loan. Antonio and Shylock go to court for Shylock to have his penalty clause enforced. Shylock wants his “pound of flesh” which in reality means Antonio will be killed.

At this point in the play Shakespeare uses one of his tried and tested plot devices – women disguised as men. In this instance Portia, who is now Bassanio’s wife, disguises herself as a lawyer brought in to advise on the law. She concludes that the contract is valid and yes Shylock  is entitled to his pound of flesh. However, she points out that there is nothing in he contract about any of Antonio's blood being shed. Therefore, Shylock can only have his pound of flesh if no blood is spilled in the taking of the pound of flesh.

Bassanio offers Shylock the money for the loan which Shylock reluctantly agrees to (having previously refused and insisted on the pound of flesh.) But Portia also prevents Shylock from doing this, on the ground that he has already refused it "in the open court". She cites a law under which Shylock, as a Jew and therefore an "alien", having attempted to take the life of a citizen, has forfeited his property, half to the government and half to Antonio, leaving his life at the mercy of the Judge. 

Shylock is bankrupted and the play ends happily ever after with Bassanio and Portia happily married and Antonio alive. (OK, there’s more to it than this. DO NOT rely on this blog as an aid to revision.)

For many years the play has come under scrutiny for antisemitism. Certainly, it can be interpreted that way from the way Shylock is treated and referred to. And in some productions Shylock has become a caricature of a Jew. (In Nazi Germany the Merchant of Venice was staged this way.)

However, Shylock can be portrayed in other ways. He can be portrayed as a sympathetic character. A Jew who is persecuted for his faith and is pushed to breaking point by anti-semites because of his faith.

Early on in the play Shylock is challenged about why he wants a pound of flesh from Antonio. Shylock says:

“… it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and
hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses,
mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my
bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine
enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew.”

And this brings me to a production of the Merchant of Venice by the Roal Shakespeare Company at Stratford on Avon. It was entitled “The Mercnat of Venice 1936” and the actor and writer Tracy Ann Oberman appeared as Shylock. It was set in the East End of London in 1936 at the time of the rise of Oswald Mosely’s fascist Black Shirts.

Shylock was portrayed as a hard businesswoman. But one who has been pushed to demand his pound of flesh, as revenge for the way Antonio and his Black Shirt wearing friends had treated him and other Jewish people.  (And let’s not forget, was Shylock really expecting he’d get his revenge? What were the chances of all of Antonio’s fortunes being lost at sea?)

Even “fair Portia” was portrayed as antisemitic. Initially, in the way Portia treated Shylock’s daughter Jessica (who had eloped with the Christian Lorenzo taking some of Shylock’s wealth with her.) Then at court. (Portia was portrayed as someone like Lady Diana Mitford - wife of Moseley, and in her own right a fascist and Hitler sympathiser.) In this production by what might be termed “the establishment” joins forces to even deny Shylock justice in a court of law. No separation of powers here. (As an aside, just a few days after seeing this production, the Conservative MP Jacob Rees – Mogg demanded that courts no longer be separate but should be subject to Parliament. https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/popular-conservatives-rees-mogg-attacks-lady-hale-and-calls-for-neutering-of-supreme-court/5118671.article)

I am writing this not a review of the play (which was excellent by the way with Ms Oberman on top form.) But because I was affected by words of Shakespeare said by Shylock.

It is a continuation of the speech I’ve quoted earlier:

Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs,
dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with
the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject
to the same diseases, healed by the same means,
warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as
a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?
if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison
us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not
revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will
resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian,
what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian
wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by
Christian example? Why, revenge.

Words reminding us that all people are the same regardless of their race, their faith, their gender or sexuality. Whether Israeli or Palestinian.

As a sixteen year old this was one of the many quotes from the play we had to memorise and regurgitate. It is one that stuck – though at the time I’m not sure I realised the importance of it. I do now.

This production will transfer to the West End on 15^th February. If you can go and see it.

Where are the prophets?

 

The Book of Deuteronomy is a second giving of the law to Moses. The law is given immediately prior to the crossing of the river Jordan and Israel’s entry into the land promised to its ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a second giving as the first giving was set out in the terms of the covenant concluded between Moses and God on Mount Sinai, on behalf of the people of Israel, immediately after their delivery from slavery in Egypt.

