Ireland, north and south, is set to witness a raft of elections in the coming months - council, European in the Republic, possibly two general elections for Westminster and the Dail.
Unfortunately, many Christians - especially from the evangelical and fundamentalist traditions - take the outdated view when they misinterpret Scripture that when you become a born again believer, this means the ‘come ye out from amongst them’ states you don’t vote!
We Christians are constantly moaning about the state of the world; about the development of the secular society, and the advance of pluralism. But let’s take some of our own Biblical medicine by taking the moat out of our own eyes before we take the beam out of others’.
Put bluntly, how much of what is happening in society is down to the inactivity of the Christian Churches, either Christians burying their heads in the social sand by staying in their pews and not mixing with the public, or refusing to vote on polling day?
I have often made reference for the need for Christians to mobilise the flocks, not just to register to vote, but to actually vote. Here’s a link from February 2023:
Imagine how the political landscape of Ireland would change if everyone who called themselves a Christian of whatever denomination voted in the forthcoming elections on the polling days.
But here’s the reality check as I warned in my recent column of the need for Christians to unite to combat the introduction of any laws on assisted dying:.
Too many Christians get bogged down in arguing over petty issues or man-made rules and they miss the big picture of how society is changing around them.
Society faces huge challenges from social injustices - hunger, the cost of living crisis, addictions, homelessness, mental health and well-being to name but a seemingly growing list.
Jesus Christ Himself gave us Christians an agenda for social action when he unveiled the Beatitudes during his famous Sermon on the Mount in the Biblical New Testament. But what practically are we Christians doing to put Christ’s sterling guidance into action in this third millennium?
Can each and every Christian place of worship say they are implementing the Sermon on the Mount to the maximum? If a drug addict or homeless person turned up at our place of worship on a Sunday morning, what would our attitude be?
While some churches are getting involved in their local communities, many Christians are quite content to be spiritual sponges; they are happy to sit in their pews on Sundays or the mid week Bible study, soak up what the speaker is saying, maybe throw a few quid into the collection plate, and then retreat to the warmth and safety of their homes.
Likewise, while many churches contribute generously to community food banks, could places of worship do more? For those who are facing challenges, pious words are meaningless; practical action is urgently required.
As well as churches providing food banks, places of worships could establish clothing and footwear banks. How many Christians when clothes or shoes no longer fit, simply throw them in the bin? Some Christians may donate them to charity shops, but many charities are themselves also facing a funding crisis.
Many families, especially the elderly, are also facing a heat or eat crisis, whereby budgeting is focused on either heating a room or cooking a meal. So could the churches combine to form energy clubs for electric, gas or home heating oil?
As for the homeless, could more of our places of worship be opened as shelters to prevent a cardboard home culture developing in our towns and cities?
Of course, many churches are themselves facing a cost of living crisis in this past pandemic society as they struggle to pay bills with dwindling numbers in the pews or folk not having enough cash to put in the collection plate as they did before Covid struck.
Churches have a lot of serious questions to ask in the coming months. One factor is certain, churches can no longer afford the luxury of being holy huddles keeping themselves distance from the communities in which they are based.
It is time for all places of worship, irrespective of denomination, to start putting the Sermon on the Mount into practical action in the communities they serve. By adopting such a pro-active approach to social injustice, the churches can maintain their relevance in society. Remaining aloof is not an option anymore.
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| Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter Listen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning around 10.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online. |
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