Across the World from Erie to Australia
Across the World from Eire to Australia
After more than 30 years in the Truth, in 1988, June and I moved from Scotland to the Republic of Ireland in response to an appeal from the CBM. The original plan was to stay for a year, but eventually this extended to 16 years, after which we migrated to New South Wales in order to be nearer our family.
Initially we were involved in preaching and pastoral work in Dublin, but after 15 months we moved to Ballymartle in County Cork — 12 miles south of Cork City and 170 miles from Dublin. The nearest ecclesia was in Waterford, nearly 100 miles east of Ballymartle. Over the years we got to know it well. We have never liked living in isolation, and very much missed going regularly to other ecclesias, fraternal gatherings, and special efforts in Scotland and northeast England. We learned to cope with our circumstances, and were very well blessed with visits from brothers and sisters. Since there are only about 20 brothers and sisters in the whole of the Republic, plus two very small ecclesias in Northern Ireland (UK) at Belfast, their visits were especially welcome.
The response to witnessing in Ireland was varied. The Mini-Bex Exhibition was used on several occasions in different venues; vacation campaigns were held; and several billing efforts were supported by brothers and sisters from UK. Trickles of requests for the Glad Tidings magazine and other literature continued. Across the years a considerable number of friends have completed correspondence courses. The encouragement generated by our friends’ lively interest in the Word was marred by acute disappointments. We are convinced that a good number have grasped the essential features of the Truth; however, many stopped short of baptism. There have been a few baptisms in the Republic.
At times we had problems with the Irish accent and pronunciation! In one discussion group we thought a visitor was talking about “fate” ñ after a few minutes we realised that he was speaking about”faith”! In more recent years considerable interest was shown in seminars, but this interest seemed to be focused on getting to know the Bible better, rather than a desire to search for truth.
One of our main problems was finding suitable accommodations for meetings, as the Roman Catholic Church is involved in the management of most schools, community centres, and public halls. In a good number of areas Roman Catholics comprise between 90 and 95% of the population. The Catholic Church did not see us as a threat, generally speaking, but some local priests could make life extremely difficult for interested friends and potential converts. There were a small number of militant evangelicals around of the Ian Paisley ilk, who sometimes disrupted meetings and exhibitions. One thing we soon learnt was not to refer to ourselves as Protestants, as many people in Eire associate Protestantism with militant fundamentalists.
There were very marked changes during our 16 years of sojourn. The power of the Roman Catholic Church was weakened considerably due to serious sex scandals. Increased secularisation has also played an important part, and resulted in the weakening of ties between the Church and the major political parties. Attendance at Mass appeared to continue at a high level, particularly in rural areas. Nevertheless, we did form the impression that attendance at church was more a social function than a religious one. It seemed for the most part that the more modern younger generation continued to attend in order to please ‘Mommy’.
Another marked change was the considerable increase in wealth generated by membership in the European Union, although these riches were distributed somewhat unevenly. Picturesque hovels have been replaced by modern cottages, villas, and holiday homes.
The worship and adoration of the Virgin Mary is very prominent in Ireland, to such a degree that one brother suggested that the Holy Trinity had been replaced by the “Holy Quartet”! The late Pope John Paul II had a tremendous influence in this respect. Shrines to Mary abound — in public places, along the roadside, and in private gardens. Catholic churches are often elaborate edifices, and even very small villages had their own church. Over the years we witnessed thousands going to Mass, but we never saw any worshipper carrying a Bible. This was in marked contrast to our experience in Scotland.
Even though the power of the Church had been eroded to a considerable extent, it still received considerable media coverage in Ireland. This was in marked contrast to religious reporting by the Australian media. Several months ago, the Australian ABC-TV channel broadcast the result of a poll of Australians regarding “my favourite book”. The winner was Lord of the Rings, followed by Pride and Prejudice, and third was the Bible, which was a very pleasant surprise. Certainly this would not have happened in Ireland, where it was not unusual for a household to be without a single Bible. Mass, however, was a regular feature on television and radio, both of Sundays and special occasions, and there was even coverage of Protestant services.
