Justice (9) - Lack of Justice

The prophets of the Old Testament were often concerned about the lack of justice in Israel. They were not complaining about inequality of incomes, they were upset about the break down of correct judicial processes. Many victims of injustice were unable to obtain justice.

Understanding the nature of the judicial process helps us to understand the reasons for lack of justice. There can be four reasons why people might be unable to obtain justice:

1. Inadequate judges
2. Bad Law
3. Judgments not Enforced
4. Criminal Kings and Rulers

Inadequate judges are a common cause of lack of justice. The example of Solomon shows that judges need wisdom. If judges lack wisdom then they will often make bad judges. The situation becomes even worse if judge are dishonest or corrupt. When judges choose made bad decisions the poor and the weak will be unable to obtain justice, because the judges will frequently ignore the facts and decide in favour of those with money and power.

Jeremiah laments a situation where the judges just look after their own interests.

Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor (Jer 51:27,28).

Zephaniah describes a situation where judges are like wolves.

Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are evening wolves That leave not a bone till morning (Zeph 3:3).

This is still the situations in many parts of the world. Judges look after their mates among the rich and powerful. The poor and weak do not have a chance. God hates this failure of justice.

These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; 17 do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the LORD (Zech 8:16).

Justice (8) - Events in the Past

Justice looks backwards to assess actions and remedy injustices that occurred in the past. Sometimes they will need to look quite a long way back. An example is Saul’s treatment of the Gibeonites. When Joshua was leading the people of Israel into the promised land, the Gibeonites tricked the elders of Israel into making a peace treaty by pretending to have come from a distant land (Jos 9).

Two hundred years later, when David was king, there were three years of severe drought. The Lord told David that this happened, because his predecessor Saul had violated the treaty made by Joshua by trying to annihilate the Gibeonites (2 Sam 21). David followed the correct judicial process. He met with the Gibeonites and established the truth of what happened. David made restitution by allowing seven of Saul’s descendants to be put to death. God then heard David’s prayers and the drought came to an end.

David’s decision indicates that the size of the restitution will vary according to the time that has elapsed since the injustice occurred. This is especially important, if several generations have passed. It is not possible to exactly restore a situation, several hundred years after an injustice has occurred. The reason is that the effects of injustice dissipate over time. The situation of those who suffered will have changed depending on other events that have occurred. Some will have benefited from the mistakes of others.

On the other side, by the time four or five generations have passed, the person who did an injustice will have dozens of descendants. The benefits will have been diluted, as they are spread among many people. Many of those who benefited from the injustice will have already suffered through other circumstances. It is not possible to turn back the clock and make things exactly as they were at the time the injustice occurred. Restitution several generations after the event will often be more symbolic than total.

I have used the Gibeonite passages to to define a solution to injustice towards indigenous peoples. For more see Treaty of Waitangi.

Justice (7) - Solomons Wisdom

When King Solomon’s settled the dispute over a live baby between two prostitutes, he provides s a good example of the biblical judicial process (1 Kings 3:16-28). The king first identified the mother of the baby. He used real wisdom to get to the truth. His declaration of the truth vindicated the mother and condemned the other woman.

Solomon's second action was to restore the baby to its mother. This remedial action corrected the injustice that had been done.

When all Israel heard the verdict (mishpat) the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice (mishpat) (1 Kings 3:28).

Justice (6) - Remedial Action

The second part of the judicial process is action to remedy the injustice. The action should restore, as far as is possible, the situation of the victim to what it would have been if the injustice had not occurred. The judge should decide how the injustice can be “put right”.

In the case of stealing, the thief will be required to make restitution to the person they have stolen from.

If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep…..A thief must certainly make restitution (Ex 20:1,3).

Financial restitution allows the victim to replace the things that were stolen. It will also compensate them for other losses while they were without their goods. Expenses incurred in bringing the person before the court will also be covered by the restitution. On the other hand, the action of the court will make the person who committed the crime worse off.

