Modern Technology--Friend or Foe?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently as gadgets galore seem to progressively dominate people’s minds and lives and the internet has taken the place of traditional shopping. So, is this necessarily a bad thing and how should Christians respond to the dramatic changes that are taking and have taken place in recent decades? Is technology itself evil or can it be used for good? Should we as Christians go with the cultural flow or should we take a stand against this seemingly unstoppable advance? Is this even an issue that needs to be discussed from a Christian perspective or should we take a neutral position as it is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible? 

I have always had something of an aversion to modern technology, maybe partly this is an inherited view ingrained in me from a young age. It is not the typical attitude of someone of my generation as I have grown up in the computer literate age, surrounded by gadgets. But, when my school friends were sporting the latest mobile phones, I was faithfully carrying a Nokia brick and laughing when Dom Joly produced an even larger one on Trigger Happy TV and yelled into it in public places startling and embarrassing everyone around him. This leads me to the first point; as Christians we are accountable to God for our use of money. Our money is not really ours to spend as we like, it is God’s and should be primarily used in ways that advance His Kingdom. Does God care about the latest fads/fashions/status symbols? Probably not. Should we, as Christians, try to keep up with the latest gadget models and trends, regardless the cost? Probably not. Is living simply a good way to show our friends and neighbours that we have different priorities? It could be. 

Within the last week I finished a book called “Zapped.” It basically states that an average household has gone from having around 15 electronic devices in their homes a few decades ago, to a staggering 150 now. The book talks about Electro-magnetic fields and explains how these can affect our health especially over the long term. We all know that using mobile phones for lengthy periods carries a risk of cancer but the book details many of the other risks that are out there. When I was in the police, a few years back, Airwave radios were introduced and many officers were initially worried about the risk to their health, but as we were forced to use them day in and day out and other options had been taken off the market, there wasn’t really anything that could be done, so the protests died a death in the end. But I continue to wonder about these devices and others. There are documented cases of people becoming ill after living near mobile phone masts and other such key equipment. But with all of these things it is still early days and none of us really knows the actual impact on our long term health. There are consequences to all of it. Should we be paranoid and go rushing off to buy all of the things suggested in “Zapped?” Probably not. Is there a case for knowing about these things and minimising the risk to our health where possible? I think there is.

Another area that should concern a Christian is that of state control or our countries gradually being turned into “Nanny states.” The government decides that the people are either incapable of or not wanting to make their own decisions about things so they take control. They do this by preventing free speech and by interfering in the private and family lives of individuals. This leads to attempting to control people’s viewpoints and various government departments examining how individuals may or may not act according to what they believe or think; “The Thought Police.” I experienced a measure of this whilst working for Sussex Police due to my Christian views about homosexuality. I also read a series of Novellas that describes what may happen in America if technology continues to advance at its current rate ((Backland.) Modern technology allows governments to monitor and control its citizens as never before. I have heard about people being refused jobs and even sacked for things they posted on their Facebook pages and about one Christian student who was kicked off his Social Work course at university for expressing Biblical views about gay marriage on social media. Should we refuse to use the internet fearing what may happen to us? Probably not as God is ultimately in control. Should we consider online security issues and resist attempts by the government to control our thoughts? Definitely.

A fourth area for consideration is that of our time. How much time is now taken up with these gadgets and with using the internet? Is it addictive? Can we stop ourselves checking our social media pages ten times each day? Are we able to get away from our gadgets to spend proper quality time alone with God and with real people? Are we hearing what God is saying or is He drowned out by the buzz of technology? Are we losing the ability to interact with others in person due to being glued to our phones/Facebook pages?  As Christians, our time (like our money) is not our own and we are accountable to God for how we use it. Should we throw all our gadgets out and ban computers? Probably not. Should we place reasonable limits on our time and activities online and on the credit we spend on phones? Yes. Should we ensure we have face to face contact where possible. I think so, gadgets are not a substitute for actual face to face meetings and a lot of our online contact is superficial.

