While putting the final touches on a recent sermon, I stumbled on some interesting facts:

• If you Google the phrase “Christianity in Brisbane” (including the quotes) you get one hit – a Brisbane-based Christian chat site (correct as of 27 March 2007).
• If you Google the phrase “Islam in Brisbane” (including the quotes) you will get 58 hits (correct as of 27 March 2007). Many of these hits link back to a booklet published by the Brisbane City Council called “Islam in Brisbane” and available for download from the BCC web site.

According to a letter from Lord Mayor Campbell Newman to me, the booklet was published “… to demystify this religion and through this, to lessen the chances of discriminatory or violent acts being perpetrated against Muslim people in Brisbane.” The letter went on to explain how to access information about other religions from the BCC web site:
“Enter ‘Islam in Brisbane’ into the search engine and scroll to the end of the page, or enter the following address:
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:STANDARD::pc=PC_1946.”
As one could imagine, I was a little bemused at the thought of searching for ‘Islam in Brisbane’ to find information about other religions!

I therefore did some more investigating (tested 24 March 2007) and found:

• If you search for “Islam” on the BCC web site (using their own search function) you will get 14 hits. Most of these will lead you back to the “Islam in Brisbane” booklet or the page mentioned above.
• If you search for “Christianity” on the BCC web site, you get 36 hits. While it sounds better,
  • 31 of these lead to demographic documents that classify people’s religion as either Christianity or non-Christian (hence the hit)
  • 1 leads to an article about Sudanese immigrants
  • 4 lead back to the “Islam in Brisbane” document

Even more alarming, the document talks about Muslims, Christians and Jews sharing “… a common religious heritage…” and goes on to say that, “All three faiths… worship the same God.” It leaves me wondering why the government is publishing doctrinal statements about what beliefs are held by any religions. I wonder which Christian (and Jewish) organisations they consulted before declaring the common God?

What do we do about this?

The obvious one is to write to the Lord Mayor, politely but firmly expressing your concerns about the matter and asking him to explain why the BCC is publishing errant doctrinal statements on behalf of the Christians in Brisbane.

But, there is something even more important:

• Be watchful and pray about these things, and other events we can see unfolding in Australia
• Love the other members of your church, and demonstrate this love in your actions and attitudes
• Offer hospitality to your fellow church members. Socialise with them and enjoy their company.
• Improve your talents/gifts and use them for the benefit of the other members of your church

(1 Peter 4:7-10 NIV) The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

Above all, it is every Christian’s responsibility to demonstrate to others the reality of the love shown to them on the cross by Jesus Christ who, while they were still sinners, died in their place. This love should firstly be shown to other Christians, then to the rest of the world.

No doubt, you have heard of the Apostle Thomas, often referred to as “Doubting Thomas”. Thomas has earned this name from the time when he would not believe that Jesus had appeared to the other Apostles (see John 20:19-28). He said, “Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” He had seen Jesus die. He saw Jesus buried. Thomas was a man who knew what he believed and he believed Jesus was dead. At first sight of the risen Jesus, he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28 NASB)

What would you think if I said I wish my faith was as strong as Thomas’? Well, I do. Furthermore, I think that the title of “Doubting Thomas” is not deserved. Let’s take a quick look at what the Bible says about Thomas…

Apart from him being simply named as one of the twelve Apostles, we first read of Thomas in John’s Gospel, Chapter 11. Jesus was with His Apostles and had just heard that Lazarus was dead and said He must go to wake him up. They all said to Jesus that the Jews would stone Him. It was Thomas who said, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” (John 11:16 NASB)

In John Chapter 14, Jesus spoke of going away to prepare a place for the Apostles. Although Jesus expected them to understand, they did not. Thomas, not having a clue where Jesus was off to, said, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” (John 14:5 NASB) What he was really saying was that he wanted to follow. He did not care where Jesus went, he just wanted to go, but was concerned that he might not know how to follow.

Next, we find Thomas in the upper room where the twelve had been staying after Jesus returned to heaven. Thomas, along with the others was described as, “continually devoting themselves to prayer.” (Acts 1:14 NASB)

If having the faith of Thomas means:

• Knowing exactly what one believes
• Being prepared to follow Jesus to death
• Wanting to follow Jesus anywhere, even if you don’t know where
• Being continually devoted to prayer

then give me the faith of “Doubting” Thomas any day! If more Christians had this type of faith, the world would be a very different place today.

When a person hurts us….wrongs us….mistreats us…betrays us, the natural impulse is to get angry, harbour bitterness, and even seek revenge. That’s the ‘natural’ way to respond to hurt – following the desires of our sinful nature.

But when a person becomes a Christian, God puts the Holy Spirit within them and they have a new nature (Ephesians 4:22-24). They have the capacity to deal with hurt in a new way – letting go of anger, forgiving the offender, and seeking their highest good.

There can be an internal tug-of-war as we feel pulled by the old nature towards bitterness and resentment, and led by the Holy Spirit to forgive. Of course, God would have us to “go with” the Holy Spirit.

Jesus taught in no uncertain terms what we need to do when we are wronged. He said,

> “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27)

> “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37)

> And He even told Peter to forgive a wrongdoer seventy times seven!
(Matthew 18:22)

Jesus role-modelled forgiveness by saying from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

Can you forgive? If you are a Christian, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, you certainly can! We all can. So a better question would be – Are we willing to forgive?

David Hunt