Where the injustice resulted in physical injury, it may not be possible to fully restore the victim to the situation they were in before the incident. The injury may result in permanent scarring or disability. In this case, restitution will cover the costs of their healthcare and compensate them for their loss. If the disability affects the victim’s ability to earn, the restitution should compensate them for their loss of future income.

If men quarrel and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist ... the one who struck the blow.... must pay the injured man for the loss of his time and see that he is completely healed (Ex 20:18,19).

If the victim is dead, the restitution should go towards supporting their family.

Justice (5) - Declaration of Truth

The first step is for the judge to discover the truth about the incident that occurred. This may require a process of investigation and include the hearing of witnesses. This process concludes with a declaration. The judge declares the truth about what happened.

Declarations of truth reflect the judgment of the judge about what happened. Human judges are not perfect, so their judgements will not always be correct. Only God has perfect knowledge, so only his judgments are always true.

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments (Rev 19:1-2).

God’s justice always gets to the truth. Human judges aim for the truth, but they will sometimes fall short. The best protection against judges missing the truth is to have a good process of appeal.

The ruling of the judge includes a judgement about the truth of the claims of the victim. If the victim’s case is proved to be true, they are vindicated. One meaning of the Hebrew word “tsedeq” is vindication. When justice is done, the victim of the injustice is vindicated. Their claim about the situation they found themselves in upheld.

The other side of the judgement is a declaration about the actions of the person accused. If they are declared to be innocent, they are vindicated. On the other hand, if the claims of the accuser are upheld, the guilty party is convicted of committing an injustice.

The role of the judge is to assess and event and make a judgement about what happened. Therefore, judges must pursue the truth without fear or favour to anyone.

Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly (Lev 19:15).

A judge who refuses to accept the truth, because he favours one of the parties to the case is dangerous. Justice is lost.

The full series can be found here.

Justice (4) - Judges and Law

Justice deals with injustice. Law and judges are essential for the functioning of justice.

1. Judges are essential to justice. Their role is to decide whether a, injustice or crime has occurred and what the remedy should be. Justice requires judging.


2. Justice needs law. People need to know before they act, whether the action they are intending to take is unjust or not. Laws provide a way for people to know in advance what actions are unjust, so they can avoid them. Judges also need sound law. They can then decide whether an action was unjust, by assessing it against the law.

The judicial process has two phases:

1. Declaration of Truth;
2. Remedial Action.

Both are essential for the administration of justice.

Justice (3) - Injustice

Judging justly means identifying injustices and correcting the situation. If no injustice has occurred, then there is no justice to be done. Therefore to understand justice we must have a sound understanding of the nature of injustice. Injustice has the following characteristics:

1. An event has occurred that creates the injustice. Justice deals with something that has happened in the past. The event that produced the injustice can be identified (justice is backward looking).
2. A person or group of people have taken an action that harmed someone. Injustice is a characteristic of human actions. An animal cannot commit an injustice. For example a wandering bull may harm someone, but it has not committed and unjust action (the person who let it wander may have done something unjust). A natural event cannot be an injustice. An exploding volcano may cause terrible harm, but it is not an unjust event.
3. The unjust action will have harmed a victim or group of victims. In the case of theft, they will have lost something that belonged to them. In the case of an assault, the victim may have injuries and lost some property. With murder, the victim is dead.
4. An injustice has two parties. One that did the action that caused the harm and the other that did the harm. The injustice is essentially a dispute between these two parties. If the person harmed is dead, the dispute may be with their family.
5. The action must be contrary to the law. For Christians, the standard is God’s law. An unjust act is one that is forbidden by the law. God’s law forbids theft, so stealing is an unjust action. An innocent action that does harm is not unjust. If the wheel flies off my car and hurts someone that is not an unjust action, unless I have been careless in caring about my maintenance. Justice does not attempt to remedy accidents (although compassion might).
6. Injustice is different from sin. All injustices are sinful, but not all sins are unjust or unlawful. Stealing is a sin that results in an unjust situation, because someone ends up with less than they should have. And the person stealing gets more things than they should. Coveting is a sin, but it is not an unjust act. Pride is a sin, but being proud is not an injustice. Covetousness and pride cannot be dealt with by injustice. However, pride and coveting can lead to actions that harm other people. Their consequences can be dealt with by justice, if they are contrary to the law.
7. Injustice often involves a dispute about the facts of what happened. The person accused of unjust behaviour may deny that they were involved in the incident. They may deny that their action was unjust. The victim may have a different view of what happened.

