Simon Orr
13
May 01:05
Awful, awful cell notes
Our Cell (for all you non charasmatic evangelicals out there, it's kind of like a bible study group on speed) has recently begun the Fusion notes entitled "Renewal of the mind", and this week the topic in question was love. The notes centred around two 'stories' that the group was supposed to analyse and compare to their own experience. I'll let you consider for yourself how useful they are:Story 1
Henry was walking in town one day when he spots a television crew filming what was obviously an advert for TV. He went to watch. In the scene were two beautifully dressed young women sitting having coffee. Off to one side were two very well dressed young men in suits. A man jumped out with his clapperboard and the first of the the two men walked past the two women. They looked extremely bored and carried on drinking their coffee. After a few moments the man walked in front of the two women. What a difference! Their mouths fell open and the coffee poured into the saucer: they were clearly being depicted as falling incredibly in love with this young man. Henry asked the filmaker what the film was about. "It's a wool advert' said the filmmaker. It took Henry a while to puzzle this through but then he realized the first of the young men was wearing a mixed polyester suit and the second was wearing an all wool suit. The picture here is 'wear the right clothes, get the right women'.
Now in the defence of the author of the above, the next line in the notes is: "A bit of a daft story, but...", a woeful understatement I feel. I could write an essay on the faults in that insult to the concept of communication, but I think I'll leave them for you to identify. And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse...
Story 2
Henry was working one day in a Christian caring centre when a little boy came in and ran up to Henry to be loved and hugged. Henry had come from a very sheltered background and had never really come across people in pain and difficulty, and as this little boy came towards him, the smell of urine and excrement hit Henry hard. This little boy was stinking, his hair was alive with lice and excrement was smeared all over him. Henry took a step backwards and instead of being the brave Christian carer found himself a failure. That evening in deep despair he thought about the nature of Christian love and realised his feelings had let him down. He had no feelings for this little boy, no rush of emotiion but in prayer and meditation he realised that Chrisitan love is about choice and sacrifice. The next day Henry was again in the centre and the boy ran towards him, Henry scooped him up in his arms and held him close, even though he knew he might smell of the little boy for many days. He has realised that love is about sacrifice and action. This is the Jesus way.
I'm almost embaressed to write that twaddle. I hope it entertains you all, it certainly did us.
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