Suicide is a man thing. Well not entirely but the numbers are weighted in favour of young males. The coroner in Co Offaly called it “rampant” after he had dealt with his fifth case this week. At St Patrick’s hospital in Dublin they recorded a 25% increase last year. The new type of person at risk is said to be the male driven entrepreneur who sees himself as a financial failure. But for many any attempt at analysis is trying to make sense of the senseless. The suicide note may give some clues as to the person’s frame of mind but frequently reveals misguided thinking arriving at the conclusion that death is better than life. The stigma may have lessened but it and its younger relative self harm are seldom spoken about. Just how can we create a culture of openness is the big question? So many try to preserve their “image” faking a lifestyle of having it all together when what they really need someone to speak to who they can trust. What does the Bible say? Suicide is sin. In no way does it ever glorify God. Instead it assumes the godly role of determining the end of life on earth. It is the ultimate expression of self-centredness and, unless the balance of the mind is disturbed, can never be justified. The evolutionary environment we are in sees humans as evolved animals rather than the pinnacle of creation. This equating of mankind with creatures lends itself to lowering our worth, which is infinite in God’s eyes, to that of say a well trained dog. As the playwright remarked “every dog has had its day” and then it is put down! The Bible says mankind was created in God’s image and though marred by the fall, has the potential, by God’s grace to reflect Him to others. There may be similarities in the way we have been created but we are not animals. We alone have consciousness, language, civilisation, literature – in fact dominion over the earth. Above all we have been created to be re-created, born to be re-born. We are here for a purpose thanks to Jesus death and resurrection. As St John recorded Jesus, “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also” (Chapter 14 verse 19). Jesus Lordship straddles the grave, “To this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Romans chapter 14 Verse 9). Bill Gaither’s song captures something of the believer’s joy: – Because he lives, I can face tomorrow, Because he lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!

This has been a wonderful week for journalists. With the government lurching from crisis to crisis there has been no shortage of stories to fill up their column inches. Extended news bulletins have ground out tales of woe befalling the government as the Taoiseach, flushed by the success of his party’s vote of confidence in him, forgot he was in a coalition situation. In an excess of zeal to preserve his party he sought to replace the resigning Cabinet ministers with fresh blood from the rank and file, thereby increasing their election prospects in 7 weeks time. The partners in Government, the Greens showed him the red card and the Taoiseach woke up to the fact that he is not in control. He has now resigned as leader of his party! The drama was spiced up by the resignation of a number of TD’s and Cabinet members. These saw the writing on the wall and preferred to lift their pensions rather than suffer the ignominy of being dumped out of office at the next election. At a loss for words to adequately express her astonishment at the meltdown happening before our eyes the leader writer of a National daily descended into blasphemy. Her article commenced with the words “God almighty” as she aligned herself with the vast majority of her readers who think nothing of breaking the 3rd commandment. Perhaps that is part of the reason “we are where we are” (to quote the Taoiseach)? What does the Bible have to say? El Shaddai was the name God used to reveal one of his attributes to Abraham. He is almighty as he controls the powers of nature, in this case opening the womb of barren Sarah. (Genesis 17 verse 1) What is it in the human physic that retains some vestiges of optimism when there are no grounds for it? The editorial which started with blasphemy ended the sentence with false hopefulness, “no one thought it could have got worse”. The cynics may well have thought it could get worse thereby aligning themselves with anyone who reads the Bible to get God’s verdict for the reason “we are where we are”. Our ill-founded optimism withers in the face of “there is none righteous – no not one” and “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. (Romans chapter 3 Verses 10 & 23) God’s verdict on Mankind since the fall is “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis chapter 6 verse 5). Our view is “there is some good in everyone” as we judge them by our own standard playing at “god”. It is much more realistic to start with the fact of universal sin starting with you and me! Acknowledge that we have left God out of our reckoning, repent and listen to Him for a change. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” and it is faith in that act of God almighty that gives solid grounds for hope in a world that continually gets worse. Neither the optimist nor the cynic can see it because they omit to listen to the voice of God. We need to get real and put our faith in Christ – the only one who will never let you down.