Justice (2) - Definition

The concept of justice or being just is used in three different ways in the scriptures. The Hebrew word “tsedeq” and the Greek work "dikaiosyne" are often translated as justice, but there primary meaning is righteousness.

1. Being just means doing what is right according to God’s word. In the Old Testament the righteous/just man is the one who lives according to the standard of Gods law. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in the eyes of God, because they observed the Lord’s commandments blamelessly (Luke 1:6). Jesus raised the bar a little, and said that a higher standard of righteousness is required for those who follow him. Jesus death fulfilled the requirements of justice and caused all who trust in him to be justified before God. (This sense of justice is a big topic well covered elsewhere).

2. Justice is an attribute of God.

Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne (Ps 97:2).

Righteousness (tsedeq) and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you (Ps 89:14).

God is just in the way that he rules over the universe. His governance will lead to perfect justice.

For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging (mishpat) righteously (tsedeq) (Ps 9:4).

The justice of God culminates in the final judgement. True and final justice will be administered to everyone.

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Tim 4:8).

3. Justice is achieved through a process in which judges administer justice and correct injustice. The Hebrew word tsedeq (justice) is frequently used together with the word “mishpat” which means judgement or judging. For example, God is frequently described as the one who judges justly. His judgements are always just. Mishpat (judgment) refers to a judicial process. It sometimes means a verdict or legal decision. Moses gave the following charge to the judges of Israel.

Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge (mishpat) justly (tsedeq), whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien (Deut 1:16).

Justice is administration of justice by the correct application of judicial process to the resolution of disputes. This aspect of justice will be the focus of this study.

Justice (1)

Everyone wants justice. The call for justice is widespread, but what is meant by the word is not clear. Most governments claim that there policies will advance justice, but they do not say what this means. For most people and politicians, justice seems to be an ideal state, in which everyone is happy and nothing should be changed, so everyone should be striving for justice.

The common view of justice as an ideal state seems to be drawn from Greek philosophy and Roman law. The Bible has a great deal of teaching about justice, but it describes something very different. In my next few posts, I will examine the biblical concept of justice and describe how it applies in the modern world.

The full series can be found here.

Suburbia - Parasise Lost?

I have been reading the Long Emergency by James Kunstler. Here are some quotes.

The American way of life is synonymous with suburbia.

America has invested its wealth in a living arrangement –suburban sprawl- that has not future.

The state of the art mega-suburbs have of recent decades produced horrendous levels of alienation, loneliness, anomie, anxiety and depression and we may be better of without them.

What has suburbia done to the church?

Kunstler believes that the coming oil crisis will kill surburbia. Will it kill the megachurch too? Can the church redeem suburbia?

These are questions that I am thinking about.

Islam Resurgent (6) The Lion and the Eagle

Daniel saw something like this.

I saw a lion, which had grabbed hold of the wings of an eagle. I watched until the lion tore off the eagle’s wings. The eagle was then lifted up from the ground to stand like a man, and given a human heart.

If this was what Daniel saw, then the beast was a lion that was struggling with an eagle. The lion is the king of the animals and the eagle is the king of the birds, so Daniel was seeing a struggle between two immensely powerful nations. A lion is the symbol of Iran, being part of its national flag. A lion is strong, ferocious, brave, greedy and roars loudly (Jud 14:18; Job 10:16; Ps 17:12; 22:13; Prov 28:1). It is an appropriate symbol for Iran, or the growth of Islam that Iran spearheads. This renaissance of Islam is also described in Rev 6:2.