For the most part, it is obvious that Australia is a very secular society. However, in contrast to the weakening of ties between church and state in Ireland, the religious right in Australia appears to be progressively exercising considerable influence on the political landscape. The emergence of the “Family First” party, which has very close links with the Pentecostal Church, is a significant development. The growth of a multi-cultural society is very evident, and there is concern over the influence of Islamic fundamentalists. And we are struck by the wide range of religious buildings of both Christian and other faiths.
It was a strange experience for us to observe Christmas “down under”: blue skies, hot days, light evenings — contrasted with grey skies, dark nights and cold weather in Ireland. Generally speaking, the commercial activity associated with Christmas seems to start later in Australia, and has much less of a religious tone than in Ireland. Even so, the commercialization of the “festive season” in Eire is widespread.
It is great to be involved in ecclesial activities again after our years in isolation in Ireland; we have been very warmly welcomed by our brothers and sisters in Australia. When we first arrived we joined Wollongong Ecclesia, but recently we have transferred to Mittagong, which is now more convenient for us to attend.
What has impressed us so far in Australia is the vastness of the continent, and the tremendous distances involved, not just in travelling interstate, but within the separate states themselves. Associated in our minds with this vastness is the scale of the missionary work in Asia. The ecclesias of each state in Australia, plus New Zealand, have responsibility for preaching and pastoral work for particular regions of Asia, including China. This is an immense venture for the brotherhood in Australia and New Zealand.
Many ecclesias hold weekend or week-long camps, usually by the coast; weekend preaching efforts are held to support very small ecclesias, and/or brothers and sisters in isolation. These efforts appear to be similar to the ‘Study and Serve’ weekends practiced in the U.K. and Ireland.
One must emphasise that these early impressions of ecclesial life in Australia are based on limited experiences. We do really appreciate the fellowship that we now enjoy with our brothers and sisters “down under”.
Kenneth Camplin, Mittagong, AU
"Early one morning..."
Our Bible class was studying Ezekiel 24.
Early one morning the prophet got a devastating message. “Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.”
Later that morning he went off to work as usual: “So I spoke to the people in the morning.” Then the “one blow” fell: “In the evening my wife died.”
Many of us will have watched on television the emotional scenes at the empty site of the World Trade Center on September 11. So many loved ones lost in 2001: wives, husbands, fathers, children. One business firm lost nearly 700 of its 900 employees. We will have seen many of the families still grieving for loved ones lost in that terrible “blow”.
Did Ezekiel love his wife? We read the chapter, and decided that he must have loved her deeply and passionately. The words are simple but full of powerful emotion: “the delight of your eyes... joy and glory... heart's desire”. Some in our Bible class have already gone through Ezekiel's experience and know what it is like. Some of us have lost a loved one, family member or close friend, gunned down in cold blood. Yes, we could share Ezekiel's pain.
Was God cruel to do this to Ezekiel? She was only in her thirties, with a young family, only married eleven years at the most. We discussed this seriously. Finally we all agreed that, yes, God was cruel. We could not avoid the conclusion.
But why? Here's where we had to think very hard. Then a brother said, “You know what this story reminds me of. The crucifixion of God's beloved Son. Wasn't that just as cruel?” We had to agree.1
It was then that the deeper meaning of the events in Ezekiel 24 dawned on us: “Ezekiel will be a sign to you.” Ezekiel represented God Almighty, the God of love. God loved, and still loves, His covenant people even more than Ezekiel loved his wife. God was showing Ezekiel how He felt about the loss of His beloved, His covenant people.
For us, this story of marital tragedy lifted the veil just a little to reveal what our Heavenly Father felt five hundred years later when He sent His beloved. “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard” (Mark 12:6-8). So who was cruel?
We wondered if Ezekiel ever came to terms with the loss of his beloved. Has the Father ever come to terms with how they treated His beloved, and treat him still? Even after his resurrection, the nail holes were still there. Are they still pierced now, even in glory?
