Helpless Addict or Slave to Sin?

In a previous post, I asked the question, “What are you living for?” I suggested various things that people live for and how these can become idols if we don’t keep them in their proper place.

What happens, though, when we find ourselves obsessed with things that seem to have the power to control us? When we’ve already succumbed to the temptation and find ourselves in the grip of an addiction from which it seems impossible to break free.

I’ve just finished reading, The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. Perhaps, some of you are already wondering why on earth I would be reading such a book. Don’t worry, I found myself wondering the same thing several times as I progressed.

I read this book because I wanted to see whether the perspective of the author on shopaholism is what had resulted in the crazy numbers of sales of this series. In other words, I was curious about how the author would deal with something that, judging by the title, she classes as an addiction. What solutions would Sophie Kinsella offer for those trapped in these situations?

I definitely set the bar too high by expecting to find anything really useful in a worldly book written to appeal to the masses. Kinsella takes a light-hearted, humourous, (and in places offensive), approach to the subject of shopping addiction. She recommends; ignoring debt letters until your cards are cancelled, continuing to spend like a crazy person whenever you feel unhappy or just whenever you see something you want, lying to all and sundry about anything and everything, including lying on your CV to get a job that you know nothing about, and borrowing from strangers. Oh, and sleeping with someone because they are rich and famous.

Kinsella’s message is not very subtle: poor Becky Bloomwood is at the mercy of her addiction and unable to do anything about it. First, she tries cutting down her spending only to find that she ends up spending more money by investing in things she needs in order to cut down. She abandons this plan and decides she needs instead to make more money. After a few failed projects, she eventually manages this by a stroke of luck, and that is the solution to her shopping addiction because now she can get out of debt and continue spending in a self-indulgent fashion.

I’m aware this is a fictional character, but the author is attempting to comment on the realities that some people face. This isn’t Alice in Wonderland where everything is topsy turvy and things get curiouser and curiouser in a nonsensical universe. Becky Bloomwood is, by all accounts, a relatively normal girl attempting to navigate life and struggling due to her addiction to buying things, whether or not she can afford them.

Kinsella turns her character’s very real obsession with spending and shopping into a joke, or at least something that is normal. She underpins and cements society’s erroneous belief that if they could just make more money, then everything would be okay, and they would be happy. She forgets that most people live to their income; they increase their standard of living according to how much they earn. It will always be the same people in debt and struggling to make ends meet however much they earn. Even those who win huge sums of money often end up bankrupt and miserable.

Money cannot buy happiness. The Bible tells us to be content with what we have and not to covet/desire the things we don’t. The more things we have the more we will want because eventually we will become dissatisfied and want something better.

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13 vs 5

As someone who has struggled with addictions to, among other things, gambling, alcohol and smoking. I can look back and see the point where I gave in to the temptation to play the slot machines, drink too much and buy a pack of cigarettes. Each time I did these things after that first wrong choice, it became easier, and I needed more of whatever it was to keep me interested and satisfied. The more I gave in, the more the thing began to take over my life and to control me. At times, I was living for my next drink/night out and the thrill of risking (losing!) some money to make more. It was all I could think about and my life revolved around the obsession.

This is how I know that, despite what the experts may tell us, addiction to anything begins with giving in to a sinful temptation. The Bible speaks about our consciences being seared with a hot iron or becoming dulled if we persistently ignore them. Ending up addicted to anything is not about genetics, or life’s circumstances, it’s about sinful choices. This is evidenced by the lives of those who come from terrible backgrounds but still manage to make something of themselves.

Kinsella’s book is full of bad language, in particular frequent uses of God’s name as a swear word. At one point, the character, Becky Bloomwood, even writes a diatribe about having become a “born again Christian” to her bank as a reason for not paying off her debts. The tone used in the reply from the bank is contemptuous towards the character but also towards God. I was surprised to find this mockery of the Christian faith in this book as it has nothing whatsoever to do with the subject matter.

On reflection, I realised that God has everything to do with this subject. Sophie Kinsella has thrown in a laugh at the expense of a God who she rejects and considers worthy of contempt. The fear of God, in generations past, has all but disappeared, leaving a dangerous irreverence and willingness to mock a Deity who is considered insignificant and irrelevant. These books have become so popular because the author’s modern-day readers feel the same way about God and are not afraid to join with her in expressing it.

Kinsella no doubt began by blaspheming as a child, she ignored her conscience telling her that it was wrong to speak God’s name in this way. It became more frequent and her conscience was dulled. Now, she has become a best-selling author and is helping to sear the consciences of her readers who soak up this material and allow the name of God to be profaned without a second thought.

I’m sure you can see the parallel between the willingness to use bad language and the way other addictions develop. It all starts by ignoring our God given conscience and choosing to give in to sinful temptations. (Of course, sin begins in our hearts which are corrupt, but that’s another topic.)

Do people end up at the mercy of their addictions? Yes, of course they do. We can see it all around us, whether it be addictions to shopping, drugs, alcohol or something else that has taken over our lives and become an unhealthy obsession that consumes us.