In Deuteronomy Moses is fleshing out the law already given.

One of the themes that emerges from Deuteronomy is that once the people of Israel have finally crossed the Jordan, the leadership of Israel would be made up of four distinct groups – Kings, Judges, Priests and Prophets. And in the next few books of the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, we see these groups featuring.

But this morning I want us to think about one of those groups, the prophets.

Broadly speaking from this time onwards, and as the people entered the promised land, prophets figured largely. We only have to look at the Hebrew Bible to see them – great prophets such as Elijah, Isaiah and Jeremiah, then Daniel and Ezekiel; and others who are termed “minor prophets” such as Amos, Hosea and Micah.

Prophets consistently, and regularly, appeared. They were often – though not always – charismatic, eloquent speakers and preachers. To outsiders and opponents, prophets appeared to be self - appointed speakers, but to their followers they were seen as God  - appointed revealers of truth.

Prophets were generally held in high regard because they shared truth from God alone. They presented themselves as the very mouth of God to speak to Israel.

But throughout the time of the prophets there was an important bench mark. And that is what Moses said in Deuteronomy 18:15

¹⁵ The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. Deuteronomy 18: 15

raise up for you a prophet like me

In other words, for a prophet to be regarded as authentic, the prophet needed to be “like Moses”. They had to be native Israelites and the important part being that prophets must be like Moses, meaning that the teaching of a prophet must accord with the words and spirit of Moses.

As Christians of course, we interpret the words spoken by Moses in Deuteronomy 15 as a pointer to the coming of Christ. An idea that comes up in Matthew 16:13-20

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Though when Jesus presses Peter

¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

The words of Moses point to Jesus who was greater than a prophet of course.

Though interestingly in his gospel John draws several analogies between Jesus and Moses. But that’s for another time.

What is a prophet?

Chambers dictionary tells us that a prophet is “someone who speaks on behalf of a deity; Someone who proclaims a divine message; an inspired teacher, preacher or poet; Someone who speaks on behalf of a group, movement or doctrine; A foreteller, whether claiming to be inspired or not;”

That’s what a prophet is. But Where are the prophets now? Or did God stop using prophets after Jesus? Well clearly not. We might refer to the likes of Paul as an Apostle but he proclaimed a divine message. And over the centuries countless other Christians have been prophetic too.

The trouble is I feel we tend to associate prophets with the dramatic. And in our age sadly many of those who claim to be prophets are no such things. For example you may have seen some news reports a few weeks ago about Pastor T B Joshua who ran a mega church in Lagos Nigeria. He claimed to be a prophet but his “ministry” involved the sexual abuse of many vulnerable women. 

I like something American minister Jeremiah Wright of the Trinity United Church of Christ in a run down area of Chicago said “There ain’t no prophet in the written record who is a pastor of a megachurch”.

It's worth remembering once again those words spoken by Moses

¹⁵ The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me

Prophets must be like Moses. And I would add as Christians, we should expect prophets to share the message and values of Jesus Christ. Being like Moses, or being like Christ, means that a prophet’s words must be like the words and spirit of Moses and Jesus.

Where are the prophets?

I suspect there are few here this morning old enough to remember Simon & Garfunkel’s song “The Sound of Silence”. If you do remember it that song contained a line “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls”. I don’t know what Simon & Garfunkel meant by that line. But for me it has been an indication that we can find words of prophecy in unlikely places and spoken by unlikely people. In other words, God can speak to us in ways we may find unlikely, through people we may find unlikely. After all, he spoke to Moses through a burning bush which is hardly a normal form of communication – even back then!

I would suggest that God can sometimes use people to be prophets even if they don’t know it. You may have views on the climate emergency affecting the world now. But someone like Greta Thunberg I’d suggest is a prophet. She brings a message that is a reminder from God that we as his people are custodians of his planet. Likewise Sir David Attenborough whose Blue Planet programme featuring plastic waste in the oceans did so much to raise this issue.

And talking of the words of the prophets on subway walls, the artist Banksy’s paintings have often said so much. Such as this one in the West Bank of Palestine:

But if we accept that prophets can be unlikely people, in unlikely places and at unlikely times, how do we determine if someone really is bringing us a word from God? A God - given insight?