In Ezekiel, a man desperately struggling to cope with his grief while pressing on with God's work, we could see a sensitive portrayal of the God of the Bible, the living and true God, “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished” (Exod. 34: 6,7).
Yes, at our Bible class we all saw a little deeper into the heart of God, and it did us a world of good.
Kingston, Jamaica, Bible Class
Footnotes:
1 There is a problem with the word “cruel” here, at least by American English standards. “Cruel” is defined by Webster's New World Dictionary as enjoying another's suffering, or at least being indifferent to it, i.e., without mercy or pity. Surely, even when He brings or allows “bad things” upon His children, the LORD God is not “cruel”. “Harsh” or “severe” might be better choices, given the verses cited in the Bible class. Alternatively, and perhaps more to their point, it might be more accurate to substitute “seemed cruel” for “was cruel”.
* * * * *
Observation: In at least two other instances, God seems to be telling us that the experiences of men in the Bible provide insights into His own feelings toward us, His family. In other words, certain men at certain times actually become patterns, or types, of Almighty God:
(1) After reviewing all the animals, Adam realizes (as God says) that “it is not good for [him] to be alone”, but that he needed a “suitable companion” or “help-mate” (Gen. 2:18). So God gave Eve to Adam. And all of God's work from that day to this, especially involving His Son, has been for the same express purpose, but this time it is the purpose of God Himself: to create for Himself a “companion” (actually, a multitude of companions) to enjoy His own eternal fellowship, and - also - for God to enjoy! That is what the “new creation” is all about.
(2) Abraham's heartrending “sacrifice” of his specially-beloved son Isaac (Gen. 22) is specifically shown by Paul to be a designed pattern of the Divine Father's own just-as-heartrending sacrifice of His Only-Begotten Son. We know this because Genesis 22:16 (“I swear by myself, declares the LORD... you [Abraham] have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son”) is directly cited by the apostle in Romans 8:32, applying the sacrifice to God (“He [God Himself]... did not spare his own Son, but gave him up...”). Again, a man typifies God!
It looks as if Ezekiel, Adam, and Abraham at least - although mere humans - are also divinely-inspired types of the Eternal God, and that His love and His sorrow and His loss are revealed, and “humanized”, through them.
So... a question for readers: It is quite common for men to typify Jesus Christ, but not nearly so common for men to typify the Heavenly Father. What other instances of this can you find in the Bible? We'd be pleased to hear about them.
Editor
"Beware the Tongue"
Life and death are in the power of the tongue. It is a curse and a scandalmonger, a deceiver and a liar. It has ruined many lives. The tongue has shaken many marriages, and has driven nations to war with one another.
It overturns the house of God and has members running from ecclesia to ecclesia to avoid its sting and to search for peace. It sows discord among brethren. It drives wives, and husbands, out of house and home, and deprives them of their due reward for labour, and of good relationships with their families. It separates parents from their children and children from their parents.
Those who wag their tongues in thoughtless haste will never know peace. The wrath of God will be upon them.
The stroke of a whip will give you a wound, but the stroke of an unbridled tongue will break your heart. A thousand may fall by the edge of the sword, but ten thousands by edge of the tongue. The pain and death it inflicts are immeasurable.
But it cannot gain hold over the man and woman of God because, even though a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit, the tongue of the wise brings healing (Prov. 15:4).
James has given us three tests of “pure religion”: (1) bridling the tongue; (2) caring for the needy; and (3) keeping oneself unspotted from the world (1:26,27). It is no surprise when he tells us that the most important of these is control of the tongue: “The tongue is a little member but boasts great things... The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity... It defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature... It is an unruly evil full of deadly poison” (James 3:5,6,8).
People of God, let us be conscious of the tongue. Ask God to tame the tongue. Keep strong in the Lord at all times, speaking always with grace. Speak the truth every man to his neighbour. Put away all lying. Confess Christ freely before men. Confess your faults one to another. Pray without ceasing, and be zealous to do good works. Read aloud the word of the Lord. Let Christ dwell in your heart by faith. Then, out of the fullness of the heart the mouth will speak. Only a grapevine can bear grapes. A pure spring can refresh the soul. Use your tongue for prayer, not scandal. Bless them that curse you. Pray for those who spitefully use you and afflict you. Only then will the tongue be clean. Only then will the tongue keep you from the “hell” of fire.
