�鶹��

Available for over a year

There was lots of talk this week during the heatwave that the UK was as hot as the Sahara Desert – an observation that led me to think about how much deserts have profoundly influenced thinking about society and how people live. This is because three of the major ancient religions – Judaism, Islam and Christianity – emerged from desert countries, and reflect the impression that survival in a hot climate made on people and their beliefs. This impact of the desert is evident right across Christianity, from the Old Testament alluding to precious water in metaphorical language – my soul thirsts for God – and in the use of water in its sacred rituals. Above all, though, survival in the desert has influenced thinking about sex. Nothing is more important than keeping the tribe going into the next generation, so procreation and heterosexual marriage are the rule in these ancient religions. This focus on procreation not only caused prejudice against childless women but also meant that other forms of sexual activity, including homosexuality, were rejected as sinful. Such thinking is still evident today. Next week bishops from across the worldwide Anglican Communion will meet for the first time in 14 years for the gathering called the Lambeth Conference. Once more it will reaffirm traditional teaching on human sexuality. A document released in advance of the Conference says: “It is the mind of the Anglican Communion as a whole that same gender marriage is not permissible” – a view that splits the Church, with many gay people feeling excluded, while others say Scripture’s prohibition on homosexuality must be maintained. The splits in the Christian churches over issues to do with sexuality are often hurtful but deeply damaging too. Some argue it shows how these ancient faiths, emerging from the desert, can’t teach contemporary people about how to live. But there’s another side to what Scriptures teaches, also borne from life in desert lands. Time and again, generosity springs out of these texts. Strangers are welcomed. People who arrive after lengthy journeys are offered in the name of God great hospitality through shelter, food and of course water. There are meals that miraculously stretch to feed the hungry. So on the one hand, there’s a fear inspired by the fight for survival, expressed in insistence on specific relationships, and on the other, an openness, inspired by God’s love and compassion. If the spotlight shifts in a religion like Christianity from strict adherence to rules on sex, to hospitality and generosity, it seems to me THAT faith would become a far more joyous, transformative one than many believe it to be.