As Jesus says in Matthew 7

¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

We go back to the words of Moses in Deuteronomy God will raise up for you a prophet like me. Is the “prophet” speaking in manner that is compatible with Moses or more importantly compatible with Jesus? That is the test.

The second factor for acknowledging a true prophet, as far as the passage in Deuteronomy is concerned is whether the prophet’s messages should be proved true by the actual outcome of events.

²¹ You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” ²² If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.

Of course this is rather unhelpful; since prophecies might take the form of warnings, it may be of little assistance to find that such warnings were true when it was too late to heed the message!

Didache, a short book on Christian behaviour and church practice from the 2nd century tell us “The false and the genuine prophet will be known by their ways. If a prophet teaches the truth but does not practise what he teaches, he is a false prophet.”

But what of now? Where are the prophets now?

Antoinette Doolittle 19^th century American writer said: 

“every time has its prophets as guiding stars; They are the burning candles of the Lord to light the spiritual temple on earth, for the time being. When they have sown their work they will pass away; But the candle sticks will remain, and other lights will be placed on them.”

Who replaces the prophetic candles that have burned out? Who takes their place on the prophetic candlesticks?

Where are the prophets? Look around you. Here are the prophets. Each one of us can be prophetic. We can and must speak of Christlike values. We can and must voice our concerns at injustices.

As Christians we are called to be prophetic. To speak into the age we live in. To speak up for the values of Christ and challenge those things and values that aren’t Christ like.

Cardinal Basil Hume Archbishop of Westminster once said:

 “whenever the poor are afflicted or neglected, or whenever human freedom and dignity is not respected, then the church has a duty to sound a prophet’s note, and it must be prepared to be unpopular on matters which concern politicians as well.”

Where are the prophets?

 

Banksy photo: https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/art/banksy-in-palestine-a-look-at-the-street-artist-s-work-in-gaza-and-the-west-bank-1.1031618

Yet in the dark streets shineth

 

The Christmas story begins in darkness. There was the darkness of oppression, for God's people were a conquered people. They were a beaten and a defeated people. There was the darkness of persecution. Indeed, it was a despised universal taxation that brought the participants in the story together on that fateful night. There was the darkness of disillusionment. There was an ever-increasing number who felt that violence, not faith, was the most effective path. Yes, on that first Christmas, the mood was one of despair and resignation.

And thus, it was then and thus it is now. We too live in a world of darkness. There are wars and rumours of wars, hunger and unemployment, racism, loneliness, and a sense of emptiness. I don't have to tell any of you about the darkness, because in one form or another, at one time or another, it has touched the life of each person here. We all know about darkness. We might think the Bible would reassure us. But it confirms there is darkness and will be darkness at times in our lives.

But it also tells us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “people who walk in darkness have seen a great light.” John’s Gospel records: The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. So we come together to sing again the words: Yet, in thy dark street shineth the everlasting light.

O little town of Bethlehem was written in 1868 by the Rector of Holy Trinity Church Philadelphia Phillips Brooks. He was inspired to write it following a visit to the Holy Land three years earlier, when, on Christmas Eve he had stood on the traditional spot of the shepherds’ fields and looked out over Bethlehem. Afterwards he’d joined in a five-hour church service and had been captivated by the powerful singing. He wrote:

“I stood in the old church close to the spot where Jesus was born. The whole church was ringing hour after hour with splendid hymns of praise to God. It seemed as if I could hear voices, I knew well telling each other of the wonderful night of the Saviour’s birth.”

The words of the carol capture the Christian truth that Bethlehem became a meeting place for all human longings (“the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”) And God’s response to human concerns is through giving us Jesus (“the wondrous gift”). And yet Earth remains silent and unaware of the enormity of what is happening. It seems that only the stars in the night sky and the angels know what is going on (“O morning stars together proclaim the holy birth”; “we hear the Christmas angels”).

The carol breathes silence and stillness. It asks to be sung in hushed reverential tones. After all we are told most people are sleeping and the streets are silent. But the arrival of God on earth in the person of his son Jesus causes the silent stars to break into song. Jesus, the holy child, the dear Christ – that is our saviour, is the wondrous gift. He is Emmanuel which means God with us.