What, then, is the solution?

The first thing is to recognise that whatever it is that has enslaved you began with a sinful choice. Don’t blame it on someone else, or your background or circumstances. Take responsibility for it and face up to the consequences.

The good news is that there is hope. God created us and knows exactly how we are wired and how our bodies and minds function. He is the only One who can truly help us to break free of these addictions by enabling us to exercise self control. We may also need support and help from other people and practical advice about changing habits and behaviours, but it all starts with acknowledging that we have sinned against God and by asking for His help.

All sin is against God and the Bible says that we are all guilty. Giving in to temptation and allowing any substance, habit or material thing to take over our lives is a sin as it has become an idol to us. God sent His only Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sin. Jesus paid the penalty so that we don’t have to. He literally stepped in and took our place. It is through Jesus that we can be free of addictions and obsessions that are controlling our lives.

I read another book recently, From Alcoholism to Africa, on the subject of addictions, and extracted this quotation which sums up how all addictions, (including shopaholism), can be dealt with:

“Whilst I was reading the Bible I could not find any sin called 'alcoholism' or any reference to me being a sick person, it was called 'drunkenness' and the Bible said if I acknowledged, confessed and repented my sin I could be forgiven. Also in 1 John 1 it says that if I am without sin I am calling God a liar and the truth is not in me. The Word of God is the Truth and it is the truth that sets me free. God was definitely working on me as I read the Bible.”

Praise God that we are not helpless addicts, nor do we need to be slaves to sin, because Jesus died to set us free!

How the Absence of God's Light Always Leads to Hopelessness

I went to the local library this week to see if I was missing out on some good Christian books. Unfortunately, the "Religious" section (there was no Christian section) consisted of two small shelves largely containing "self-help" books and a few about Buddhism. Then it seemed to have been merged with the "Politics" shelf.....so I turned to the extensive "Biography" area and chose a number of books on subjects that interested me to see what other people are reading. Knowing that these were not Christian books I was prepared for the bad language and decided that I wouldn't on this occasion be implementing my ruthless "three strikes" rule. That was just as well as the first two books had swear/curse words on virtually every page.....

I began with "Tango 190: Raoul Moat, the Gateshead Shootings & Life Without My Eyes" by PC David Rathband UK Readers will remember this story as Rathband was the tragic policeman blinded after being shot in the face by a wanted criminal in East Denton in 2010. A few years later he killed himself after separating from his wife. To read his story that describes events before, during and after the shooting was fascinating but I was also left with a sense of hopelessness, knowing that just a few short months after concluding his auto-biography things had taken a dramatic turn culminating in his eventual suicide in 2012.

Rathband obviously loved his job as a police officer and saw it as a fulfilment of his dream to have a noteworthy career, probably to prove himself to his family with whom he had a difficult relationship. It seems that he chose his girlfriend Kath despite opposition from his family and ended up marrying her some years later. The family feud/rift had come to a head several times during his initial hospitalisation and recovery as various family members were uncomfortably forced together at his bedside. Indeed, Rathband believed that some of these people only came out of the woodwork to get attention for themselves via the media interest in his case or to do their "duty" without any sincere affection.

Rathband alludes to having had a wandering eye and admits that earlier in his relationship with Kath he began having doubts about them, and with her "permission," spent a night with one of his ex-girlfriends, just to "check" whether or not things were right with Kath. He then called Kath who picked him up the next day.... My research indicates that according to Kath, the primary reason for their marriage failure was repeated infidelity on the part of Rathband even after losing his sight. In his book, he makes it very clear that Kath stood by him through the trauma of the events which were played out in the public arena and that she provided that stabling influence in his life that he could trust....

After Rathband's death his family continued fighting about a compensation case that he had launched against the police force he had been serving with at the time of the shooting. His claim was for negligence. It appears that the force had received a call from the shooter indicating that he was "hunting police." Rathband felt that officers on the ground should have been warned about this as it may have changed the sequence of events. Having read his account, I cannot see that it would've made much difference. In the end the compensation claim was dismissed.

I was saddened to read Rathband's story knowing what had happened after its publication. I felt the desperation of a man always striving to prove himself in life; first to his family as a child and later to his colleagues as a policeman. Having his eyesight stripped away made him vulnerable and insecure and he revealed these deep feelings in his account. The constant turmoil in his family due to the broken relationships and the refusal of any parties to reconcile/forgive also placed a burden on him. He focused on winning the court case against others involved in helping the shooter as if justice would help him find the happiness that eluded him, but he continued to be plagued by nightmares. His widow's allegations of infidelity do not surprise me as I had picked up that this was likely from reading his account.

Rathband made it clear in his book that he didn't believe in God and had no faith. As a Christian reading an account like this I was struck by the familiar fingerprints of the enemy on this tragic tale. The sin of violent crime which damaged the body physically, the greed/jealousy and unforgiveness that divided a family over money, the repeated infidelity resulting in a broken marriage, hurt children and the eventual suicide of the author. The striving for happiness in worldly things. The meaninglessness of lives lived without hope in God.