The AV or, as our American cousins prefer to call it, the King James Version maintains its popularity despite the proliferation of versions available today. Supporters of the AV would stoutly maintain that if it was good enough for St Paul it is good enough for me! It is the Bible which many a Bride clutched on her wedding day. It has been the standard presentation gift to new preachers for centuries. It has made many court appearances as successive witnesses took an oath with their right hand on its cover. Proclaimed by sceptics as the world’s least read best seller it has outlived many of its detractors who predicted its demise. Voltaire was one of these. After his death the Bible Society purchased his house in Paris for use as a store for Bibles. For many who became Christian in the last century the A V is still the texts they think in despite using other translations. It reads well by contrast with the more stilted English of its modern counterparts. Under the instructions of King James it is slanted towards the ecclesiology of the Church of England. The translation for all its faults largely achieved the vision of its predecessor William Tyndale who aimed with his translation to enable “the boy that driveth the plough” to understand what God has said as well as any clergyman. Unlike its successors the cover of the A V has carried the words “The Holy Bible” since it was first published. It was without rival for at least three centuries. Holy means that it is set apart from other books. It does not mean that the book itself is to be worshipped but rather that the triune God whom it reveals is the one we worship. But the Bible can speak for itself! The Psalmists view; “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Chapter 119 verse 105. Where do we find the truth written down? “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” St John chapter 17 verse 17. Timothy was reared in a godly home on a diet of scripture! “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Timothy chapter 3 verses 14-17. May God grant us many more Timothy’s to match the needs of this day and generation.

Now there is a rare piece of news! More normal would be “profits up €x million” but these are not normal times. “They’re off” and so is the “Bookie!” may apply to the “on course” Bookmaker who wants to maximise his gains but not to this gambler who had 64 betting shops across Ireland. The old adage that the good guy comes second may fit Celtic Bookmakers owner, Ivan Yates. So how did it come to this? Ivan had an impeccable farming background. He had a good schooling and election to Government at age 21 gave him a flying start. (It was said of his preparation for politics that he was going to funerals when other lads were going to discos!) What lured Ivan into the betting game? Was it the fallacy that gambling is a good bet? Did he fail to move into the more high tech betting methods relying on the traditional scene which had every town in the country served by the betting shop? Whatever it was the bank now effectively owns the chain of shops on the foot of a €6 million debt, the funding of which is likely to leave Ivan penniless. At age 50 he is a comparatively young man with plenty of talents and, to use his favourite expression will “just have to get on with it”. What comment does the Bible have to make on all this? Gambling is covetousness. It is prohibited by the 10th commandment. It differs from other types of investment where people lend money so that they may mutually benefit. In gambling I want to take your money and you want to take mine. It has been described as stealing by mutual consent! Gambling fosters greed and greed grows. It may start off small, “I bought the raffle ticket because it was for a good cause”. But people do not buy raffle tickets to support good causes. If they did the same amount of money could be raised by asking for donations. They want to win the prize. The good cause sanitizes the greed of wanting to win a prise or money. Greed grows from one betting shop to 64 betting shops! Any church which adopts gambling soon turns a house of prayer into a house of cards. Sadly it legitimises the gambler and loses its voice. It has nothing to say to a needy culture. When it tries to speak it lacks creditability. Soon people stop listening. When St Paul listed the things which the new Christians at Colossae had put behind them following their conversion he said, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Chapter 3 v 3/5) And that advice holds good for anyone who wants to follow Christ today.

The repetitive cry emanating, usually from the back seat of the car, is guaranteed to test the patience of the most tolerant parent. It speaks of the desire for the tedium of the journey to be over and the destination reached. It is full of hope that the future will be better and that the present ordeal will soon be over. The phrase underlies the Moriarty Tribunal as it seeks to root out corruption. It has been attacked by those it is investigating and the war of words continues into its 14th year. We are not there yet! There has been a move to stop the investigations into clerical sex abuse after the report on the Cloynes dioceses. The length of time and the pain produced by the Murphy Report on the Dublin dioceses has prompted some to cry “enough”. The hope is that lessons have been learned by the church without the need of further exposures. But we are not there yet! The repeated underestimating of the banking bailout has rattled the money market. Despite Governmental assurances that the astronomical amounts now pledged are sufficient we may not be at the bottom of the debt yet. It seems that the only certainty is that today we have entered a New Year and we can say with some confidence that we are in 2011! Those reading the Bible for a motto text for the year will be conscious that we are not there yet. Even looking at the world through rose tinted spectacles there is a long way to go before we can speak about peace and justice. The all prevailing sin that puts man instead of God at the centre of our decisions empties lives of their real purpose and meaning. Instead of having a reason for living we end up with the flat earth view that excludes the God dimension and the tedium of life’s journey is exacerbated by the absence of having any destination. For many the universe is empty; there is no place to go to. The words of Jesus to questioning Thomas gave him point and purpose for living; “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (Saint John Chapter 14 verse 6) The Bible catalogues many who took that advise and encourages us to; “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God”. (Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1/3) Are we there yet? Not quite but for those who trust in Jesus ability to “save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him” the journey is as good as over.