“O little town of Bethlehem” tries to capture the mystery and meaning of what was happening on that first Christmas. The first Christmas begins in a specific geographical location – Bethlehem. But it ends in a spiritual place – our hearts. “So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven”.

But were Phillips Brooks to visit Bethlehem this year he would find it a very different place. For the Christmas celebrations this year will be muted. There will be no Christmas lights in Bethlehem this year. I’m not sure the old church he spoke of will be ringing hour after hour with splendid hymns of praise to God.

A few weeks ago the Catholic newspaper The Tablet reported that:

“The main churches in Bethlehem have agreed to cancel all non-religious Christmas celebrations this year in protest at the violence in Gaza, where deaths have reportedly passed 11,000.

The town, which lies six miles from Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, will only host religious ceremonies, with the annual nativity scene and Christmas tree deemed “inappropriate”.

The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem called upon the faithful to forgo any “unnecessarily festive activities” during the Christmas season this year and to “stand strong” with those facing the afflictions of war.”

Inevitably some have seen this as supporting Hamas. But I think that is wrong. The church leaders in Jerusalem have made it quite clear they are calling for peace. And calling for peace should not be seen as taking sides. The atrocities committed by Hamas in October were horrific. But whatever the right and wrongs of what the Israelis are doing in Gaza, undoubtedly innocent people are being injured and killed.

To remember all those who have died in the Israel/Palestine conflict, Methodist churches across the country were called upon to leave their second Advent candle unlit this year.

The call not to light the candle, which represents peace, on the second Sunday in Advent (10 December) and on subsequent Sundays, follows the news that celebrations to mark Christmas in the Holy Land will be subdued this year.

The Revd David Hardman, Methodist Liaison Officer, Jerusalem, is currently fulfilling his role from the UK and remains in touch with those living in the Middle East.  David explained, “Our Christian colleagues in Bethlehem tell us that this Advent and Christmas the lights that normally adorn the birth place of Jesus will remain unlit in memory of those who have been killed in the current conflict. We are inviting Methodist churches in Britain to leave the second candle of Advent unlit to serve as a reminder that we stand in solidarity with all who are suffering in the Holy Land.”

I had my misgivings about this. I understood fully the need to stand in solidarity. But to me our message is about Christ the Light of the World coming into the darkness.

The good news of Christmas is that in the midst of a deep darkness there came a light, and the darkness was not able to overcome that light. It was not just a temporary flicker. It was an eternal flame. “Yet in the dark street shineth and everlasting light” We need to remember that. There are times, in the events of the world and in the events of our own personal lives, that we feel that the light will be snuffed out. But the Christmas story affirms that whatever happens, the light still shines.

We need to hear these words this Christmas as the families of war-torn Israel both Jewish and Palestinian are overwhelmed with grief. We need to hear these words as the families of Ukraine and Russia are suffering this season. The darkness is real. But because of Christmas, it will never get so dark that you can't see the light. Into the darkness God sent an eternal light.

As you walk outside this evening, notice that the darkness does not intrude upon the light. On the contrary, it is the light that intrudes upon the darkness. Light is always stronger than darkness. And the forces of light are stronger than the forces of darkness.

The greatest need in our mixed up and confused world this day is to let people know that there is hope. That life is worth living no matter what. We should not be discouraged to the point of despair. In Jesus Christ we shall cling to the hope that life overcomes death, that love conquers hate, and that truth will prevail over falsehood. We are the people of light, and we must share that light in a dark and a dreary land.

Why do you think that God chose to use a star to guide the Wisemen to Bethlehem? I am convinced that it was not by accident. It was an eternal reminder to them and to us that in a sea of darkness, it is the light that keeps us going forward. It is the light of hope and the light of Christ that leads the way and dispels the gloom. It is my prayer that the light of Christmas will shine and enlighten the dark corners of your life and that you, too, will discover the pathway to Bethlehem.

 With acknowledgements to Sermons.com for inspiration for this 

You never know what you might lose in the Casino

 

As I’ve referred to several times before in this blog, 2^nd September 2016 was the day my world changed thanks to being diagnosed with a “Triple A” (abdominal aortic aneurysm – a phrase I have to Google every time.) For the first two or three years that date always made me feel sad and depressed. Like a reverse birthday. Now, seven years on, I don’t give it much thought.

