‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.’
(see Luke 4:24-30)
In what turned out to be a humorous exchange between an MP and the Archbishop of Canterbury at the end of 2022 (as bishops preached about the decision of the UK Government to send refugees to Rwanda) a Tory MP said that Bishops shouldn’t be preaching from the pulpit and reminded them to stay out of politics. The Archbishop of Canterbury thanked him for his feedback and said “I look forward to advice on what we should be doing in the pulpit” followed by, “Just to confirm we’ll be continuing to preach the Gospel of Christ.”
This is a common response from some politicians when the Church speaks out, confirming their belief that Christians and the Church have no right to comment, have an opinion or challenge. This is a foreign concept to us and illustrates a narrow minded view of what our Faith is all about. We are not simply people who gather together for nice services, say our prayers and read the Bible. Our faith in God affects the whole of our lives and how we live in the world. Worship and serving, prayer and action go hand in hand.
As Jesus challenged injustice and reached out to the poor and vulnerable, so he calls us to do the same. We believe the world belongs to God, for he made it. Not only does the Church have a right to speak out, it has an obligation to do so. We are called to stand alongside the poor and vulnerable, to love as Jesus loved, to stand up for justice.
PRAY FOR the courage to be a prophetic Church, mindful too of our own shortcomings and sinfulness, but working together to create a strong and loving
Our daily reflections for Lent focus on the many injustices which exist in our world, as we seek to connect our life of prayer to social justice, the Justice of God which Christ proclaimed. More resources are available at www.southcardiffministryarea.co.uk/just-lent
South Cardiff Ministry Area 