Mrs MAWAMFC and I had a similarly-aged couple over for lunch today. We have known them for many years and we have children of similar ages. We talked about the things of God, but He was by no means our main topic of conversation. Why was that?
I wonder if it was partly because none of us were professional Christians – the gospel does not concern us 40 hours a week IN THE WAY THAT IT DOES PROFESSIONALS. The conversation drifted all over the place but a recurring theme was the multi-cultural nature of where we lived with us swapping experiences and observations.
For example, I teach chess in local schools. One school is linked to the Church of England and (therefore?) is almost exclusively Black African. Another is not church-based and is (therefore?) very varied ethnically. One observation is that ‘faith’ schools are often more mono-cultural than mono-faith.
We also talked about housing and the likelihood of our own children being able to buy property as we were able to. Our oldest son is buying his first flat at about the same age I did. He is getting help from a family member and so his mortgage is only three-and-a-half times his salary – the same as mine was 27 years ago. But ours was a two-bedroomed flat; my son’s was only one.
We also discussed local government and employment prospects for young people. Again, not surprising given our children are becoming young adults.
These are the topics in our minds as middle-aged people. We have, as Bruce Springsteen sang, “Work to do and bills to pay”. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Google it) might also come into play. Is there more to life than the gospel? Discuss.
As our friends left we did pray together. We did pray for God’s kingdom to advance and for His will to be done and for His name to be honoured and glorified. Was that okay?
February 1, 2010 at 2:52 am |
Today Mrs Blokess-turned-Yankess and I had a 30-year-old SWM over to lunch whom I met at church that morning during the “go greet each other” time. We talked about amphibians and reptiles and a particular endangered species of frog that he is studying for an MS. Later we talked about meekness – the sermon topic. After that he showed us his car, as we are shopping for one now.
Apart from the car bit, was God mad at us?
I like it when people listen to me tell them about things that interest me. In fact, our SWM visitor actually asked me about my research interests, and listened as I drew a diagram about jet engines. I think he was loving me then, but I don’t think it was too hard for him, as he was somewhat interested. That seems an ideal situation, when people can love each other by listening to each other, and actually enjoy it. I reckon that’s what happened at the MAWAMFC lunch table today, too.
February 25, 2010 at 11:20 pm |
“We also talked about housing and the likelihood of our own children being able to buy property as we were able to. Our oldest son is buying his first flat at about the same age I did. He is getting help from a family member and so his mortgage is only three-and-a-half times his salary – the same as mine was 27 years ago. But ours was a two-bedroomed flat; my son’s was only one.”
Interesting observation that, in this case, a salary buys less property. Yes, I kinow it is a statistical sample of one it but it supports my general observations that property is becoming more expensive in real terms, obliging people to live in more cramped conditions.
Yes, Yes, I know this is the lot of most people in the world and was also true of most people in the UK until fairly recently, ie in the days when we had to work in t’mill 25 hours a day AND has to pay t’mill owner for priviledge
February 26, 2010 at 7:47 am |
Chris said “Yes, I kinow it is a statistical sample of one it but it supports my general observations that property is becoming more expensive in real terms, obliging people to live in more cramped conditions.”
I think this is partly due to the increase in number of households: the more people live together (outside marriage) the more they are likley to end up living alone. There are – I understand – far more single-adult households. The three-bedroomed house that used to house Mum and Dad and two or three children now houses just Mum and the children while non-married fathers increase the demand for one-bedroom flats or singe-occupany bedrooms in flats and houses.
Society loves it when Christians help out (especially when we stump up even more tax) but they hate it when we analyze the problems and propose solutions other than those based simply on giving the government more money to spend.
March 1, 2010 at 4:25 pm |
“Society loves it when Christians help out (especially when we stump up even more tax) but they hate it when we analyze the problems and propose solutions other than those based simply on giving the government more money to spend.”
Recently I heard of a 5 x 3 mother who following the birth of her fourth child was diagnosed with bipolar depression (manic depressive).
I would imagine that coping with three children and no husband (but some support from her 3 x 3 mother) would give her bipolar depression. And a good deal else.
I think that the Church ought to teach against such behaviour in order to prevent the consequent misery but I would be interested in other views, even those that resulted in an overall higher tax bill.