Fifthly, I find it is a lot easier to say things online or via a gadget that perhaps I wouldn’t say in person in a face-to-face conversation, especially negative things. This can be dangerous. It sometimes feels as if we are sending the information out there into the world somewhere and that it doesn’t matter what we do and say as it’s a virtual environment. But this is not true. Christians are accountable to God for what they do, say and think, including things that have been hastily typed online or via a text message or email. God knows who has written it even if others don’t. We need to ensure that we are only saying things that we would be willing to say in real conversation and that we are representing Jesus at all times. You probably wouldn’t have a face-to-face conversation whilst upset and angry, but the internet/gadgets allow you to say what you want whenever you want which isn’t necessarily a good thing. Sometimes it’s helpful to wait a while before posting or sending something especially if we are upset or angry or to ask someone else what they think.

So, I have extensively covered the negative aspects in terms of use of money, health, Government control, use of time, superficiality of relationships. But is there a positive aspect to modern technology and how can we as Christians utilise it? I say yes there definitely is and it’s all about perspective. How do we view our contact with others via our gadgets and on the internet? Are we using them for Kingdom purposes? How can we best do this?

I think we need firstly to remember that at the other end of every text, email, message or viewing our social media posts is a real person. That person has a soul and needs to hear the Gospel. Modern technology allows us to evangelise as never before; we can reach others quickly and en masse. We can encourage each other with Bible verses and share our Christian viewpoints via social media. We can rate, review and recommend Christian books and share our testimonies easily and with hundreds of people. We can keep in regular contact with people we care about and show Christian love to those in need through a text or email if we cannot be there in person straight away.

As with everything the key is for us to use modern technology in the right way. For us to use it as an opportunity to evangelise and connect with others on spiritual issues, not to whittle away the time or get into heated debates about unimportant issues. We don’t know how God will use these contacts that we are developing, and a timely post or message could be used mightily for God. We should be praying about our use of social media and gadgets, that it would all be for God’s glory and with His Kingdom in mind. Can people even tell we are Christians from looking at our profiles? Are we ashamed of our beliefs when we are online and are we being our true selves?

For anyone who is challenged by this and who wants to start using their gadgets/internet time in a more purposeful way. I have recently started volunteering for an organisation called Chatnow (there is also a US office.) We answer questions about Christianity from people all around the world via online chat and sometimes via email. I have had discussions with Muslims in Iran and Somalia, people struggling financially in America and the Philippines, people wanting to end their lives in Malaysia and Hong Kong, people working as prostitutes and desperate for a change in Britain, and people asking questions about the Trinity and various cults in Australia. These are just some of the types of conversation that I have encountered so far.

The aim is to bring each person one step closer to Jesus, we try to encourage people to pray to God (and offer to pray for them,) read their Bible, go to church and/or talk to a church leader. I have been encouraged by the responses of those I have chatted to, most of whom just wanted someone to talk through their problem with them. They are mostly very grateful. Some cry and others are relieved as they feel the weight lifted as they share their problem with someone else. Many are surprised that they are not talking to a robot as that is how many websites now operate. If you can spare a few hours a week I would encourage you to sign up, you don’t need special skills and training is given. This is especially good for those who are afraid of face-to-face evangelism or giving out tracts in the street as it is all anonymous, and you don’t need to worry about getting tongue tied.

So, is modern technology a friend or foe? The simple answer is that it depends on how you use it!

How Important is Educational Success for a Christian?

This subject seems to have cropped up time and again in recent months and my views have significantly altered over the years. It is an area subject to increasing debate in Christian circles where people tend to take a firm stance one way or the other. As with all of these things it is important, ultimately, to come back to what the Bible has to say. Scripture obviously doesn’t state “You should/shouldn’t have an education” at least not in the same way that it tells us to be patient, although I was informed by my six-year-old nephew recently that he didn’t have to possess that particular fruit of the spirit as it wasn’t in the ten commandments and he hadn’t read it yet! But there are patterns of behaviour and principles for us to follow that speak directly to this issue. 

