From Nathan Jordan.
I WRITE with reference to your Talking Point article, ‘God simply wants the best for Everyone’ (JEP, 14 August). I wish to congratulate the Rev Liz Hunter and her family on the occasion of her daughter’s marriage.
Having modestly compared her own status as wedding guest to that of the Messiah’s at the Marriage at Cana, the good reverend seems to feel that Jesus’s transformation of water into an alcoholic beverage demonstrates the all encompassing nature of God’s love for humanity.
I would certainly agree that the first of the Nazarene carpenter’s miracles was, indeed, very likely to endear him to his followers.
I also wonder if he had foreknowledge of the many millions who would later die of alcohol related illnesses through this tacit endorsement of the fruit of the vine.
If God (albeit in human form) was loving enough to furnish these guests with fermented grape juice, is it rude to suggest that his affections be extended to the Third World, where over two billion lack access to clean drinking water? Surely they are no less deserving of his love?
As he has been good enough to accommodate mortals in matters of wedding catering, perhaps the faithful should also ask the Almighty for clear guidance on tolerance for homosexuals, granting women access to abortion and religious harmony beyond a rambling, contradictory assortment of rehashed Gnostic and Zoroastrian myths?
While not a praying man, were I to make a plea, I would ask that weddings be a testament to the genuine power of human love, rather than founded on whimsical superstition.