The animal that symbolises the United States is the bald eagle. When I first studied this vision in the early nineteen-eighties, the United States hostage crisis was underway. An attempt by the military to rescue the American hostages held in Iran ended in disaster in the desert. It seemed that the Iranian government had a strong hold over the United States. It could be said that the Iranian lion had the American eagle by the wings. At one stage during the crisis, television news items were given before a backdrop with a lion on one side and an eagle on the other. Daniel may have seen something similar. (A political commentator wrote a book called The Eagle and The Lion: The Tragedy of American-Iranian Relations.)

The United States power comes from two sources; its great wealth and military power. The military strength and economic power are the two wings that enable it to fly. On 9/11 two planes crashed into the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. The World Trade Centre is the headquarters of several large corporations so it symbolises economic power. The Pentagon houses the Defence department, so it represents military power. The two wings on which the United States flies were attacked

9/11 brought a radical change in attitudes in the United States. Daniel saw this change of heart in the United States. The eagle was "lifted up from the ground". It "stood on two feet like a man", a reference to the statue of a man that is described in Daniel 2. This statue represented the empires, from Babylon to Rome that dominated the world in Old Testament times. The statue’s legs of iron represented the Roman Empire. Daniel’s vision of the eagle standing like a man on two feet is a description of the United States becoming a new empire in the style of the Roman empire.

The eagle was give the "heart of a man". The United States was once a godly nation, but it has now become a centre, from which humanism is spreading through the earth. In 2001, the United States was not kept safe by God, so now it is trusting in military power to maintain its peace. The nation has a new heart, but it is not a heart for God.

More here.

Islam Resurgent (5) - Butting to the South

Daniel saw the ram (Iran) charging to the west, the north and the south.

I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great (Dan 8:4).

The first two of these charges have already taken place. To the west of Iran is the nation of Iraq. In 1980 Iraq invaded Iran, and military strategists said that Iran would soon have to surrender. To their surprise the Iranian troops forced the invading army back across their border. Iran then attempted to invade Iraq and topple its Baathist socialist government of Saddam Hussein. (He was a client of the US back then, before he was bitten by the hand that fed him).

More recently, since the US invasion of Iraq, the Iranians have been supporting the Shiite people in Iraq.

The nations to the north of Iran are Syria and Lebanon. There are already strong links between Iran and Syria, and Iranian power has been influential in Lebanon. Iran also established Hezbollah, which led the resistance against Israel's invasion of Lebanon.

The butting to the north and the west is easy to understand, but I have never got what Daniel meant by butting to the south. There is nothing to the south of Iran but sea. Recently I have realised that this is Daniel's point.

To the south of Iran are the Strait of Hormuz, which mark the entrance to the Persian gulf. The Strait of Homruz is about twenty miles wide at its narrowest point. Most of the oil from Iraq and Saudi Arabia is carried through this narrow gap in massive supertankers. This is about twenty percent of the total supply of oil available. This means that if Iran "buts to the south" and closes this waterway, the United States will powerless to prevent it. The price of oil could shoot up to $200 a barrel.

George Bush shuld be careful before having a go at Iran. He might bite off more than he can chew.

More here.

Islam Resurgent (4) - Powerful Iran

Daniel saw a ruler in Iran who would become great and do just as he pleases.

I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great (Dan 8:4).

This would be a good description of recent leadership in Iran. More interesting still, Daniel says that no nation would be able to "rescue from his power".

When the Islamic revolution took place, over one hundred American hostages were held in their embassy. The United States, which is the greatest military power in the world, devised a plan called "Eagle’s Claw" to rescue them. Despite elaborate planning and the best equipment that modern technology could provide, the rescue attempt ended in disaster. Helicopters encountered unprecedented head winds and unexpected dust storms. A helicopter crashed into a plane during refueling in the Iranian desert and eight servicemen were killed. The United States was not strong enough to rescue its people from Iran, and had to beg for their return (see Desert One.

Before having a go at Iran, George Bush should think about Daniel's words and what happened to Jimmy Carter.