I thought back to when I was studying both at high school and later at sixth form college. It was presumed that I would head to University, indeed the vast majority of students with average or above average grades were channelled in that direction, regardless of the debt they might incur or other things they might want to do with their lives. I had always wanted to become a police officer but became temporarily distracted by the idea of being a lawyer and so headed to University to begin a degree in Law and Criminology. This seemed to be the expected course for me from an educational point of view and the argument was that I could always join the police on finishing my degree. What wasn’t highlighted was that I didn’t actually need a degree to join the police so I was effectively studying for the sake of it, or for achievement purposes. Some years later, I lost all of my exam certificates and wondered whether God was teaching me that they were superfluous or dealing with my pride, but maybe that’s reading too much into the situation…..

In my case, things worked out well as six weeks after starting my University course I realised that I was sick to the back teeth of studying and wanted to get on and work, so I dropped out and joined the police. I was blessed to have supportive parents, who despite the money that had been invested for the first term and the student loan that had been taken out, helped me to change direction. I have never regretted that decision, although for the first few weeks afterwards I felt like a failure. I wonder if things would’ve been different if someone, at my school, had really thought about whether it was the right thing for me to go to university in the first place bearing in mind my career choice. Now it seems that more people are considering the non-degree route as vocational courses become available and people are more concerned about being saddled with debt. My general advice on this issue is that people should only go to University if they have to have a specific degree to get the job that they want to do, otherwise what’s the point!

But everything so far has been pretty general and not about the specific issue of Christians and their education. I recently conversed with a young professing Christian in Asia who was so upset by the amount of pressure they were being placed under to hit a certain deadline that they were contemplating suicide if they could not hit the mark. This person was repeating their studies having failed them once already due to a nervous breakdown triggered by exam stress. They asked me why God allowed them to fail their exams and to buckle under the pressure.  I found myself asking whether someone in that situation should be encouraged to continue their studies, as this person’s parents were advising. In Asia there is a huge amount of pressure exerted on children to succeed regardless the consequence, with never-ending school hours and reams of homework. The statistics show that these countries are now leading the world in terms of educational success, but at what cost? Is educational success the ultimate goal for a Christian? Is it even important in God’s economy?

This leads on to the issue of formal education for those who believe that God has called them into positions of leadership either in a Church or on the Mission field. Most churches and mission agencies require applicants to have spent time at either Bible school or Seminary. But is this Biblical? And is it necessary to prepare someone for a life of Christian service? This is where my views have probably changed. Like everyone else I would previously have said that of course a prospective Pastor/Preacher/Missionary should go to Bible school, where else would they learn what they needed to prepare them to teach others. 

But a few years ago, my home church appointed a new Pastor that had not been away to Bible school. Instead he had been a trainee leader in a large church and had spent several years being mentored/discipled by a senior Pastor in that church whilst also studying the Bible/other books in his own time. He described this as a Paul/Timothy type of relationship where the younger learned from the older and was enabled to practice what he was being taught in the local church context. He was able to develop relationships with the people in the church immediately rather than being sent away to study then returning and having to begin that process as a virtual stranger.  This made me think as I could see the definite advantages to this method of learning which seemed to have been lifted straight from the Bible.

On being called into mission work myself it was suggested that I also should go to Bible school or pursue further training but I believed that God would have me go at once and having spent two years on-board Logos Hope (missionary ship) I believed that that experience was adequate training for the field as an independent. A few years down the line, having made many mistakes and struggled through many difficulties, I still believe that it was the right decision to go although maybe I was a little hasty in terms of the exact departure date. I have learned many things that have better prepared me for future service. And God was always with me even at my lowest points.

I have also been involved in a church that had a Bible school attached to it. You might think that this is the ideal scenario; a man can be officially trained whilst also putting things into practice within the local church. This may have been the case but many of the men being trained were not in fact members of that church as they travelled from a fair distance away to enrol in school during the week and then returned to their families/churches at the weekend. Of the limited number who were in the church and in the Bible school, at least one expressed concern that he wouldn’t be ready to be a Pastor on graduation because he didn’t feel adequately prepared for the practical side. He was considering getting further formal education in another country. I said to this person that the important thing for him to prepare himself was to develop his own relationship with God and to spend time studying the Bible himself as this would prepare him better than spending a lot of money on further formal education. This wasn’t said because I had an especially well developed view on this subject but more because it seemed logical; God would equip His servants for the ministry He had called them to.

