In past columns, I’ve have urged the Christian Churches to open their doors to help with the homelessness crisis which has hit our country really severely in recent years.
The churches can no longer use the excuse of the Covid pandemic for ducking their community responsibilities. Unfortunately, too many places of worship now see themselves as so-called holy huddles preferring to adopt the approach warned about by Jesus Christ Himself in the New Testament parable of the Good Samaritan.
Found in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 10, it is about a man who is attacked by robbers while traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and left for dead. A priest and a Levite pass by without helping him, but a Samaritan stops and cares for him. Churches can no longer adopt the ‘pass by on the other side’ attitude to the heat or eat crisis.
Quite often, many comfortably, well-off financially families are content to put an extra fiver into the collection plate on Sundays or bring a few cans of food for the food bank trolley. While this is worthy and welcome, the churches could do more in terms of the practical use of their buildings.
One thing the churches must not do is hope that with so-called global warming and climate change, that we will enjoy a warm winter in 2024. We could be hit with sudden icy cold snaps and snow blizzards at any time during the winter months.
As in previous years, many families - and not just the elderly - could face the stark choice of either having to heat their homes, or eat a warm meal - but not both, commonly known as the heat or eat crisis.
This crisis can be tackled head-on by the churches if their buildings were opened as community hubs where poverty-hit families of any age could have either a warm place to stay or enjoy a cooked meal.
The harsh reality of life in the 21st century is that we will see a return of the soup kitchens if the cost of living crisis is not to result in the deaths of folk in their homes because they cannot afford a food bill or to heat their homes. But who funds these much-needed soup kitchens?
With many Christian denominations facing a drop in Sunday services attendances, such churches may argue they simply don’t have the cash to keep their places of worship financially afloat, let alone provide a warm community hub.
This harsh funding situation may force many denominations to look at the viability of their churches, with mergers and amalgamations on the cards.
The bitter medicine some denominations may have to swallow is that it is better to have one financially stable building in a community, than three congregations with low numbers trying to sustain three separate places of worship on an ever decreasing shoe-string budget.
Biblically, perhaps many churches have to cope with the challenge of the New Testament encounter between Christ and the rich young ruler as told in Matthew’s Gospel chapter 19.
In verse 16, the rich young ruler asks Christ: “Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (King James Version).
In verses 21 and 22, we get Christ’s response - and the rich ruler’s reaction:
Jesus said unto him, ‘if thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.’ But the the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. (King James Version).
How many manses, parochial houses, church halls, parochial halls throughout the country are lying vacant or little used which could be sold off to build these much-needed community hubs?
For example, a tour of the Vatican in Rome will leave any visitors in no doubt about the rich treasures held in that little Italian state. How much of the Vatican art work could be sold off to fund community hubs?
Likewise, there are many Christians who may be entitled to benefits, but don’t financially need them. How many of us as Christians actually give a tithe of a tenth of our incomes to the Lord’s Work as Scripture commands?
If all Christians who could afford to do so, did so, how many community hubs would that provide?
With winter looming, we Christians, both as individuals and denominations, need to take a long hard look at ourselves and face the challenge that we could do more to avert a costly heat or eat crisis.
 |
| 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. |
No comments