Please make my serving of Humble Pie extra Large......

It's been a somewhat quiet few weeks in the Blair household recently. After the hectic business of summer residential, the announcement that Sara is pregnant and the resulting morning sickness which led to Sara receiving a second holiday home in the shape of Cley Ward at Norwich University Hospital, the last few weeks have been somewhat understated. Life just carried on, dishes got dirty and washed again, as did the clothes, Malachi kept on being cheeky and adorable and friends came round for dinner. Life just simply continued.

In my normal thoughts, in my normal car on normal days I was drawn to one singular question. How proud am I? This question began to formulate after some unfortunate news and campaigning around a pub called the William Booth (For more on this please check out my friends blog called William Booth Pub). Pride is a funny thing, often positive but equally can become a negative issue of stubbornness and egocentric actions. In our churches we often comment on 'pride'. Proud to be a member, proud to be a DYO, proud to wear our uniform, proud to abstain, etc... Whilst on the surface these statements seem incredibly positive and would seemingly not raise any eyebrows there is a side to pride I have begun to notice over recent weeks, and it is simply this. Pride is divisive.

Pride rarely unites in diversity, instead it highlights differences between opposing thoughts. Pride rarely is teachable, instead it holds to it's guns and stubbornly fights without listening. Pride rarely builds others up, instead it ensures the differences in class, status or popularity are maintained. Pride can be a dangerous thing. Pride is about exalting ourselves to a place were we can nod our heads in appreciation of what we have done. Pride is about massaging our ego's which ultimately leads to the casting down of disapproval to those who don't agree with our stand point. Pride is indeed a selfish dangerous thing.

Jesus speaks about pride in Luke 18, when he tells a parable of a priest and a sinner. The priest, a proud man, highlights his differences between himself and the others, his pride in his standing only serves to massage his own ego and ensures his difference in all things class related can not be mistaken. The sinner simply humbly asks for forgiveness with a recognition that only the ONE can be proud of anything. Jesus states:

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18: 14

Humility is about exalting others before ourselves, humility is about asking the question 'maybe I'm wrong' before arguing that we are right, humility is about unity because in the end we are all sinners, humility is about following Jesus who had no pride in going to the cross and never displayed pride, when he had every justification too ,after his Resurrection, but always walked, talked and lived in humility.

I've reflected a fair amount over the recent normal weeks about my own pride. About the times I've felt proud of the job I did leading worship only to be humbled in a mistake of epic propositions from the mic stand. The times I've been proud to have the knowledge and theology only to be humbled by a young person who gets the intricacies of God's grace without even trying. I am often proud and I'm often in need of humble pie to bring me back to that place of grace and need, to that place were I realise I am no different to anyone else and nothing I do or earn will replace or pay for the love and forgiveness we are all offered.

Maybe before we tell others they're wrong and campaign against a pub because we're proud to be abstainers and that just wouldn't do, maybe before we look at another whose lifestyle could not be more opposite to the values and morals of ours and maybe before we say 'I'm proud to...' we'll ask Jesus to give us another slice of humble pie. In these thoughts I realise I'm humbled to be a dad, not proud, because my son is more than I could ever do or be but instead is a gift of grace to me. I realise I'm humbled to be a DYO, because Jesus has looked beyond my many many wrongs and seen me as right and lives in my ministry. I realise that I am humbled to be his disciple, because nothing I do or have done will ever be enough to earn me that title other than his mercy.

My orders in, a daily extra large slice of humble pie, because it tastes so much better than that pride stuff...

What's God's view of Amy Winehouse???

So this weekend was a little crazy. Dreadfully tragic events in Norway, Liverpool got hammered by Hull City 3-0, I had a weekend off and the musical genius Amy Winehouse was found dead at her home after a suspected drug overdose. Only two of the above were news worthy, thankfully Liverpool's poor showing was nowhere in sight and will be confined to the folder 'one of those days' for the boys in red. The events in Norway and the demise of Ms Winehouse however were, and still are, very much in our headlines.

Much has been made of the comparison of the two already. How news of the death of a drug addict and out of control singer knocked the tragedy of nearly 100 innocent people losing their lives from the main news story stage. I have even heard many Christians comment negatively on the demise of Ms Winehouse whilst speaking of God's obvious heartbreak to the tragedy in Norway. As myself and Sara reflected on the crazy goings on this weekend we asked the question. What's God's view of Ms Winehouse?

Whilst we read all sorts of stuff on facebook, twitter and the uncontrollable 'free speech' world of the Web, I was struck that the overarching opinion was one of 'well what do you expect?' towards Amy Winehouse, most of which came from my Christian friends. So that spun me thinking, 'Is that really what God thinks?'. No christian, or possibly person, would deny God's breaking heart at the tragedy that unfolded on a small island in Norway, but does God's breaking heart not extend to a drug addict who had lost her way? And therefore should our hearts as Christians also not do the same?

To be honest I was appalled at those believers who had so quickly forgotten of the grace afforded to them, the forgiveness the Father had showered on them in their times of weakness and need, of addiction and lack of self control. Scripture tells me that 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23). ALL!!!!! that's you, me, Rob Bell, Nicky Gumbel, Tim Hughes, David Cameron, Dr Rowan Williams, the Pope and Amy Winehouse. All have fallen short, all are in need. As followers of Christ, we are not above others, we are not morally appropriate and able to cast down judgments to those who aren't. We are loved, we are forgiven, we are to forgive and lift others up and we are about loving those who are in need.

So what does God think of Amy Winehouse? My opinion is that as Amy died God wept and whispered over her the things she could have been, that God loved Amy as much as he does you and me and that if she had / has accepted his grace he would have welcomed her with a loving fathers embrace (Luke 15). So today I again recognise and accept God's grace in my life and weep with him for those killed in Norway and for a Lady, a little younger than me, that gave the world great music but could have given so much more.