Friday 16 August 2019

How do you feel?


A phrase used often by reporters on TV when interviewing someone is, "How do you feel ... ?"

A celebrity wins an Oscar or whatever other award and the reporter puts a microphone to their face and asks, "how are you feeling right now?"

Someone or other wins a prize on the lottery and they're over-excited and the reporter asks, "how are you feeling about this win?"

There's been a tragic disaster, people have been injured or killed, and the reporter asks a crying person, "how do you feel right now?"

I guess this obsession with peoples' feelings at different times in their lives, whether happy or sad, is to bring it home to us, the viewers, the very emotions that people are going through at the very moment that it happens. We share their joys, or sadness as we see them on the screen. For a moment perhaps we touch their very souls as they undergo the emotions of the moment.

OK ... let me try this on you. Here's the microphone in front of you and I'm expecting a quick response and reaction to the question.

"You are a Christian, what is your feeling about this?"

Are you ... Happy? Joyful? Glad? Nonplussed? Nonchalant? Blasé? Sad? Worried? Fearful? Other?

What does being a Christian mean to us in this day and age? Is it something to be proud of? Something to hide and shy away from? Or just a label we use for convenience when someone asks, or when we are filling an application form or a census form or such like?

Not long ago I ran a small discussion group in our church and we were discussing a Bible reading. I asked, "If someone with a microphone asked you in the street who was Jesus, what would you say?"

The responses I got was, "He was a teacher, a wise man, a healer, He performed miracles, ... and so on."

No one said, He was/is the Son of God.

When I pointed this out they responded, "We don't say that sort of thing in public in this country. We don't talk like that about religion and things!"

Now I may have been in a cocoon these past few years. Either comatose or completely sheltered from this world. But it was not ever so.

Time was when men took their hats off when entering a church, or when a funeral cortège passed by. Women used to cover their heads with a scarf or hat when in church. People used to kneel before taking a seat in the pews. Time was when being a Christian was a good thing.

When I worked in London people there knew I was a Christian. I did not go around preaching to everyone or waving my hands in the air shouting "Praise the Lord!" Talking about religion and politics was strictly forbidden at work; but people knew I was a Christian.

I was in business, made business decisions, tough ones at times that were not palatable or popular. Often my decisions were diametrically opposed to that of others. I fought my corner and lost friends as a result. I made mistakes ... many. And was most probably as good or as bad as everyone else.

Once a colleague and I visited nearby St Paul's Cathedral at lunchtime. It was/is a tourist attraction and as we entered the huge building my friend waved his hand in the air, pointing to the ceiling and all around and said, "Tell me ... do you believe in all that?"

I replied, "Yes ... as a matter of fact I do!"

He said nothing.

I hope that if the same scenario happened today I would reply the same way. I don't know. Pointing the microphone at myself I ask, "How do I feel about that?"

How do you feel about that?

More important ... How does God feel about that?

18 comments:

  1. I would say honestly and from my heart..."yes, I do believe in God."
    As far as organized religion goes...I have lost much of my faith in them.
    God knows the truth. We cannot fool Him. Being Catholic I truly do not believe that He loves me any less because I do not pray to Him from inside a magnificent structure created by man and that I prefer to pray outside in my woods or by my simple grotto.

    These are my thoughts and I stand by them 💮

    God's Blessings Victor ✝

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    1. I understand what you are saying, Jan. God knows what is in our heart.

      God bless you.

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  2. If somebody asked me today Who Jesus was, I would say 'He is my Lord, the Son of God'. I love talking about Him. I was in the waiting room of a dentist a couple of days ago waiting for my husband who was having a check up, and a lady opposite me started talking to me. We got on to talking about God and Jesus through mentioning my near death experience. She was very interested, and so was another lady who had just come into the waiting room as I was talking about it. I ended up giving them some of my leaflets with scripture and poetry in them that I keep in my handbag.
    I believe the Lord sets up these conversations, and I love being part of the spreading of the Gospel when He leads me to do it.

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    1. Thank you Brenda for sharing your lovely story with us.

      God bless you and yours always.

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  3. Caught off guard with a microphone in front of me I'm not sure what I'd say. Daily I reflect on the fact that he has been my Savior for some time. He has existed for me in everything. I also pray that he becomes a constant presence in all lives. Thank you for this reflection today!