I attended some of the above church’s Bible school classes as I thought they might be useful for me as a missionary but after numerous weeks on the different types of baptism, as I struggled to grasp the detail, I found myself wondering how I could ever apply that in my work. I also wondered whether it would even be useful for a prospective Pastor to know that level of detail. But I can’t comment beyond that on the topics/content of any Bible schools/Seminaries as I have no direct experience of them.  I was concerned that some graduates that I knew seemed to have automatically adopted the views of their teachers or the particular school they had attended. They hadn’t always developed these views after a prayerful study of Scripture but often just because they had been taught it and it seemed to make sense. This is one of the dangers if students aren’t willing to keep up their own personal study whilst enrolled at these institutions.

Then I met a man who had been a missionary for 17 years. He had been expected to go to university but felt God clearly calling him to missionary service. He had joined a slightly older male missionary on the field and had used his personal study time, the reading of good Christian literature and the things he learned from his co-worker to prepare him to serve God as a Pastor/Preacher on the field. He had no formal education beyond high school. He had written a book called “The Hidden Altar” (see review) which amongst other things explains why a formal education may not be necessary, particularly for those who hear God calling them to “Go and make disciples.”

 Shortly after this I was serving in a book warehouse in Florence, South Carolina and I stumbled upon another book; “Pagan Christianity.”  (see review)I didn’t agree with some of the things the author wrote and I have already reviewed this extensively, but I saw again that heading off to Bible school/Seminary may not be the most effective route for everyone. Although one person took the opportunity to explain at the bottom of my review why a formal education was necessary for all prospective ministers, his rationale seemed to be largely based on Church tradition/cultural best practice. I began to consider what the Bible says about this.

I then read; “Father of Faith Missions; The Life and Times of Anthony Norris Groves.” (see review) and discovered that he too had not been formally educated or ordained for his Pastoral role. Indeed, many of his contemporaries didn’t have the required formal stamp on their ministry and this had caused much controversy. Groves’ goal was to stick as closely as possible to the New Testament pattern of the Apostles in his life and ministry. You might think that Groves and other missionaries of past generations were lazy; not wanting to study or devote themselves fully to God’s work. But actually quite the opposite was true, these were men who gave their all to God. They were disciplined in devotional practices and through reading and studying they learned everything they needed to know to teach God’s Word to others.

So what can we conclude from this, and how important is educational success for a Christian? In terms of general education, the Bible tells us in Colossians 3 vs 23; 

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (ESV)

So for those who are studying and who were thinking I was about to advise that it would be okay to abandon their education; if you are studying then do it with all your heart for God! Be disciplined and seek to serve Him through exercising diligence. But remember that God knows our hearts and our individual abilities and He is far more concerned about how faithfully we serve Him than how successful we are educationally. If (as in the case of the student I mentioned earlier) your studies are making you ill or stressed out of your mind, then there is a case for asking whether God would have you continue or whether you should pray about what else He might have you do.

In relation to Seminary/Bible school; the Apostles were uneducated fishermen who learned from their Master. Paul had been educated as a non-believer but later taught Timothy directly as they worked closely together. I have given more contemporary examples of how some Christian men have followed the New Testament pattern by learning from spiritually mature Christians and studying the Bible directly.

Biblically, educational success should not be the goal for a Christian. Their goal should be to seek God’s will for their lives. God knows best how to prepare a person for adequate personal spiritual growth and for their calling. Not having been to Seminary/Bible school should not bar a Christian from being in leadership as it is not a Scriptural requirement for leadership. Educational success is something that the world says is vitally important, and sadly in most cases the church seems to have adopted this view and added it as a requirement for their leaders. But a Christian leader can learn to be an effective minister of God’s Word through the example of his peers and through diligence in personal study.

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.