Questions of Faith 6

There's nothing like hindsight.  Here's how I wish I answered one of the questions...

Does your faith community represent your faith well?

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No faith community represents themselves very well.  Just tune into Sky's religious channels to see that!

But for the Christian there's a very easy test you can apply to see whether they're representing their beliefs - Do they look like Jesus?  If they don't, then they're not representing Christianity, no matter how much they might claim to be Christian.

But Jesus does give the world permission to judge Christianity by looking at His followers.  That's a scary prospect for Christians but it's true.  Jesus says "By this will all people know that you are my disciples if you love one another."  The quality of Christian love on display to the world will witness to Jesus.  So how does our faith community show the love of Jesus in Eastbourne?

In Eastbourne there are 70 congregations, averaging around 125 members.  In addition there are 26 specialist agencies run by Christians helping people with unemployment, debt, homelessness, elderly care, Beachy Head Chaplaincy, Street Pastors, St Vincent de Paul, etc, etc.  Every week in Eastbourne, Christians run 372 activities for the community!  372!  The council couldn't even begin to provide that kind of service to the community.  This is not bible studies and parish council meetings and Christian stuff for Christians.  This is activities run for the community to which everyone is invited regardless of faith or lifestyle.  To run these 372 mid-week activities we give 2200 volunteer hours per week.  Again, this is not about Christians serving Christians, it's Christians serving the community.  And this is just one little town in one little corner of the British Isles.  Around the world the story is repeated again and again, the risen Jesus living His other-centred life in believers all over the globe.

The church is the one organisation that exists for the benefit of its non-members.  We are church for the world.  And in this way we represent our Lord Jesus who lives and works not for Himself, but does everything for us.

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