One of the consequences of what happened was I became disabled. The blood supply to my right leg was interrupted and I had a deep vein thrombosis. The nerves in the right leg became damaged and have never fully recovered. Therefore I am left with limited movement in the right leg. It’s no longer much a of an issue. It was it is.

I now walk with two sticks. Well I should say when I am out and about. Bearing in mind I can’t walk far anyway, outside I use two sticks as it feels safer. I can manage indoors with one stick and this dear reader brings me to the subject of this blog.

We’ve recently been on holiday in France. We were staying in a lovely house on the Normandy coast near the small town of Port Bail.

One evening as I was getting ready for bed, as part of my nightly routine I went to retrieve my walking sticks. You see dear reader at home I get round the house either with one stick, usually (but not always) leaving the spare stick propped up in the hall. However, sometimes I can manage without a stick – think of toddlers learning to walk by moving from one piece of furniture to the other and you get the idea. This then means come bedtime when I need one stick to go upstairs there can be a game of “hunt the other walking stick" if I've not left the spare in the hall.

I got into a similar pattern in France. Therefore, this particular evening heading for bed, I went to retrieve both sticks to take both with me so I knew where they were. But I could only find one. I looked around the house in the places I might have left the other one – the bathroom, the kitchen, on the patio,  - and I couldn’t find it. No problem I must have left it in the car. I remembered helping carrying some shopping from the car that afternoon. I must have left one stick behind so that I had a free hand,

A beautiful late summer morning dawned, and I set off in the car to go the boulangerie to get bread and croissants for breakfast, as you do in France. I opened the car expecting to find the other stick but it wasn’t there. Mysteriuex (or should it be mysterieuse?)

Coming back to the house I realised that I must have left the other stick at the Casino.

Now, before you all clutch your pearls, and have a fit of the vapours at the thought of a Methodist minister being in a Casino, I should explain. The small super market in Port Bail is run by a company called Casino. (I think possibly because it’s a gamble whether you’ll find what you want.) We’d been to the Casino the previous afternoon. I vaguely remembered leaving stick number 2 at the check out propped up as I helped unload the shopping trolley.

To my shame, my French is limited. I didn’t pass O level French. We didn’t speak much with the focus on reading and writing. Consequently I have quite a good vocabulary and can read fairly well. But that’s it. As a result I wasn’t sure of the French for “I think I left my walking stick here yesterday”. Google is our friend and I was told the phrase is “Je pense que j’ai laisse ma canne ici hier”.

On previous visits to the Casino one of the young men on the checkouts spoke pretty good English so of course I was hoping he’d be there when I went back. Non. There was another young chap. Oh well. “Bonjour monsieur. Je pense que j’ai laisse ma canne ici hier” I proclaimed in my best Officer Crabtree French accent. He looked blankly at me. Resisting the urge to explain very loudly in slow English, I tried again. “Je pense que j’ai laisse ma canne ici hier”. Another blank look. Conscious of the queue of bewildered French people behind me, I showed the young man the screen shot of the phrase on my phone. The light dawned. Une epiphanie.

Off he went to hunt for the stick. Firstly searching for it  under a pile of boxes for customers to use for their groceries. Then disappearing into a back office. Both with no luck. Oh well. Comme ci comme ca. “Merci for trying”.

But then. What is this sticking out from a shelf near his checkout? Une canne! Voila! Incroyable!

The young man proudly presents me with the walking stick. Tears swelling in his eyes. The crowd behind me applauding! La Marseillaise playing over the Casino loud speaker system.

I don’t have the heart to tell him – or indeed the French – that this wasn’t my stick. But anyway c’est la vie. Never mind at least I have two sticks. (And the French stick is adjustable like my own. It even looks similar.)

But of course now I feel slightly guilty. What if a French person comes in looking for their stick and I have taken it? Well it is a Casino. It’s the luck of the draw, la chance de tirage au sort as I believe they say.

Two days later my wife is hoovering in the sitting room of the house. She lifts the cover of the sofa and what does she find? My missing stick. Yes dear reader. It wasn’t in the Casino at all. It was hiding beneath the sofa. Sous la canape. (Who knew the French had taken the word we use to describe little tasty bits of food to describe a sofa?)