Secondly, I read "Hackney Child" (the language here was even worse.) Hope Daniels (not her real name) became a parent to her two younger brothers at the age of 5 as their own parents were alcoholics and seemingly incapable of looking after them. Her mother worked at home as a prostitute, encouraged by her father who repeatedly stole to fund his addictions. The family moved frequently and hid the neglect and poverty from social services and other authority figures. It seems that there were many around who were aware but no one who was willing to make a real difference/step in to really help these suffering children. This may have been due to the abuse those who did try to help received from the mother.

The most shocking incident occurred when the three children were alone in the house. The mother had somehow been officially "outed" as a prostitute and some of her clients were also in relationships with women who lived nearby. An angry mob descended on the house and basically trashed it, smashing the windows with bricks and writing abuse on the door. The children cowered upstairs thinking that they were at fault and that everyone hated them as they were "bad." A short time after this they presented themselves at a local police station requesting that they be taken into care. This was what happened and after that day they only returned home for short visits.

Once in care Hope struggled to trust authority figures and found herself running away from those she didn't trust. She battled a number of vices. She made it clear that her one desire was to be placed in a long-term foster home, but this was never realised. She remained in the system until she was 18 by which time, she was pregnant and addicted to alcohol....

Obviously, this is a story told from the perspective of Hope, but I was struck by the failure of the authorities to grasp what she was dealing with. It seemed that whenever she began to settle down and trust those taking care of her resulting in improved behaviour, she was suddenly moved and had to go through the whole process again. I do not know why this happened but Hope herself stated that she was crying out for a stable environment with boundaries and people she could trust. Hope has gone on to write two further books and is now married with two children. Her experiences did cause professionals to re-examine things and Hope now travels widely as a consultant for the care system in the UK.

The futility of this situation also jumped out of the pages but for different reasons than the first book. Here we have a care system that prevented Hope being placed in foster care. Initially it was because they wanted to keep her with her siblings but later just because she was a difficult child. Yet all Hope longed for was to be part of a real family, as God had originally intended. Promises were made and broken by professionals who couldn't/wouldn't tell her the truth resulting in frequent breaches of trust and a spiralling pattern of disruptive behaviour as Hope became convinced that she was doomed to follow her mother's path. Her own sin compounded her situation but where was the spiritual help and guidance she really needed; not within the care system which didn't/doesn't recognise the God of the Bible.

Reading these two books made me sad as they are representative of thousands of people in Britain and millions around the world. The sins documented at length in these books; family breakdown, abuse, neglect, crime, unforgiveness, jealousy, greed.....etc etc. They are also unfortunately representative of many of us as Christians in our ongoing battle for holiness. As I was reading both books, I kept waiting for the Christian to appear and bring Gospel light into these desperate situations. For that kindly friend or neighbour to invite this policeman or this young girl to church or even to pass a book/scripture verse along. But if that happened, it wasn't mentioned, in fact the absence of any type of Christian light or hope was the most tragic factor for me. We don't know what God would have done through someone willing to be used by Him as a witness to either of these people, but we do know that there were many people around both of these families at all times during their difficult circumstances.

Let us really SEE those around us and not avoid "difficult people," that might be an emotional drain. Let's seek opportunities to bring meaning into the lives of people caught up in sin and the painful toils of life's troubles with the hope that Jesus alone offers. My prayer is that in every biography, whether or not it has been authored by a Christian, there will be a mention of at least one person who sought to reach out to the author with Christ's forgiveness of sin and with hope for the future.



There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil. (Romans 2:9)

"There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." (Isaiah 57:21)

He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made. The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head. ( Psalm 7:15-16)

The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. (Proverbs 5:22)

The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires. (Proverbs 11:6)

The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. (I Timothy 5:24)

One sinner destroys much good. (Ecclesiastes 9:18)

The LORD laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. (Psalm 37:13)

For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1:6)

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (Galatians 6:7)

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8)

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4)

God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. (Hebrews 10:26-27)

But because of your stubbornness and you unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. (Romans 2:5)

The evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out. (Proverbs 24:20)

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men. (Romans 1:18)

On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. (Psalm 11:6)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our LORD.  (Romans 6:23)

Writing with Purpose or Glorifying Sin?

I have been reading a lot of contemporary Christian biographies recently and noticed an increasingly common trait among authors who have dramatic conversion testimonies; "I once lived like this, then I met Jesus....." But what are the intentions and motivations of these authors and how much detail should be placed in the public domain? How do non-believers respond to these stories and are they an effective evangelistic witness? Are we as Christians reading with a discerning mind or allowing our minds to be corrupted when reading these stories thinking that it is okay as the person was saved later down the line? How much detail is healthy for us to absorb?

