Lev started me thinking on this whole silver ring thing today in the news.
After reading Lev’s blog and commenting I had lunch with the 1 o clock news on BBC1.
i saw the girl, Lydia Playfoot, being interviewed and she said
‘Christians have been pushed aside a bit ….we’ll fight for what we believe, we’re not going to be walked over.’

As I heard those words everything within me wanted to scream ‘no’. I can’t help but think What Would Jesus Do in this situation. I can’t be sure, but based on his trial, would he fight for his rights? Would he decide it was time to make a stand? Would he stop people walking all over him? 1 Peter 2 reminds us of a Jesus that did not retaliate, but I think 2 Philippians is even more explicit here:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death–
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

I think this is suggesting that our attitude should be like that of Jesus – the Jesus that did not consider equality but instead made himself as nothing. That does not sound like a Jesus who wants to fight for his rights.

I’m no doormat – but there is something about Christianity and serving others, rather than fighting for ourselves, that is inextricably linked.

I find this even more frustrating as once again the ‘other faiths’ card has been pulled. Lydia is free to challenge her school (and well done to her), but as part of her defence why is there a need to bring anti other faith views into the argument? Lydia states that Sikhs and Muslims may wear headscarves and bangles in school while she can’t wear her ring. Surely the point here is that Sikhs and Muslims have to wear that attire – it is part of their faith.

As Christians, people under grace, we have no such laws over our heads. We are not bound by such stipulations – Jesus came to free us from such things. In addition the school says she can wear a cross or crucifix (again not a required symbol) which seems very fair. The bottom line is – this school has a no rings rule as part of school uniform. I assume when the governors made such a ruling they considered if this would conflict with any faith and rightly concluded that it would not. Knowing this, Lydia’s Playfoot’s parents enrolled her in this school so I really can’t understand what all this fuss is being made for!