The so-called war on terrorism continued unabated with loss of lives on all sides. That is something that must be displeasing to God, call him God or Allah if you must. Muslims continued to kill one another, often employing suicide bombers, which I would see more as a practical atheism than anything sanctioned by God, particularly given the number of innocents who are maimed and murdered. They also took Christians captive, brutally murdering many.
The Taliban showed a resurgence in Afghanistan. In fact dissension and war seemed to be the norm over much of the world and, as always, the innocent were the major victims.
Locally, the environment took much attention with debate about global warming - is it happening, is it not happening? The ability of humans to go into denial here became most apparent. Inertia is the rule. Leave things alone and they will all be all right. Politics also stayed in the public arena. Perhaps one of the most significant disclosures was the relationship between Don Brash and the Exclusive Brethren cult. The cynical pursuit of power and wealth demonstrated not only how easy it is to depart from the Gospel, but also how self-centred 'religious' people, politicians and, indeed anyone, can become.
I think, though, that some local happenings best illustrate the direction society is taking. The young woman whose house was crowded out by an aggressive developer so that her enjoyment of her home and ability to maintain it were seriously compromised shows the lack of care and respect for people that is enveloping our society. In this case, the City Council was also at fault in that they failed to exercise their duty of care to those they represent. This action has been repeated. Unfortunately, the developer's behaviour was legal. It was not ethical, it was not moral and it was not righteous. In essence this action contravenes the Deuteronomic law prohibiting the shifting of a neighbour's boundary marker. These days it is not possible to move a surveyor's peg but the encroachment on another's property fulfils the same end.
I wonder, has the world not heard, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself"? Or has it become negotiable? Civilisation, as we know it, was founded on co-operation, mutuality and the rule of law permeated by ethical understandings. Is that becoming a quaintness of the past and also negotiable?