This subject has been on my heart for a while having written my own Christian Biography "Planet Police" and prior to publication, editing various sensitive details and stories that I felt were too personal to be included. Now, I am glad that I did this as the issue of repeatedly thinking about, writing about or glorifying a past lifestyle of sin has emerged as a current worrying trend. It has always been around in a more diluted manner; "The Cross and the Switchblade" and other similar books, but the levels of depravity and details included have definitely increased over the years and God's primary role is beginning to take a back-seat. I recall in my Christian past having often relayed a humorous event from my back-slidden days in the world, but eventually I felt convicted about my attitude and realised that someone seeking to live a new life in Christ should feel a healthy sense of regret/remorse over their sin and would not therefore wish to dwell on it, especially in the presence of non-believers and definitely not as an entertainment piece.

Is there an exception? I believe that there can be, and that it is often about the purpose of the author when writing. I recently read "Girl in the Song: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Lost Her Way--and the Miracle That Led Her Home" giving it a positive rating. I felt this was a good example of a young author using her past sinful experiences to discourage others from taking the same path. God's grace was evident throughout the book and the author made it clear that her actions were sinful and described the awful consequences in enough detail for the reader to receive the warning without stirring curiosity/planting a seed of temptation causing them to stumble. One of the ways she did this was by including that she fell into sexual sin but without going into detail about it. She humbled herself through her very personal story and demonstrated a life transformed by the grace of God.

I also read "A New Name: Grace and Healing for Anorexia" by an author who struggled with anorexia that nearly destroyed her life, and continues to have an impact on her health. This was an example of the middle ground; I admired the honesty and vulnerability shown through the writing but at times I felt the author gave too much personal detail. I believe the intention of the author was to help others experiencing similar problems but maybe due to her personality she also wanted her story to be in the public domain for other reasons. I worried about the level of exposure for the author and her family especially as she continued her struggles after being saved by God.  I didn't feel that the author was glorifying sin with this book or that others would be tempted to sin by reading about it as she made it clear that it was an horrific path to take with terrible physical, mental and emotional consequences.

This blog post, however, will focus on the book "Street God: The Explosive True Story of a Former Drug Boss on the Run from the Hood--and the Courageous Mission That Drove Him Back" by Dimas Salaberrios that I have just concluded. The author began his story at childhood and described his very early descent, at the age of 11, into using and selling drugs. His ultimate dream/ambition was to become a "street god" and thereby rule over his drug dealing empire, he wished to experience the glamour of a drug funded lifestyle of fast cars, lavish events and beautiful women. But initially he ended up in prison....

Two thirds of the book were dedicated to his life of crime including gruesome details of numerous gang homicides. He described various characters using their "street names" and gave many details about their drug-dealing activities. He even described shooting someone in the head and only getting away with it because the gun jammed. He eventually descended into madness after achieving his dream of reaching the "top dog" position on his block. I am not going to go into more detail about his exploits as it may defeat the purpose of writing about this! Needless to say they are shocking and will definitely disturb some readers.

He is apparently "saved" when three women cast a demon out of him (he had been cursed by a witch.) I couldn't tell you whether his initial conversion was genuine (only God knows his heart) but his persistence in the Christian faith seemed to prove it later on and he is still in Christian ministry today according to his website.  After his experience he rushed from one church project to another, probably due to the excitement and the freedom generated by his new-found faith. At first he attended a church which later turned out to be a cult, he fell back into sin with a girl from this church. Then he attended a church where the Pastor was apparently having an affair with his secretary, so he left this one. Finally he ended up leading a Christian youth ministry and smuggling Bibles to a foreign country after being led to do this by a prophetic word....this all within months of his conversion.

He continued selling "pot" for a long time after his conversion believing that it was okay as it was a natural drug. He used the drug money to support various church projects leading to stage announcements about the sudden increase in church giving and the difference it was making in their community. Eventually he was confronted about this and stopped doing it. He also handed himself in to the police having been on the run for various serious crimes for a long time; he was released without penalty by a judge due to his changed life. I found this aspect hard to believe and felt it may teach people that serious sin has no earthly consequence.

His dream changed from being a drug lord to being head of a large Christian organisation. He became convinced that God was going to use him in "big and mighty ways" to reach many people. He didn't want to be part of anything small. He commented frequently on numbers of people making "decisions for Christ" in his meetings. In the middle of this he heard a message suggesting that men who may have children that they have not taken responsibility for should immediately get them DNA tested, he did this and discovered a 6 year old child living with her mother and siblings. He rushed to the location, believing that taking responsibility meant that the little girl should now live with him away from her mother and siblings. This was arranged and she lived with him for a few years, later returning to her mother....

He ended up becoming a figurehead and taking centre stage in an attempt to stop the government from ending the use of schools and community centres for church meetings. This was partially successful although he went on an extended hunger strike/fast during this process and nearly died (by this point he had a wife and children.) He was placed in leadership roles very early in his ministry by respected evangelical names eg Tim Keller. It seemed that he transferred his desire for power, a big name and a stage from the drug world to the church and others helped and encouraged him to do this. His life after conversion read as a helter-skelter of crazy events and rash decisions, it made me feel stressed just reading about it!