In closing, remember these words: Let the love of God enfold you; let the light of God surround you; let the presence of God watch over you. Then, and only then, will He - and not the “devil” within - rule over your tongue.
Rosita Wright, Clarendon, Jamaica
“Those who are full of their tongues seldom look well to their feet, and therefore stumble and fall” (Matthew Henry).
Meaningful Moments
My 737 jetliner was just passing take-off speed with a capacity load on the short runway, at Gerrard Smith International Airport on Cayman Brac, when the left engine exploded in a ball of fire and flying fragments. Somehow, by God's grace, we came to a stop on the very edge of the ocean. One of the passengers was Mabry Kirkconnell, Speaker of the Cayman Islands Parliament. Back in the arrival hall, he asked all passengers and crew to gather round him and bow our heads in prayer. He gave one of the most moving prayers of thanks I have ever heard. His concluding sentence was a special moment for me:
“And, Lord, help us to thank you just as sincerely and deeply each day for the ordinary blessings of life as we do today for so miraculously saving our lives. Amen.”
I am sure that, since then, I have in fact been a much more thankful person.
*****
On a visit to another country, I inadvertently left my suit jacket behind in a closet.
Back home, three weeks later I received a parcel. It contained my jacket, newly dry-cleaned, beautifully pressed, and carefully folded in special packaging.
This was a great deal more than a “cup of cold water” gesture. It was a powerful lesson to me of what Jesus meant by going the extra mile.
*****
Many years ago, the ecclesia in Georgetown, Guyana, put a small ad in a Caribbean newspaper offering literature. One respondent was a man named Burke. He wrote telling us that he had a question, and asking if someone would visit him. A young brother and sister went to his home and found him in a rocking chair on his verandah, swinging gently to and fro while reading a faded old Christadelphian booklet. After a few courtesies, and a truly delicious papaw (papaya), he said, “Young man, I have a question. I went to a Christadelphian meeting 57 years ago and picked up this book. I have read it many times since then. This book is telling me that the doctrine of the Trinity is not in the Bible. Am I correct?” “You are correct,” the young brother replied, and reached for his Bible. But Mr. Burke would not be drawn further. “Thank you. That's all I want to know.”
Meanwhile, the young sister was chatting with Mrs. Burke. “My husband tells me that I must give up believing in the Trinity. I asked my pastor at St. Luke's and he tells me that Herbert is a heretic on the road to hell. I really don't know what has come over him!”
One Sunday Herbert Burke appeared at the ecclesia and asked for baptism. He became a true pillar of the house of God for many years and was our serving brother. Only after her husband's funeral did Mrs. Burke leave St. Luke's Church and become a beloved sister in Christ. What a surprise awaits our sleeping brother!
*****
I was driving a young sister, sadly now asleep in Christ, to Bible class. On some roads it is not wise to give lifts to strangers, even women. So when a young lady waved for a lift, I passed her by. The young sister beside me tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Please stop. She will become a sister in Christ.”
I stopped and reversed. “Please, where are you going?” the young stranger asked. “To a Bible class,” I replied, indicating the town. “May I come too?” was her response.
She not only came to the Bible class, but she also became our sister in Christ.
*****
When I as quite young, the minibus I was in had a head-on collision with a truck. I awoke in hospital. Many years later I was in another country thousands of miles from my home, and was invited to a social function in connection with my job. I saw this man looking at me very intently for such a long time that I became embarrassed. Finally, he came over to me and asked, “You're from the West Indies, right? Were you in a bad minibus accident years ago?” “Yes, I was,” I replied, and briefly described it. “How do you know? And why do you ask?”
“I lived in the house right beside the scene of the accident. I took you to the hospital and saved your life.” What could I say next? As you might expect, we became the best of friends.
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The CHRISTADELPHIAN TIDINGS of the Kingdom of God