Islam Resurgent (3) - Iran

George Bush and his cheerleader John Hagee are getting stirred up about Iran. What they do not understand is that God has raised up the nation of Iran for a purpose. God sometimes uses a heathen nation to do his work. He used Babylon to take the Jews into exile. He used Darius the Mede to get the Jews back from exile. Now God is using Iran to fulfil his purposes in this time. If that is the case, Bush and Hagee might find themselves fighting against God.

Daniel had a vision of a Ram beside the river Euphrates. After the vision the angel Gabriel appeared to explain its meaning to him. When Gabriel drew near, Daniel fell to the ground in fear, but the angel stood him on his feet and encouraged him. Gabriel first explained the timing of the vision’s fulfilment.

Understand that the vision concerns the time of the end…I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. Dan 8:17,19

Gabriel makes it clear that the vision is not to be fulfilled in Daniel’s time. It concerns the time of the end, and will be fulfilled in the later "time of wrath". Daniel 8 has not yet been fulfilled, but we seem to be seeing its fulfilment in our time.

The first part of the vision is described in Daniel 8:3,4.

I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

This is what Daniel saw and the interpretation is given in verse 20. The two horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. The people of Media and Persia now make up the nation of Iran. Daniel saw a future ruler of Iran, who would rise to power.

Daniel was seeing the 1978 Islamic revolution in Iran culminated in the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, and the rise to power of Ayatollah Khomeini. The smaller horn on the goat is the Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini. The larger horn is probably the current regime.

Iran has become a key player in the Middle East. Maybe this is part of God's plan for these times.

Islam Resurgent (2) - Why?

The advance of Islam raises an interesting question. Jesus is still his only way of salvation, so why has God allowed a false religion to have such a powerful resurgence.

Zechariah provides the answer. He saw the white horse advancing to the west (Zech 6:6). This could be a description of the advance of Islam in the western world. In Britain 450 churches have been changed into mosques and the largest mosque in the world is in Regent Park. In Rome there is a mosque with a minaret taller than the spire of St Peters. In South Africa thousands of blacks have converted to Islam. Some observers are suggesting that France may eventually have more Moslems than Catholics.

The alternative interpretation is that Zechariah is describing Islamic military attacks against the west.

The important point is that the horsemen are sent in judgement against sinful activity. This means that the advance of Islam is a judgement against the nations of the West. The advance of the Kingdom of God in the West has been hindered by the pursuit of pleasure and comfort. God will use Islam to bring that indulgence to an end.

Many Christians in the West are keen to go to war against Islam. They should be careful, because they could be resisting the purpose of God. Resisting judgement always produces more pain. Repentance is the only way to turn away judgement.

Islam Resurgent (1)

Over the last few decades, a renaissance of Islam has been evident all over the world. Observers have been surprised by the advance of Islam. Many Christians are fearful.

What few people realise is that the resurgence of Islam was prophesied by God nearly 2000 years ago. We should not be afraid, because this is part of his plan and purpose for this world. John recorded the following vision.

I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest (Revelation 6:1,2).

Some commentators see it as a picture of Jesus Christ, and the victories of the gospel. The problem is that this horseman is armed with a bow, and there is no other place in the prophetic books where the Messiah is pictured as being armed with a bow. Bowmen are usually the enemies of God (Psalm 46:9).

The rider on the white horse probably represents a false messiah or a false religion. He looks like Jesus and could be mistaken for him, because he rides on a white horse. But the fact that he has a bow shows that he is really an enemy of God. Thus John has given a picture of a false messiah or a false religion making a powerful advance. It goes forth "conquering and to conquer".

In the Old Testament a number of nations are referred to as bowmen. In Jeremiah 49:344-39 the nation of Elam is described as being armed with a bow (cf Is 22:6). Elam was situated in the western part of modern Iran. The Persian army which came from the same area is also described as being armed with bows (Jeremiah 50:14,29,42). Iran is the leader of the Islamic renaissance which is taking place throughout the world.