I found myself becoming more and more incredulous as I read his story and more and more concerned about those who were endorsing and contributing financially to his ministry. I can't comment on whether or not he matured after the events described in this book but as it was only published last year it seems unlikely to have happened yet. I'm also not going to comment on whether or not everything described is true; although during my research I came across an angry article written by one of his former street friends alleging that he had made a lot of this story up and that he had committed more serious undetected crime. His account always seemed to make him the "winner" of every fight and the "hero" in every situation.

This man seems to be a bit of a loose cannon, at times, even after his conversion, behaving recklessly. The initial story about his drug ventures was told with pride and in an arrogant fashion which didn't seem to improve significantly after he was converted; Once married he comments on his visit to a local prison that he was being "checked out" by the women who were not used to seeing a "good looking" man.  He included shockingly gruesome details in his book that could effect the minds of his readers and/or tempt them to sin. As Christians we should each determine whether or not we should be reading books containing gratuitous violence, drug taking, sexual content or bad language (although the latter doesn't appear in this book,) but the author also bears the responsibility for making this material available.

I was also concerned about the details he gave about the sin of others (the Pastor) and the various unhelpful church experiences he had. Why include these in a book? His stories are probably true but present the American church as disunited and in disarray internally which just assists the enemy who also wants to portray that image to those seeking the truth. I'm not suggesting a hypocritical display of purity to the outside world but some of these aspects should not be in the public domain and I cannot see that the author has gained anything by including them, apart from the shock/entertainment value.

What of unbelievers? This book may well appeal to teenagers aspiring to be gang members/leaders and they may realise that with a bit of work it is indeed possible. He described drug taking/dealing in enough detail to enable one to easily use this knowledge on the street, it could even be referred to as a "manual" for this type of activity. I believe he did this to show-off his knowledge without regard for the welfare of his readers. Later he dominated the Christian scene in the same way that he had dominated on the street.

What to make of this? I come back to my original concerns and question the wisdom of the author in writing a book like this. The author's testimony and personal walk with God were lost somewhere in the middle of his dramatic attempts to do "big things for God." We could all be in danger of this especially during the excitement of the first years after conversion when everything is new and different, but writing about it in this way seems to glorify sin in an unacceptable manner. I hope this author does feel healthy regret about his past life, those he injured and the offence it caused to a Holy God, it didn't come across in his book. I'm not suggesting that we cannot move on from our past sin or that Jesus' death was in any way insufficient to cover it. We know that God sees us as righteous in His sight and we are cleansed, renewed and start afresh with a new life as born-again believers. But part of that process is to feel remorse and to repent which would not include highlighting our error in a way that draws attention to our sin.

Our purpose in writing could be to discourage (warn) others from committing sins that we have fallen into; to allow them to learn from our mistakes, but with a personal testimony it should always also be to demonstrate God's grace in our lives through the transformation that has occurred. Our stories will only be an effective evangelistic witness if there is true transformation, a complete break from the old life and it is clear that God is the new centre of our lives. These motivations should shine through our writing and the reader should get the distinct impression that God is the true author of our personal stories and has brought these amazing events about. Our testimonies are not about us or about glorifying our sin, they are about God and His miraculous power to transform us even when we have sinned grievously in His sight.

Praise God for Jesus who has power over sin (and death!)

Psalm 96 vs 1-9

"Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts. Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth."

Psalm 115:1

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth."

John 17:4

"I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do."

Psalm 99:9

"Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His holy hill, For holy is the LORD our God."

Psalm 86:8-10

"There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, Nor are there any works like Yours. All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name. For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God."

2 Corinthians 4:13-15

"But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE," we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God."

1 Peter 4:11

"Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

1 Corinthians 10:31

"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Matthew 5:16

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

1 Peter 2:12

Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

Contextualising for the Culture or Changing the Gospel?

I had not really considered this subject before I was recommended two books by Don Richardson, Peace Child  and Lords of the Earth. Coincidentally, I then picked up Bruchko. I realised, at the conclusion, that all three books have the same central theme running throughout. They use cultural analogies to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ among primitive tribal people groups. I decided that this approach was worthy of further examination.

I have already reviewed, Peace Child, and Lords of the Earth. I enjoyed both books immensely and, although some people might be disturbed by the rampant violence and cannibalism in the initial chapters, I felt that this may have been necessary to demonstrate the total transformation that came about when these people found Jesus. In both of these books, the missionaries set about learning the tribal languages immediately, they were heart-broken every-time someone died without the Gospel as they felt the weight of the responsibility to communicate it before it was too late for others. This, I believe, is a natural human emotion for a missionary who already has a heart for the lost. Missionaries know that God is in control and that He understands the frustrations of learning languages/cultural barriers etc, but it doesn't change the pain of losing someone to a lost eternity.

Again, in both of these books, the missionaries conformed to the culture as much as possible; they lived and worked among the people, they led simple non-materialistic lifestyles, they learned the languages and behaviours, they studied the tribal history and culture, they ate some tribal food. They couldn't really dress like the natives, who wore very little, but had it been necessary to communicate the Gospel, I believe they would have found ways to work around this. They also needed to continue to eat some western food in order to remain healthy, as their bodies were just not used to the local delicacies.

