Movement Magazine: Issue 160

It is wonderful for me
to take part in Mass
and share the wonder
of the Eucharist with
my Catholic friends.
But it is equally
wonderful to take the
experiences of love, awe
and amazement for
God that I experience
in a Catholic context
and bring them to the
ecumenical table.
God speaks to us in
different ways. And
because he speaks in
different ways, our
beings and expression
of faith will be diverse
– but always reflecting
a little side of God’s
voice and self. And
isn’t the idea of putting
different sides of God
together wonderful?
experience. At the same time, I listen to
them when they encourage me to find
God even when I do not find any direct
images or paintings, perhaps relying more
on the scriptures instead.
But what do we do when things are not as
harmonious? I am lucky to be surrounded
by people who find differences in
traditions enriching at our Free Church
services, but I have certainly had tense
moments at university. For instance, I
have never felt comfortable with trying
to make my spiritual experience into
a rational, philosophical argument for
the existence of God, and that created
misunderstandings with people who live
their faith by doing precisely that. When
these clashes happen, we must take them
as an opportunity to acknowledge our
differences. God speaks to us in different
ways. And because he speaks in different
ways, our beings and expression of faith
will be diverse – but always reflecting
a little side of God’s voice and self. And
isn’t the idea of putting different sides of
God together wonderful? What a diverse,
multidimensional and fuller picture we
would get!
Of course, there will always be people
who think a certain point of view is the
only right way, and nothing else can
valuably contribute. But my advice to this
kind of opposition is to continue living
as a testimony of God’s love residing in
our differences, with those differences
coexisting around the dinner table. When
tense moments arise due to differences
of opinion, do not fall into the temptation
of nurturing that tension. Division cannot
be any good – to counter the tendency
towards it, the only thing is to enter the
conviviality of differences Father Tonino
called for.
Be patient. It can be frustrating when
people don’t understand the beauty of
ecumenism because they are so deeply
rooted in a certain tradition. But I believe
we exist to support and love each other
in communion. I trust that God speaks
through us, and through our being in
communion with Christ and with others,
we can be a medium for God to make a
difference in someone’s life. When we
feel like diversity is leading to tension and
conflict, let us remember that diversity
is richness. A Christian community is the
equivalent to a bring and share meal; I bring
bread, you bring cider, someone brings
carrots, someone else bring hummus,
others bring a cottage pie, and so on
until we have a very full table! Isn’t this
a much nicer idea than a table just made
of carrots?! Perhaps right now I feel more
comfortable with the idea of just eating
carrots, and I don’t want to risk mixing
them with hummus. But if I just give it a
try I see the richness of flavour that comes
from it. I might not enjoy cider that much,
but I’m happy for other people to enjoy it
and I recognise the importance of a good
drink. God delights in our differences: let
us fight the temptation of making them a
matter of conflict because of pride, or fear,
and let us create a colourful, delicious and
joyful table. Bon appetit!
Written by Marianna Baltrami,
a member of Warwick Christian Focus.
REVIEWS
FAITH
UNRAVELED
This excellent, concise book narrates
the extraordinary journey of the late
Rachel Held Evans from being a
stereotypical conservative evangelical
fundamentalist to a modern, sceptical,
doubting Christian believer. She has a
wonderful way with words which gives
incredible and poignant insights into
the exclusive subculture of American
fundamentalism, evangelicalism and
conservative apologetics, and into her
own personal journey.
Faith Unraveled: How a Girl Who Knew all
the Answers Learned to Ask Questions
Rachel Held Evans
Paperback
ISBN: 0310339162
The attention to detail is brilliant yet
it is also very accessible. It is serious,
genuine and authentic but also
contains a healthy dose of humour. I
would warmly recommend this book
to anyone who has or is making the
difficult transition from conservative
evangelical Christian to “postevangelical”
(Dave Tomlinson). I would
also recommend it for those struggling
to integrate their personal faith and
religious upbringing with their current
modern, academic, scholarly and
critical study of theology, especially
Biblical Studies. For both groups of
people, reading this helpful book is like
having a companion walking alongside
you as you gradually, individually and
carefully discuss all of those complex
questions which just will not go away
as your faith evolves, develops, matures
and grows. I have made that journey
and wish I had known of this book then!
BEN SOMERVELL
Good Omens
Directed by Douglas Mackinnon
Produced by Neil Gaiman, Rob Wilkins,
Chris Sussman
Amazon Studios
TV - GOOD OMENS
Good Omens is a TV show based on
the book by Neil Gaiman and Terry
Pratchett, starring David Tennant
as Crowley and Michael Sheen as
Aziraphale. Both are sent to earth and
the basic premise is that the Apocalypse is
coming - Heaven and Hell want it, and
want to win! Crowley and Aziraphale,
however, are unconvinced.
I really enjoyed watching this - it
made me laugh and cry, sometimes
simultaneously. It was brilliantly cast - I
particularly enjoyed Sheen as Aziraphale,
and his dynamic with Tennant was
adorable. Watching the TV adaptation
was very similar to reading the book,
right down to some of the dialogue being
identical. I didn’t read the book until
after I finished watching the series (by a
miracle worthy of God herself, the book
arrived on my doorstep within minutes of
me finishing the series!) and while I would
also recommend reading it, I don’t think
you need to approach it in any particular
order. The wit and imagination shines
through in both, and the change in one of
the Four ‘Bikers’ of the Apocalypse from
Pestilence to Pollution felt thoughtful.
Also, God is Frances McDormand, if you
aren’t sold already!
DEBBIE WHITE
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MOVEMENT Issue 160
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