One of the difficulties in living a counter cultural life as a Christian, is that our minds are usually more formed by worldly values than gospel values. The television soaps, the films we watch, the newspapers we read, all constantly pump out the same message. They tell us we are on our own in the universe; that we must look out for number one; that life has no meaning; that we must snatch happiness, romance, and sexual pleasure while we can; that if we win the lottery we can make our dreams come true and that work, pleasure and entertainment is our purpose for living. I feel we have to consciously start fighting against all these lies by being careful about what we allow into our minds. For example I have to ask myself: I might be curious but do I really need to know the intimate details of the murders of a serial killer or the sexual infidelities of a public figure? Would it not be better for me to start talking to my real neighbours rather than get engrossed in the lives of those in the soaps? How much of my thought life is spent in fantasy instead of real relationship?

I remember some years ago I was going through a bad time and found myself regularly vegging out on the sofa with the TV as a way to relax. It was my sister, who suggested that it might be more profitable to spend this time in prayer. At first I was cross. I did already pray and I didn’t want to become a religious fanatic after all. The idea of coming home and relaxing by spending time in prayer made me feel I would end up a freak. But I was feeling so stressed that I decided to try it. And it made such a difference to me. Instead of just dulling or distracting my brain, I filled it instead with healing and strengthening God thoughts.

The Word of God is so important in forming the way we think about life

Reflecting on the Word of God can help to bring our minds into conformity with God’s ways and start seeing the world from His perspective. I remember many years ago visiting a small Neo-Catechumenal group. This is a movement within the Roman Catholic Church which brings together people in small communities to reflect on how the scriptures can speak to their lives. There were only a dozen or so people at this particular meeting. Four of them were young drug addicts, two were alcoholics – one of whom, I recall was drunk in the meeting – one was a Moslem man and another was a single parent with her child. The session was led by two married couples who lived on the estate. The first week I went, they were looking at the Genesis story and the way death came into the world through sin. After the teaching by one of the catechists, those present were invited to respond to the story and interpret their own experiences through it. One of the young addicts spoke up. “I have taken drugs,” she said, “because I thought they would bring me life. But they haven’t, they have brought me death. This word in the bible is true. Sin does bring death.”

I returned to the same group some weeks later. I learned that in the intervening weeks two of the addicts had gone through withdrawals and actually come off their drugs. They didn’t look too well, but they were there. This time the same group was looking at the story of Moses and the Exodus and the point where the Israelites come to the Red Sea. There seemed to be no way out for them – with death by drowning ahead of them, and death by slaughter behind them. But Moses rallies them by telling them to stand their ground and not be afraid because God is with them and will save them. Once again the same girl who had shared before spoke up. “I feel like these Israelites,” she said. “I have left this world of drugs which was bringing me death. But now I do feel afraid because I don’t know what the future will hold, and if God will come and help me.” Her honesty was very moving and one the catechists spoke words of encouragement to her. She shared from her own life how many times, she had been in impossible situations when there had seemed to be no answer to her problems, but that each time God had stepped in, in some way, to help her and save the situation. I was really impressed. Here was the word of God literally in action in someone’s life.

And this is what I feel as Christians we have to do. Not just study the scripture, but literally incarnate it in our lives, so that we, like Christ, can become the word of God for the world around us. A word that people can understand, because we live it.

Kristina Cooper is the Goodnews editor