However, the missionaries always made a distinction when things that were cultural became unbiblical. They did not compromise the integrity of the Gospel in order to blend in with the culture, even if it meant losing some of the relationships they had nurtured. This created some difficult situations, even showdowns, especially in relation to sickness when the people had their own methods, via their spirits, and the missionaries would only help them in the name of God. They knew that these people might die if they didn't receive easily administerable medicines, but they did not utilise the cultural methods knowing this would confuse the Gospel in the minds of the people. It might also strengthen the bonds of the people with their spirits if they weren't clear where the power had actually come from. Other situations also called for the missionaries to reject cultural practices in favour of biblical ones.

In both books the cultural analogies were used to assist in effectively communicating the Gospel. In Peace Child, the missionaries had come to a seemingly impossible barrier, as the people, on hearing the Gospel message, believed Judas was a hero as friendship betrayal was honoured in their culture. The peace child analogy, was necessary to correct this cultural misunderstanding. The missionaries found in both cases that there were cultural stories and traditions that could be used to enable the people to effectively understand the Gospel in terms that were culturally relevant. The Gospel message was still the same. The missionaries (or at least the author,) believed that God had planted these "redemptive analogies" within these cultures to enable the later spread of the Gospel, and he believed that similarities could be found hidden within every culture. This is certainly possible, as God the Creator prepared works in advance for His servants to complete.

So what about Bruchko? Some readers may see little difference. Indeed, there is little criticism of this book and many 4 and 5 star reviews. I found the stories almost unbelievable and it read like a work of fiction. Bruchko (Bruce Olson,) is the story of a recently converted American missionary who set off into the jungles of Venezuela and Colombia to attempt to single-handedly evangelise the Motilone Indians. He was immediately rejected by other Christian missionaries due to the unorthodox way that he arrived in their midst; no mission board or organisation, no funding, no clear plan etc etc. The callous way in which he was allegedly treated seems hard to believe, and I wonder if there was more to this story than what is relayed....

Anyway, Bruchko persevered, making his way into the jungle whilst struggling with disease, depression, and all manner of other things. He eventually found a tribal people and lived among them for a year, he learned their language. He then left them, only to be twice returned after being bucked by his mule. He finally left for good, and pursued his original goal of finding the Motilone Indians. The Indians tried to kill him on his arrival unannounced and unaccompanied into their territory. He spent several years living among them, learning the culture and the new tribal language. He did not even attempt to share the Gospel for a number of years believing that it would be misunderstood due to the culture. He waited until he saw a parallel (redemptive analogy) within the culture and then attempted to use this to share the Gospel. Later, his focus seemed to be on medical/health/educational improvements and land development. He remained living and working among the people for over thirty years. Many site this as evidence of his success, along with the fact that apparently 70% of the tribal people groups in this area are now "Christians." Subsequently, the Motilone Indians began evangelising other tribes....

There were some details, however, in Bruchko, that concerned me. I finished it feeling uncomfortable in a way that I hadn't on concluding the other two books. There were times when Olson's lack of preparedness made him a financial burden to others in a way that went beyond living by faith. He was often forced to go without food for days, even weeks, and became seriously ill and nearly died many times as a result. He was reliant on the kindness, generosity and goodwill of those that he ended up living among, both in the city, and in the jungle, in a way that embarrassed him (and probably them.) Does God want His servants to end up in these situations?

There were a few occasions noted where he committed acts of civil (criminal?) disobedience that weren't directly related to sharing the Gospel. He was informed that he couldn't go to a certain area without a VISA but he went anyway disregarding this instruction. He later persuaded a friend to give/steal a substantial quantity of medicine from stock belonging to the local oil company plant, due to an outbreak of disease in his tribe.

By far, the thing that I struggled with the most was his use of the local witch doctor to treat disease. Bruchko believed that the witch doctor was actually trying to harness the power of God and that she was just ignorant in her methods. She was regularly chanting over her patients. Bruchko deliberately infected himself with an illness (by transference of substance from a sick patient) in order to convince the witch doctor to use his medicine instead. This whole approach seemed to me to be taking cultural conformity too far, and also to be heading for future confusion as to which god is truly being worshiped. This was especially true as he hadn't yet found a way to communicate the true Gospel, so he was basically just keeping the people healthy because he had developed a heart for them.

Bruchko helped these people groups in many ways; he taught them basic sanitation and education, and later translated one of the Gospels, and also Philippians into their language. He doesn't mention much about this, other than to say that they had to adapt/change some stories to fit the culture, e.g. the man who built his house on the sand, in Jesus' parable, became the wise man because culturally this helped the people understand the story. I was struck, on reading this relatively small detail, with the difference between how the missionaries handled this type of thing in the first two books I had read. When they faced an impossible cultural dilemma, they didn't change the story but used the analogy to help the people understand the story. Maybe some would say this is pedantic, but how many other stories were changed in Bruchko's translation, and how can we be sure God's original meaning remained intact? The Scriptures were inspired by God who knew all of the cultural issues that would arise. Should missionaries be changing Scripture like this?