Now I have three sticks and even more guilt. In my mind I see an old French lady hobbling along la rue using a stale baguette as a stick, accompanied by the music of Jean de Florette.

I must do something. I return to the Casino.

If my French wasn’t up to asking if they’ve found my stick, it certainly isn’t up to explaining “I was here a couple of days ago as I thought I’d lost my stick. You gave me a stick but it wasn’t the right one. Anyway I now have found my stick elsewhere so I am bringing the French stick back.”

I hatch a cunning plan. A ruse du guerre if you will. I will go into the Casino and “accidentally” leave the French stick behind.

I wander in. “Bonjour mesdames et monsieurs” lifting mon chapeau. I casually approach les fruits et legumes section and browse the selection of pommes and pommes de terre, before nonchalantly leaning the French stick up against the counter. I glance around. No one is watching and I wander off, British stick in one hand, French stick left behind and head for the sortie. Mission accomplie.

NB I know some of the French spelling should have accents. But I'm not sure how to access those on my clavier d'ordinateur

Trains and evangelism

 

A few years ago, a friend of ours, Liz, was 50. As part of her celebrations Liz set herself the challenge of walking around the Imber Range Perimeter path on Salisbury Plain. It is 30 miles long. But Liz decided to do it in sections and invited friends to join her to walk a section and then go a for a meal afterwards. On one particular day my wife Anne and I agreed to meet Liz. At last minute Anne couldn’t get out of work so Liz and I set off from Tilshead to Bratton. I have very fond memories of that day. (It proved to be the last occasion I was able to do such a walk due to my subsequent illness.)

Liz and I tramped along chatting about this and that. Stopping every now and again to admire the view or take a photo.

Towards the end of the walk, I stopped and said “Ooh. I can hear a train. It’s a Class 66”. (I need to explain that a Class 66 is a type of engine that pulls freight. And they have a distinctive sound.) Liz smiled and said, “I didn’t realise you liked trains too.”. Since then to Anne’s bemusement, Liz and I occasionally talk trains and model railways. (Though in my defence Liz is more of a train geek than I am*.)

The reason I mention this is that Liz, Anne and I had known each other for quite some time but until that walk, and my (correctly) identifying a Class 66, Liz and I did not know we had this railway thing in common.

I can’t help but wonder how often followers of Jesus don’t talk about their faith to others? To be evangelists?

Evangelism has unfortunately become a dirty word to many people. People know it exists, but they associate it with old fashioned tent revival meetings, street preachers and fundamentalists.

This is unfortunate because at its heart evangelism is the work of those who are the messengers of good news. The word “Evangelist” itself has the same roots as “angel”. And surely if ever there was a time for people needing good news it is now?

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, we read these words:

¹⁴ How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? ^{15 And} how can anyone tell them without being sent by the Lord? The Scriptures say it is a beautiful sight to see even the feet of someone coming to preach the good news. Romans 10: 14 – 15 CEV

So go on. Be ready to mention your faith. It can’t be half as embarrassing as admitting you’re a train geek!

* The fact that I have a model Class 66 on my bookshelf and Liz recently gave a me a book about Class 66 engines as an early birthday present does not mean I'm a geek.

Leading like Moses

 

Pentecost 2023

We think of Pentecost as the day we think of the coming of the Holy Spirit through a mighty wind, of speaking in tongues, being on fire with energy and love of God or even of acting as if drunk! These are all things we hear in the story of Pentecost in Acts. Consequently, that’s how we tend to think of Spirit filled people behaving or being.

But today I want us to look at a passage from the Book of Numbers Numbers: 11: 24 – 30 as the passage shows us how God’s Spirit can work in other ways too.

In order to get to grips with the passage, we need to look a bit further back in the story.

Moses has led the Israelites from Egypt into the wilderness. They have been there for many years and in chapter 11 of Numbers we are told that the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, Numbers 11:1 God was angry, and his anger was kindled. Then the fire of the Lord burned against them, and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Numbers 11:1

Moses intervened and God’s anger subsided. But people still complained.

⁴  ‘If only we had meat to eat! ⁵ We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; ⁶ but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.’

