RealityBites blog

Yesterday I delivered my Celebrity Culture and Human Trafficking conference to about 100 sixth formers in a school in Doncaster. I was delighted with how it went. I had a great conversation with a teacher who taught Classical Civilisation. I told her some rat stories, the Glenn Hoddle routine and we had a very enjoyable chat about the difference between Hindu teaching and the biblical hope in the resurrection of the body. She told me that she would really enjoy hearing my talk but she had to go and teach a class.

I began talking to the students individually and was very encouraged when a student told me he had really enjoyed the Mafia conference which I had delivered in 2015. This cheered me greatly!

The conference went very well and I was able to explain the difference between the western religion (consumerism) and the Christian faith. This provoked some cut-diamond questions. One student asked me a question about Buddhism and I was able to clearly articulate how materialism and eastern religions contrast with Christian faith. You could hear a pin drop.

The most encouraging feature of the session was a wonderful conversation with 8 sixth form boys who stayed behind to ask me questions. I was amazed by the spiritual depth of their questions. Our discussion touched on the moral bankruptcy of secularism, the uniqueness of Jesus, His resurrection and the incarnation. I explained the incarnation by an ant parable and this seemed to go down well. I was also asked why I believed in Jesus. One of these lads wrote me this:

"Thank you for your speech today. I'd say it was the best enrichment session we've had so far. The topic/discussion was very intriguing and engaging."

The very delightful Geography teacher was very positive about the session and told me it had been 'fantastic'. A very encouraging time for RealityBites.

Anne and I had a wonderful time in Morocco over the Christmas break. The hotels were excellent and Casablanca didn't disappoint although Humphrey Bogart did not show up and mumble - "Play it again Sam."

RealityBites is all about creative and non-cheesy communication of the Christian faith and I had some fantastic conversations with Muslims, atheists and agnostics about Jesus. The highlight of the holiday was talking to a delightful and charming young Mexican man who was interested in business and claimed to be an agnostic. We got on like a house on fire! I told him about Randy Lewis and George Cadbury and then we talked about Jesus, the kingdom and the resurrection. I went through some of my best routines and we ended up comparing Nietzsche with Jesus. What a wonderful chat we had.

The Mexican asked me if I believed in 'destiny'. I said that I did if, by that, he meant 'divine appointments'. He told me that meeting me was destined to happen and that the conversation had been 'very enriching'. He wanted to stay in contact and he has emailed me to say hello.

His final comment during our one hour chat was intriguing. He told me that he had met many Christians and that they were all rather crazy and loco. In other words they were 'nutters'. He found my form of Christian outreach very different, thoughtful and intelligent.

Isn't it tragic that evangelism is perceived in this light? Tragically many Christians do sound odd and strange as they struggle to talk about their faith. Many sensitive Christian people stop talking about Jesus because it can sound so embarrassing and cringeworthy.

Please pray for RealityBites this year. We are struggling to take the yuk and the cheese out of talking about faith. We believe that the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection can be communicated in winsome, intelligent and imaginative ways. 

I had a fantastic time talking to a young Muslim man about the gospel last week. It was very natural, relaxing and enjoyable for both of us!

I explained to him that Glenn Hoddle had managed the England football team back in the 90's and he was sacked for believing in karma!

The young Muslim man found this fascinating.

I told him that Hoddle claimed to be a Christian but the belief in karma is a Hindu belief. With karma you get what you deserve! Rebirth in a rat, shrimp or a disabled person’s body but with Jesus you get what you don’t deserve: God’s love, the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life.

The young man was intrigued and so I outlined four ways of looking at

life after death -

1) Some people believe that when you die you rot under the ground.

(he recognised this as an atheist view)

2) Some people believe that when you die you get the afterlife you want.

(he found this postmodernist view very entertaining)

3) Some people, like Hoddle, believe that you are reborn in a deaf person's body or a rat if you have a bad karma.

(he found this view strange and obviously wrong)

4) Christians believe that when you die you are waiting for a wonderful resurrection body if you love and follow Jesus (John 6).

(he had never heard this view and was intrigued)

What is particularly striking is that the next day the young Muslim lad approached me and outlined these four views, including the Christian hope in the resurrection. He had understood every word!

I was astonished but delighted that my Hoddle themed presentation of the gospel had had this impact.

So you don't believe in God (Psalm 14:1)? Does that mean you are a materialist then? I used to believe that malarkey but it made me so miserable and grumpy. I thought about it and realised that if everything I do is programmed by hidden physical stuff then murdering my wife and kids is not my fault and even plotting to kill them is not my fault. Both my thoughts and my actions are beyond my control. What a nightmare for my family!