Bruchko rarely mentions his devotional life, prayer or Bible study. At one stage he allows a tribal member to eat part of his (only?) Bible due to a misunderstanding of a redemptive analogy. He encourages the tribal custom of placing dead bodies high in the trees to be consumed by vultures and even states that this is how his body will be disposed of!

I was astonished by the very high numbers of conversions reported at the end of Bruchko. It seems that ALL of the tribe had become Christians at a meeting mentioned in the book, and later evangelised other tribes. Whilst God is clearly capable of these types of miraculous mass conversions, I find these stories increasingly difficult to believe, and I find myself questioning the depth of understanding of these people. This is especially true when I see little evidence of real spiritual struggle going on for their souls. Maybe the author just didn't mention this aspect. But it seemed to me that his focus was just as much, or more, on making friends and helping the people practically than it was on sharing the Gospel with them, especially as he waited for so many years before attempting it, probably due to the offence that might be caused.

One of the striking things about the other two books is the immense spiritual struggles the missionaries encountered before even one conversion, and the loss of life they endured. In Lords of the Earth, a whole family was sacrificed in a plane crash. I'm sure this seemed meaningless at the time, but later it enabled the Gospel to progress in a remarkable way. God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts!

In conclusion, no missionary is perfect, they will make many mistakes and hopefully learn from them. I'm sure that God used all of these missionaries and their various weaknesses to accomplish His purposes and bring good out of failure. They alone know how many of the stories relayed are true down to the last detail, and God alone knows how many of these souls that have professed faith are truly born again.

We can learn lessons from reading these books. I believe that the use of redemptive analogies is a fascinating and effective way to assist these tribal people, (and others,) in understanding the Gospel message but ONLY if the analogy is a clear fit for the meaning that God originally intended. I don't believe God would have us change parts of the Bible to fit the cultural context in a way that changes the meaning. We need to be careful to ensure we don't allow culture to over-ride the Bible. When there is clear division, the Bible must always take precedence regardless of the cultural consequence.

Is Our Westernised “Help” Actually Hurting Poor People?

I saw this book “When Helping Hurts; How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself” and just had to read it. With a dramatic title like this the book is bound to draw attention. It is screaming; “You are all doing things seriously wrong and need to change immediately or suffer serious consequences.”

My first thoughts were that the authors were very brave to write this book effectively criticising the way Christians have been operating for decades. They also must have been very confident in the “new” methods introduced as the book attempts to change not only the way Christians operate but also the way they think about giving. I would hesitate to write a book like this myself in case my efforts resulted in people giving up completely as “helping the poor” suddenly becomes too complicated! After all, people are always looking for excuses not to give and this could be the perfect reason with no guilt attached; A beggar asks you for food or money and instead of giving him the change in your hand or buying him a snack and drink whilst giving him a Gospel tract and offering a word or two from Scripture, you pause to consider chapter 11 paragraph 2 of “the book” which states that you should establish the background of and try to form a relationship with this person before giving him anything as it may make his situation worse…you walk away.....Becoming afraid of doing more harm than good and ending up paralysed in indecision was sadly the response of some readers when the book was initially published, although the newest edition addresses that and begs people to continue helping the poor.

After just a few years in the mission field, I agree with the basic principles in the book which are;

*The true hope of the Gospel is what people really need and this should always come first. (There is a good emphasis on the Gospel for transforming lives within the book)

*Money is not always the solution and in some cases can make situations worse. We should ask the people what they need before giving material gifts rather than assuming.

*Love, time, care, compassion and relationship building are foundational to helping people and must always be central whether or not material help is given

*Where possible we want to be conducting ministries that allow people to support themselves financially in the longer term so that they do not become
dependent on us removing the motivation to work

*Local church ministry to the poor is always better than foreigners sweeping in and taking over. Foreigners should work under the direction and supervision of existing local Christian ministries rather than taking the lead

Although I agreed with the basic principles I found myself irritated as I was reading the book as it reminded me of a rather lengthy police diversity textbook full of procedures, methods, charts and diagrams with this and that “experts” opinion and theories about the human mind and behaviour and how people in various different cultures view the world. There was an emphasis on building people’s self-esteem/self-confidence and talk about reconciling relationships with God, others, ourselves and the rest of creation. We are told that there is “goodness” to discover and celebrate even in a fallen world and that we are not “as bad” as we could be. The language used seems to me to be far beyond the abilities of the average Christian reader and the things described remarkably complex. I’m sure there were some good ideas and practical suggestions in there somewhere but a lot of it was lost in “management speak” and politically correct jargon about what is and isn’t “appropriate.”