The severe weather which closed the airport caused major travelling disruption. Passengers were sleeping in Airports across Europe with runways closed and nowhere to go. The weather replaced the economy as the chief topic on the news with expert opinion being sought from an apologetic met office, caught on the wrong foot! “Home for Christmas” became something of a mantra. People, like confused lemmings, were migrating in great numbers in every direction. They all had this one thing in common; they wanted to get home for Christmas. The more it seemed unlikely the greater the efforts of the airlines and ferries efforts to make it happen. Christmas at home was never so desirable as when it seemed unattainable! So what awaited the travellers in this mass migration? What made Christmas so special as to throw money at airlines to get home for Christmas? Was it the delights of a family reunion? Perhaps the thought of the presents about to be exchanged or the turkey or the plum pudding or the drink? Or even the “crashing out” in front of the “telly” with stomachs distended from one mince pie too many! Whatever the attraction it is unlikely to have much to do with the climactic event which took place in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. References to the Christ child may appear in the traditional Christmas cards and a few may even quote scripture but the magnitude of the event has been eroded by our disbelief. Even when taught to the children the coming of Christ is gazumped by Santa Claus who now reigns supreme. So what does the Bible have to say about all this? Well there was a journey – from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It was arduous and Bethlehem was full of people – probably some sleeping rough. Accommodation for the young couple was eventually found in a stable where the Saviour was born. The first visitors were shepherds, tough folk who wouldn’t have been put off by the angels directing them to a stable. They believed the message and were the first to meet Jesus. Later when the family went up to Jerusalem to observe the purification rites they met two other believers, Simeon and Anna, elderly folk who were anticipating the arrival of the Lord’s Christ. The Magi came later and then came the flight to Egypt for safety. Not a very auspicious start to a ministry whose followers now are to be found in almost every nation on earth. Never the less it’s a birth which triggers the sometimes frantic scramble to be “home for Christmas”. And among those who find their way into churches there will be the Simeon’s and Anna’s of today, men and women who recognise the powerful love of God in Christ and the life transforming impact His love has on all who will receive it. His initial rejection was predicted as was today’s faithful family of believers. As Saint John put it in chapter 1 verses 11 to 13, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

The release of Chapter 19 of the Murphy Report has renewed the mental anguish for the many children Fr Tony Walsh sexually abused. Sadly some have committed suicide but the trail of misery does not end there it continues in the distorted sexual behaviour in many families throughout the land. It becomes the family secret. It haunts the lives of those affected. It becomes the pit from which there seems to be no escape. From whence came this convoluted sexuality? The failed sexual revolution of the sixties spawned the notion of “free love”. This proved to be neither love nor free but simply created the environment for lust to flourish. This was followed by “woman’s liberation”. The results were similar and whilst acknowledging it produced some benefits there has been a distortion of the female figure to that of a sex symbol. “Liberation” has become bondage to the fantasy of the beautiful body. This quest has been fuelled by newspapers, magazines, novels, film and TV. Each puts an increasingly high value on explicit sex to sell its product in this race to reach the lowest common denominator. But the breakthrough in the race to the bottom came with the internet. Previously you got what you bought but now you are in control; you can pick and choose your poison. Sexual addiction flourishes behind closed doors. The laptop in the bedroom or the iPod in the pocket need to be handled with self control – an ingredient which is in short supply these days. What help can the Bible offer? Muslim States have their own problems but they cannot understand how Christian countries can end up with the opposite values to Jesus Christ. His values of purity and self-control are scarce in our Western culture. It seems that having let the genie out of the bottle there is no way it can be returned. Saint Paul’s advice to young Timothy was to “flee youthful lusts” and in a wider context to the church at Rome, (as in J B Phillip’s paraphrase) “do not let the world squeeze you into its mould”. But who is listening? Perhaps it was like that at Ephesus where Saint Paul, (in chapter 4) makes a distinction between the non-believing Gentiles and the converts to Christ: “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” In verses 22/24 Saint Paul describes the conversion experience focusing here on the believer’s minds to come under the guidance of Christ. That is the only way of escape from the sexual addictions so rampant today.

