At the time of writing the pandemic is far from over, and no one other than the Lord knows when it will be ‘over’, whatever that means.

Much of my Christian ministry has focused on storytelling, because I have generally been involved in ministry to young people, children and adults with little or no knowledge of the Bible or Jesus; and so I am going to share with you an imagined story of the UK church over the next 20 years that came to me as I was reflecting on the Church’s future.

The key requirement is that we should not be fearful; rather, we should be faithful.

A story

A man went on a long journey to a far off country, to a people that he knew little about. He was a man of faith, interested to explore the beliefs and the motivations of the people of that country. He listened in on the discussions of those in authority, the learned, the professors, the intellectuals, the communicators; and he often heard the phrase that “God is dead”.

The man was puzzled by this and thought it silly. He could understand that people might say “there is no God”, though he would disagree with them. So he wondered if the ordinary people might have greater common sense.

He sought out the younger generation. The word often on their lips was “O my God!” Ah, he thought, I have met those who believe there is a God. I wonder what sort of God they believe in. He engaged them in conversation, but when asked what sort of God they were calling upon, they looked puzzled and laughed at him.

So he sought out the ordinary working folk and asked them whether they believed that God was real. Some said yes, some said, no. To those who said yes, he asked how this affected the way they lived. Most were puzzled by such a question; but some said, “Well, when I am in difficulty, I sort of pray”. When he asked to whom they prayed, most were rather confused.

The man realised that he had not really sought out those who believe in the Creator God of the Bible. So he made a deliberate effort to find where these people met together. When he asked where he could find these believers in the God of the Bible, people suggested he visit three gatherings of these people.

The first church the man visited was called ‘the Church of the Very Nice’. He was warmly welcomed; the music and the singing were lovely; the talk given by the leader was well delivered, clever and amusing; the coffee was excellent. He was told “we are a broad church”. They were lovely people, but the man wondered how they would fare if it became more costly to acknowledge that you are a follower of Jesus Christ. He hoped very much, indeed prayed, that they would stand firm in the faith.

The second church the man visited was called ‘the Church of Play it Safe’. The leader explained “we are preaching the good news of Jesus; people are coming to know the Lord, so we are not going to rock the boat. We are going to be careful to ensure that we comply with government guidance, even if it starts to limit what we can do.” The man understood the leader’s approach – protect what we have – but wondered what would be lost as a result this approach to the future. Would this be living victoriously? He asked himself, “Is this settling for second best?”

The final church the man visited was called ‘the Church of Pay the Price’. The leader of this church explained; in the years following our Lord’s resurrection the church was persecuted, but grew rapidly despite this. We will hold fast to the teachings of Jesus and the Jewish scriptures. If there is a cost in doing so, so be it. Many of our brothers and sisters in other countries are already paying the price.

“After all,” this leader said, “the Lord Jesus said, ‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’ We are hungry for this blessing.”

Strengths and challenges

It is not my intent through this parable to suggest what any believer should do. It is for each believer or family to seek the Lord for themselves; and as brothers and sisters in the Lord we should encourage and support each other as we seek the Lord’s purpose for us as families, as congregations and as His people in a particular town or city.

The key requirement is that we should not be fearful; rather, we should be faithful. The Lord is with us, but we should be obedient to His calling upon our lives; that calling is very likely to change in the course of our life.
All of the three churches I have described in my parable have a place in the Lord’s purposes, and each is subject to different challenges. For example, the ‘Church of Pay the Price’ could all too easily become proud, and judgemental. It has happened before.

The ‘Church of Play it Safe’, may continue to flourish, being very active in the community, doing good works, building up believers; but it could become self-censoring, not tackling and preaching on the difficult and challenging chapters in the Bible; and being unwilling to challenge government on issues such as freedom of speech, abortion, etc.

The ‘Church of the Very Nice’ is perhaps the most likely to be accepting of social changes that are contrary to the teaching of the Bible, but could well be the most caring, the most empathetic, the most forgiving, the most patient; but sadly the least likely to bring people to true faith in Jesus through repentance, belief, baptism, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

In the times we are living, there is a great opportunity to be people of good news.

As society becomes more hostile towards Christians, one would hope that Christians will support each other. However, fear may engender a different dynamic. The leadership of particular fellowships may seek to distance themselves from another fellowship’s ‘extremist’ position for fear that they too will suffer the consequences.

As followers of Jesus Christ let us be generous and supportive of one another. I owe so much to so many Christians who, quite unknowingly, inspired me by their example, and helped me grow in my faith. Many of these sisters and brothers would be very surprised to hear me say this, because they were ordinary working people, not well paid, but humble of heart, and generous.

I saw Jesus in them. I pray that people I meet may see Jesus in me. I pray that people may see Jesus in you. In the times we are living, there is a great opportunity to be people of good news.