Once again God became angry. But this time Moses has also had enough. He is at his wits end. He has been faithful to God, he has led the people out of slavery in Egypt, he has been leading them through the wilderness as God directed. But the people still moan and complain.

¹⁰ Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, all at the entrances of their tents. Then the Lord became very angry, and Moses was displeased.

Moses was displeased. What an understatement. He is fed up with the people moaning and groaning. (How many church leaders can relate to this I wonder?) But Moses is also displeased with God.

 ¹¹ So Moses said to the Lord, ‘Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favour in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? ¹³ Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come weeping to me and say, “Give us meat to eat!” ¹⁴ I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me. ¹⁵ If this is the way you are going to treat me, put me to death at once—if I have found favour in your sight—and do not let me see my misery.’

Understanding Moses’ exhaustion, the Lord decides to act. And in doing so God demonstrates to Moses and to us something really important. If we try to respond to the crying of the needs of the world as individuals, we will soon find ourselves in despair.

God tells Moses to choose seventy people among the elders of Israel to help Moses carry the burden of leading the people. God then gives these elders some of the spirit that God has given Moses to enable them to fulfil their leadership roles.

The Holy Spirit means we do not have to carry a burden on our own. The Pentecost experience and the gift of the Holy Spirit mean that we always have a guide willing to lead and always be present in every circumstance. (Church Leaders take note – we do not have to carry everything on our own. Though I accept that’s easier said than done sometimes.)

Having chosen his seventy elders, and the seventy having been touched by the Holy Spirit, Moses can now be assured that he is not on his own. There are others who can help him lead the people of Israel.

Things are looking better.

But then we are told that the Spirit rested upon two men who had remained in the camp

²⁶  one named Eldad, and the other named Medad,

And they too began to prophesy and in so doing take some the weight from Moses.

Fair enough we might say. The Holy Spirit moves where the Holy Spirit moves. However,

 ²⁸  Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men,^[c] said, ‘My lord Moses, stop them!’

Moses realises that Joshua is driven by jealousy and Moses refuses to do as Joshua said. In fact, Moses says:

Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!’

Words that remind me of John Wesley

“Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.”
― John Wesley

Of course, Joshua’s jealous reaction is something many of us will have seen in church life. Joshua may well have been motivated by a sense of possessiveness. He didn’t want someone else taking over his turf. Sadly, in the life of the Church how often do people put up barriers to keep others out so that they can keep their own self-importance?

Or perhaps Joshua just didn’t want someone else sharing the limelight with Moses and himself. Joshua was Moses second in command and perhaps had a sense of taking on the role of leader from Moses in due course. And he is protective of his position accordingly. Again, in a church context often people are reluctant to share a leadership role or even give it up so as not to lose the coveted public attention they might receive when being the sole person in charge.

It is noticeable that Moses doesn’t react that way. He doesn’t seem to mind that others are now in leadership positions with him. Nor does he object when God took some of the spirit that was on Moses and put it on the seventy elders; 

We could easily interpret this as meaning that Moses gave up some of his authority when some of God’s spirit was taken from him.

It would be a very human reaction. We who have been given much of something want to hold on to it. We do not wish it to be shared. We do not wish to relinquish it. It explains how some nations are more abundant than others. It explains how the rich get richer and the poorer get poorer.

If we apply this understanding to our spiritual resources, we can believe there is only so much to go around and therefore we must protect what we have as we wouldn’t want to lose it all. With this mindset churches become selfishly protective of their resources whether that is financial resources or people.

Moses wasn’t diminished when some of God’s spirit was taken from him. I think a good way of thinking about this is – that the gift of the spirit is like the gift of wisdom. When a person shares wisdom the act of sharing that wisdom take nothing away from the giver. Rather it is a like using one candle to light another candle. The first candle doesn’t lose its light because it shares with a second candle. In fact, the light becomes brighter through the sharing.

In taking his spirit from Moses I think we can see it as God sharing the wisdom and experience Moses has gained with the seventy who in turn will pass this on to others. When leaders share their skills, authority and resources with others, this does not diminish their effectiveness. Rather it enhances it. And in the sharing the community grows in its own wisdom and skills too.

This is a slightly abridged version of a sermon preached at Pentecost 2023 at Central Methodist Chippenham.

I am grateful for the resources of Feasting on the Word which inspired this sermon