Tears and anger were vented at the felling of the “holy hawthorn” of Glastonbury. Someone with a chainsaw stretched over the circular fence which surrounded it and severed the ancient tree leaving a six foot stump. Apparently the last time it was cut down was by Cromwell’s soldiers. They seemed to have done a better job as only the roots remained. These roots were allegedly planted in 1951 to product this tree and three others growing around the town. Of course the original tree is attributed to Joseph of Arimathea who brought the seed (along with the “Holy Grail” the chalice which Jesus used at the last Passover) to Somerset. Why he should have brought either to “England’s green and pleasant land” is a question that only a British Israelite could answer! The fence surrounding the tree is shown festooned with token rags reflecting the devotion of many to their belief in pantheism. Perhaps someone will tell the mourners that hawthorn has a habit of sprouting so they can look forward to a “resurrection” in due course! My question is, are they barking up the wrong tree? What does the Bible say about trees? There are three notable trees in Scripture. The first in Genesis is called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The description of such knowledge encompasses the entire spectrum of moral experience. Nothing is omitted. This is why the tempter could accurately say that with this knowledge they would be like God. But the knowledge came with a promise – that of death – which in its immediate form was separation from the God who had made them. At the end of the Bible we read of another tree. The Apostle John is given the vision of death removed and healing completed. “The tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” Revelation chapter 22 verses 2/3. For this change to become possible the separation caused by sin had to be removed so that we could enter into that intimate relationship with our creator God for which we were made. The third tree is referred to by St Peter in his first letter when he calls the cross a tree. Indeed it was a wooden cross, a Roman gibbet, an instrument of execution. Referring to Jesus he writes, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. By his wounds we are healed.” Chapter 2 verse 24. Christians are those who by faith have seen their sins laid on Jesus and recognise that his death brought that life to them which Adam forfeited in the garden of Eden. This healing comes, not when we trust in a tree, but in a living saviour.

The Wikileak website has achieved prominence these last few weeks by releasing some of its “classified” documents to the media. Apparently its founder, 39 year old Australian Julian Assange, has obtained 250,000 US diplomatic cables so we will be hearing a lot more about what the US thinks about other countries! Understandably the US has blocked his website but Julian has been in this business since 2006 and has allegedly 20 websites in other countries from which he can broadcast this material. Just how he came by this sensitive material is causing the US some consternation. It appears that a soldier was accumulating the cables, presumably on disc, and made a deal with Julian. Some US politicians are calling this an act of treason but Julian reckons he is simply correcting the free speech deficit that exists! There are those who agree with him and liken the US clampdown on his website Wikileak.com to China’s censoring of Google which the US scorned. Julian, who is somewhere in Britain, is the subject of a European arrest warrant issued by authorities in Sweden, where he is accused of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion. It seems that Julian may have been pursuing more than free speech! What has the Bible to say? There is an almost universal notion that God is both blind and deaf. That things done in secret will never come to light. That so long as others do not find us out, all will be well. “Your secret is safe with me” assumes a consistency humans are seldom capable of. This idea of an impotent God was voiced by Isaiah in Chapter 29 verse 15 which reads Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” The US diplomats thought their work was being done in secret with no-one to see what was going on. They thought that through encryption no-one would know. Now it is being broadcast through the world wide web! Jesus spoke of a day when all will be revealed – There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the rooftops. (Saint Luke chapter 12 verses 2 & 3) We may not have stolen US “classified” documents or been involved in sexual crimes but we need the Psalmist’s prayer: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”.

After the First World War the Allies decided to teach Germany a lesson. They had fought a very costly war and Germany, it was decided, must pay. The result was a resurgence of nationalism which brought a certain Austrian called Adolf Hitler to the fore and in due course we had the Second World War. After WW2 it would have been easy to make the same mistake and decide to make Germany pay but wiser council prevailed and the Marshall Plan was crafted. It embarked on a program of post-war recovery which poured aid into the stricken country to get it back onto its feet. After Ireland broke the European banking system causing huge problems for the economies of the EC it would be understandable for the countries that paid dearly towards Ireland’s bailout to decide to teach Ireland a lesson and make her pay. The result could be the resurgence of nationalism which could bring a certain ….! Hopefully Europeans are good at history and have learned their lessons. We will know the answer sooner rather than later! What light can the Bible throw on all this? Jesus countered the legalism of his day by twice quoting Hosea’s pronouncement, “I desire mercy not sacrifice” (sacrifice meaning the practice of religious rituals). The first time was to counteract the Pharisees criticism of Him eating with “tax collectors and sinners”. They would have preferred that Jesus condemn them. (St Matthew chapter 9 verse 13). The second occasion was when Jesus was being censured for permitting his disciples to “pluck heads of grain and eat them on the Sabbath”. Clearly those censuring Him would have preferred the disciples to go hungry. Their desire to see the innocent suffer prompted Jesus to remark that if they had known what “I desire mercy not sacrifice” meant, they would not have condemned the guiltless. (St Matthew chapter 12 verse 7.) The ordinary people of Ireland are not guilty of the money manipulation of the banks nor were they complicit in the St Patrick’s Day massacre of Anglo Irish bank’s shares. These enormous debts should not be laid to our account. As to those responsible for the economic meltdown, they may appear to go free but are answerable to a higher court. There they need the services of the only Advocate who has made the ultimate sacrifice for sinners so they had better be good at their history lessons and put their trust in the Saviour now.