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    1. Thank you Cathy for your visit and comment. Here in the UK, I doubt many would say He is the Son of God in a microphone.

      God bless you.

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  4. As you know from my most recent post, Victor, that knowing Jesus as my Lord and Savior makes me feel joyful! We should never be ashamed of the Gospel or showing people what it's like to truly practice Christianity.
    Blessings!

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    1. You are right Martha. I doubt though that many in the UK would do as you say.

      God bless you always.

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  5. Jesus is my everything!! And from there I would continue with Lord and Savior and constant companion! I can't imagine life without Him.

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  6. You've hit on one of my biggest pet peeves, Victor. If, for instance - in the event of a tragedy - I'd love to see someone slap that silly journalist and ask, "How in the **** do you think I feel?"
    OK, I digress.
    To answer your question. I wouldn't hesitate to say, "He is the son of God, my savior."

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    1. Mevely, I so agree with your first point. It irritates me so much when reporters ask how do you feel when people are crying about lost loved ones.

      On your second point, I am so glad that you would not hesitate to talk about Jesus. I have just witnessed an unusual event on TV just a few minutes ago. Live show, comedian on stage, a large audience of about 4 to 5 thousands I would guess. The comedian starts telling jokes about Mary's virgin birth. The audience laughs and applauds. One voice in the audience (remember live show) is heard to BOOO loudly. The comedian, holding the microphone replies, "Booo yourself you ****!" The audience laughs louder. The member of the audience says something not too clear to be understood. The comedian replies, "Go f*** yourself you ****" The audience laughs and applauds louder. The comedian with the microphone in hand wins the day.

      Can you imagine the courage of that lone member of the audience who objected to the blasphemous jokes?

      Would I have had the courage to shout out like him?

      God bless you, Mevely.

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  7. Without God in my life, I wouldn't be here. He has answered a lot of my prayers through the years. I have conversations with Him when I'm out walking. Growing up Catholic, I no longer attend Mass or respect the Catholic Church. One of our favorite priests when we were young, we found out years later that he was called out as a pedophile and defrocked from his duties in the church. I can’t get my mind around that. You trust these priests and then something like this happens. The church just transferred him to another parish without alerting them about his actions and of course he abused kids again.

    When I wish to talk to God, I do so on my own. It works for me and hopefully for Him too. Organize religion, I just don’t care for it. On the other hand, you have these crazy lunatics who call themselves Christians and all your hear coming from their mouths is hate.
    Sorry to ramble on, but I do enjoy your blog, it makes me think about a subject that is hard to fully understand, That’s where faith comes in to play at least for me.

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    1. Bill, first of all thank you for your honest comment here. The Catholic Church has a lot to answer for. There is a lot in our Church which is wrong and no Pope or anyone is willing to put things right.

      What you and I must remember though is that priests are only human, and as such they make mistakes, and they sin ... very often.

      I agree with you about the dangers and evils of organised religion - any denomination. I believe that our relationship with God is, and should be, on a one-to-one basis. He created each one of us and knows us personally and wishes to communicate with us on a personal basis. I too pray, and talk, to God on a one-to-one basis. Perhaps I don't listen to Him that much though, and I need to correct that. I hope He forgives me for it.

      Yes, I like your approach to prayer and I am sure God likes it too. I have been fortunate in life to have met a number of good priests who have sacrificed a lot for their congregations and for people generally. My character Fr Ignatius is based on them and some of my stories there are true. But I agree, Bill, there are/have been many bad priests too.

      Praying for you and all my readers often.

      God bless, Bill.

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  8. Jesus is my Savoir and He gives me peace and joy no matter what the circumstances. I put Him number one in my life an everything else just falls into place.
    I look forward to seeing him face to face in heaven!!!
    I am so thankful that God lead us to our church where our pastor is a man who practices what he preaches. Being a member of my church and being with other people who believe is such a great blessing.
    I go to a good old fashioned Bible believing church!

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    1. It is so good, Happyone, when we find a church where the pastor practices what he preaches and where the people there are also practicing Christians rather than parrots using Christianity as a badge.

      God bless you.

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  9. Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and I love and trust Him! Praise the Lord, He has placed us in a Bible=preaching, Christ-centered church with a loving church family. Thank you for the great post and God bless,
    Laurie

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    1. Thank you Laurie for visiting us here. You are welcome. We look forwards to your visits here often.

      God bless you and yours.

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God bless you.