There are bowmen in Arabia (Is 21:13-16). Libya and Turkey are all countries in which the religion of Islam is strong. Ishmael was an archer (Gen 21:20). He is the father of the Arab nations, where Islam is strong.

Islam claims to be based on the Bible. Mohammed is a false prophet who claimed to be a successor to Jesus. Thus a bowman on a white horse is a good description of the Islamic religion. It has certainly been conquering in recent times.

More here

Climate Change (20) - Wasted Opportunity

When Christian historians look back on the sixty years following the end of the second World War, they will see that time as a wasted opportunity for the Kingdom of God. They will see a time of relative peace when travel round the world was never easier. The power of communications was immense. Christians had more vastly more wealth than at any time in history. I suspect that historians will look back and see this as an opportunity that was frittered away by Christians. The greatest opportunity that has ever existed for the advance of the kingdom of God became a time when the gospel slipped backwards.

The sad thing is that these wonderful conditions for spreading of the gospel and expanding of the Kingdom of God are coming to an end. The properity will disappear. The freedom to travel will be gone. Many forms of communication will be come more difficult. A long time will pass before we have such a good time again.

This full series can be found here.

Climate Change (19) - Change is Inevitable

The message of the book or Revelation is that God is going to bring to an end the lifestyle based on materialism and consumerism. The rulers of the earth will weep and mourn as they watch the life of luxury disappear.

The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more (Rev 18:11).

God’s judgment will destroy the consumer lifestyle that has been so popular in many parts of the world. People will have no choice, but will be forced into a simpler lifestyle. Suburbia will change from a refuge into a prison.

Forced change is always unpleasant. In a crisis, authority flows to those who are prepared. Christians, who change their lifestyle now in response to the leading of the Holy Sprit, will be better placed to cope and lead, when the whole world is being forced to change.

The best way to prepare for global climate change is to learn to live the lifestyle described by Paul.

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want (Phil 4:11,12).

If we can learn to be content in a world that is obsessed with plenty, we will continue to be content in a world that is being forced into a different lifestyle.

Climate Change (18) - What Must We Do?

Well, there is one thing we must not do. Looking to governments to solve the eliminate climate change is a mistake. The will have a good go at building a tower of Babel, but will fail in their objectives. A core purpose of the book of Revelation is to condemn the increasing the power of the state. Therefore, trusting government organisations or international organisations to deal with global climate change is just swapping one sin for another.

The biblical response to judgment is repentance. The Christian response to a warning of judgement should be a change of lifestyle. If we have joined in the binge of consumption that has swept the western world, we need to change to a simpler lifestyle. In every aspect of the way we live, we should start acting as good stewards of the earth that God has entrusted to us. That will change many of the decisions we make about what we use and consume.

For example, Christians have debated the issue of what vehicle Jesus would drive. This is the wrong question. We should be asking what will advance the Kingdom of God. “Do I need a motor vehicle to advance the kingdom of God?” “Do I need and SUV to advance the Kingdom of God or to steward the part of the earth for which I am responsible” “Do I need a V8 grunter to advance the Kingdom of God?"

I can’t say how other people need to change their lifestyle. I do know that the Holy Spirit is constantly showing me how I need to change the way I live.

In the end, it does not matter whether our materialism is the causing global warming or not. It is still idolatry, and we still need to repent of all sin.

Climate Change (17) - Christians Joined the Party

Consumerism is a natural response for those who have no God. The strange thing is that Christians have joined the party with almost as much zeal. In terms of possessions and consumer behaviour, Christians in the west are almost indistinguishable from those who have no faith in God. Maybe this is partly the consequence of the lukewarmness described towards the beginning of the book of Revelation.

I suspect that a “Jesus-is coming-at-any-moment theology” has also sucked Christians into a negative attitude towards this earth. We have become so obsessed with heaven and escape from this world, that we have forgotten that God might have a longer term purpose for this earth. As we have lost the vision for the Kingdom of God, we have also forgotten our responsibility to be stewards of God’s earth.