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Being Greek-Cypriot I nonetheless battle with British winters: these low clouds that decrease the spirits, the rain that chills the physique and the wind that batters every part. This winter, with ten named storms since September, has been notably difficult.
Turbulence is, so to talk, within the air and people pummelling winds appear to echo a lot that’s taking place within the church in Britain and elsewhere. I might write an extended weblog on the troubles I do know of: the defections, the divisions, the deviations, the discouragements, the derision – and that is just below one letter of the alphabet! These are such turbulent instances that even the Church of England – that weighty outdated tortoise lengthy assumed to be motionless in any gale – is wobbling unsteadily. Oh sure, I might write a really lengthy and really darkish weblog.
But I’m not going to. Why not? Two causes. First, the enemy of our souls likes to unfold discouraging information, whether or not true or false. As getting chilly and damp will increase your likelihood of catching some virus of the physique, so discouraged Christians – weakened in religion, love and hope – are susceptible to each illness of the soul. The second motive is just that, past the noisy buffeting and chilling winds of our day, there are lots of encouragements. Let me give you 4.
First, that the trustworthy church finds itself struggling in opposition to the cruel winds of the world ought to shock nobody. It is precisely what our Lord promised his individuals way back: ‘In this world you’ll have hassle’ (John 16:33 NIV). Older generations of Christians, a lot of whom grew up shuddering on the horrors detailed in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, knew that Christians must be ready for opposition.
An appropriately meteorological remark is in that outdated hymn of John Bunyan’s ‘To Be a Pilgrim’, with its strains, ‘One right here will fixed be, come wind, come climate . . .’ No, for the trustworthy follower of Jesus, storms are regular. Indeed, I’d be extra upset if our church didn’t face turbulence. I’m not trivialising issues by suggesting that, with a lot opposition, we should be doing one thing proper.
Second, in a fallen world it is inevitable that unhealthy information gathers extra publicity than good. One failing pastor good points extra press protection than a thousand who do their obligation faithfully. And if our cultural local weather performs up unhealthy information, it downplays the nice. Steadily and quietly, evangelical Christianity continues to make good points, generally explosively. Here within the UK alone, there at the moment are hundreds of Iranians who over the previous few years have come to a dedicated religion in Christ. In France, the homeland of scepticism, it’s reliably reported {that a} new evangelical church is being planted each ten days. I might go on.
Third, because the saying goes, it is ‘an unwell wind that blows no person any good’. In the Bible lands grain was usually threshed on the tops of excessive floor the place there have been the very best winds to blow away the sunshine and ineffective chaff. Sadly, there are lots of our bodies and people that whereas claiming the identify of Christ, are in reality working to hinder the gospel. While we should pray for a change of hearts and minds right here, we will not assist however assume that if the ‘Lord of the harvest’ (Matthew 9:38) had been to let the wind of our time blow to present us a church richer in wheat and poorer in chaff, then it is likely to be an excellent factor.
Fourth, we’d like the best perspective. Many of us have taken off from some rain-drenched and storm-lashed British airport and, inside minutes, discovered ourselves blinking within the serene sunlit world above the clouds. There’s an apparent non secular parallel. Through prayer, by means of Bible studying, worship and fellowship in our church, we have to ascend by means of the murky turbulence of present occasions to the sunlit, everlasting lands of heaven. It’s important to remind ourselves that God reigns above the clouds of this life and, someday, will reign right here.
So be inspired. But I need to say greater than ‘cheer up!’ In the face of turbulent winds that may bend and break, we who belief in Christ should stand agency. We should maintain the religion and to try this requires three issues.
We should consider the religion. We should not simply merely assent to info however, in a means that governs each space of our lives, we should always remind ourselves who God is.
We should reside the religion. We should reject any frail Christianity that solely creeps out for an hour on Sunday. No, we’d like a religion that shapes and guides all that we predict, say and do.
Finally, we should share the religion. If these are turbulent days for Christians, can I level out that they’re much more so for non-Christians? There are darkish storm clouds over the entire world and ‘wars and rumours of warfare’ are widespread. Today we’ve got a maybe unprecedented time to share the excellent news of Christ with our troubled and fearful neighbours, household and buddies.
In this winter climate, the world could reassure itself that spring is simply across the nook. We who’re Christians have a much better hope: for us an excellent eternity lies not far-off. In the meantime, allow us to search for past the clouds and consider, reside and share the religion.