When describing things we “should not do,” the examples given where things had gone wrong were often extreme e.g a group of farmers worshipping a foreign god who, when helped financially by Christians increased their giving to their god to demonstrate thankfulness, and another group who didn’t understand the order of creation that God had placed man over animals and so were allowing rats to over-run their farm destroying everything year after year even after receiving material help. I think the point the authors were making here was that when giving we also need to teach Scripture/educate people so that resources are not wasted.

Naturally when reading something like this we tend to think of our own experiences and wonder whether we have “helped” or “hurt” people in the past. I realised that the reason I could agree with the basic principles of the book is because I learned them through experience (and many mistakes) in just a few years of mission work. There were many occasions when I tried to help the solvent addicted children in small material ways but all they really wanted was my time, attention and love.  Maybe others need to learn these things in the same way through experience and mistakes.

One of the main areas of the book concerns Short Term Missions (STM’s.) This was an area where I strongly agreed with the authors especially after some of my experiences on Logos Hope. When we were sent on teams to help people practically, we were often asked for money to solve problems that should have been dealt with by local churches. If we helped, we might have been undermining the local church and also causing the attention to be focused on us and not on God where it belongs. On the other hand, I would not discourage someone from helping a fellow believer with whom they have an established relationship although it is important to ensure that the money is used for the intended purpose.

I have never really understood STM’s, especially where a lot of money is spent to send a person/team as it seems that it is often more about the experience for the person/team taking part in the “mission” rather than the people they are going to help. These “missions” often cost a lot of money and cannot really accomplish anything due to the short duration. It is not possible to establish meaningful relationships in order to share the Gospel in a few weeks especially in a foreign culture. Literature may break the barrier here as it can be left, studied and read long after the mission is complete, but is it really necessary to send people halfway round the world to do this or could we just use local churches/believers and send them the literature for distribution? Money often seems to be wasted in the area of STM’s and I agree with the authors that they can do more harm than good. I would suggest that people wanting a “mission experience” (unless they feel called to a particular country where they could go for a longer trip to begin with) should join a team in their own country at first to avoid the huge costs associated with unnecessary foreign travel.

The main problem I had with the book is that it reminded me of the “Purpose Driven” material; where one method is used for every situation and where people began studying the “Purpose Driven” books instead of Scripture. At the end of each chapter is a study guide for small groups with questions for reflection that the authors stated was a mandatory part of the “course.” (I skipped it) They do say that they are not teaching a one size fits all approach and that there will be exceptions to every rule but that is not how the book comes across. One of the subtle messages is that you shouldn’t even attempt to help the poor unless you know exactly what you are doing and/or are an expert in the field. I would agree that if you are heading into long term work in this area you should conduct proper research in advance, but I would suggest that the authors should not have included the average person dealing with an individual on the street/in their community in their blanket ban on helping people. Although praying for discernment and being led by the Spirit (through the Word) are mentioned, in my view, they are not referenced enough. I believe a better way forward is to deal with people on a case-by-case basis as individuals as no person’s situation is exactly the same as someone else’s.

Of course, we can all do things in a more efficient and productive way, and we shouldn’t waste resources but is that really what God is concerned about? All of our resources/money belong to God anyway and I have to believe that when a person makes a decision to give for the right reasons (cheerfully and not under duress) that God will use that for His glory regardless of the circumstances. There is always a risk that some people will exploit generosity, but I don’t think the methods described by the authors will necessarily combat that.  They say that material/financial giving should always be “seldom, immediate and temporary” but where is this in Scripture? What the authors are really saying is that we need to check whether the people that are presenting themselves as “poor” are really poor or just lazy, but is that really our role or is it God's on Judgement Day?

The Bible uses all-encompassing words to encourage generosity in all situations without hesitation and with no qualifications or conditions. I have included some of these below, although I recognise that the authors are really seeking to address our methods of giving/help rather than the issue of whether or not we should give. There is no doubt that we should seek to be wise in our mission “giving, sending and going” for God’s glory but I would suggest that it is better to give and get it wrong than not to give at all.  This book is worth reading as it will make you think.

Relevant Bible verses

1. Luke 3:10-11 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

2. Ephesians 4:27-28 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.

3. Matthew 5:42 Give to everyone who asks you for something. Don’t turn anyone away who wants to borrow something from you.

4. Proverbs 19:17 The one who is gracious to the poor lends to the LORD, and the LORD will repay him for his good deed.

5. Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your lap, because you’ll be evaluated by the same standard with which you evaluate others.”

6. Psalm 112:5-7 Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly. Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them.

7. Psalm 37:26 The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing.

8. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Each of you must give what you have decided in your heart, not with regret or under compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work.

9. Deuteronomy 15:10 Be sure to give to them without any hesitation. When you do this, the LORD your God will bless you in everything you work for and set out to do.

10. Romans 12:20-21 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

11. Proverbs 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him some food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him some water to drink.

 12. Deuteronomy 15:7-8 If there should be a poor man among your relatives in one of the cities of the land that the Lord your God is about to give you, don’t be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your poor relative. Instead, be sure to open your hand to him and lend him enough to lessen his need.

13. Acts 2:44-26 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.