Masterpieces of creation

‘We’re not redefining church, we’re defining it.’ The speaker was Ewan Gurr, development officer for Foodbanks in Scotland, of which there are now 19, including Highland Foodbank and the new Lochaber Foodbank. Foodbanks give emergency supplies of food to people facing financial crisis.

The involvement of local churches is central to their success. The point Ewan made in his talk at the Scottish Foodbank Conference was that helping people in need is not a new ‘add on’ to the role of the Church, but has always been a key element in its work.

Up until about 150 years ago, churches were a major source of practical caring in society; then due to the extent of social deprivation following the Industrial Revolution, state-led welfare benefits were put in place – a thoroughly good development. Recently, however, due to economic pressures and fears of a ‘dependency culture’ the state is seeking to involve local communities in providing care, and churches are rediscovering this part of their role.

Recently, I’ve learned of two ways besides Foodbanks in which churches are committed to social care. I heard a presentation at the Free North Church in Inverness about the work of their Madras Street Mission, including the ‘Road to Recovery’ programme for people battling addictions. 

And at Hilton Church I watched Nefarious, a documentary about the scandals of international human trafficking and prostitution, and about Christians who are taking a stand against this evil.

Against this background, I was struck by American author Marilynne Robinson’s description of our uniqueness as humans. She has read that ‘there are more neurons in the human brain than there are stars in the Milky Way…the human brain is the most complex object known to exist in the universe.’

And, she says ‘the mind is not identical to the brain, but is more mysterious still.’ And the human soul, in which the universe became aware of itself is ‘the masterpiece of creation.’

Ms Robinson concludes ‘If we are to consider the heavens’ (as the Bible tells us to do) ‘how much more are we to consider the magnificent energies of consciousness that make whomever we pass in the street a far grander marvel than our galaxy.’

We rub shoulders constantly with breathtaking miracles. Yet daily such miracles are wiped out in Israel and Gaza, confined in squalid refugee camps in Syria, dehumanised by traffickers, trapped in poverty, destroyed by addiction. This is insanity. No wonder Jesus wept.

Christians bring a message of salvation and rescue. Sometimes we’ve been guilty of making the main focus spiritual rescue, and the main emphasis salvation in the dimension beyond death. But in fact salvation has just as much to do with physical rescue, with the here and now.

Christians are challenged to be agents of salvation in our everyday living. To bring into broken lives and communities the transforming love and power of Jesus Christ. And not just in words but in actions, for words without actions are meaningless.

In the old days Ewan referred to, the society into which the church sought to bring help and transformation was largely Christian. These days, Christians work for good in multi-faith communities, and there are sometimes suspicions that religious groups are exploiting vulnerable people, seeking to win recruits.

In fact Christians will want to help all people regardless of their beliefs, race or sexuality, for we are all equally ‘masterpieces of creation.’ Christians will offer practical help without strings, without conditions, without pressure to sign up, or buy into any belief system. 

But they will offer this practical help without concealing their Christian identity, and will pray that their lives will consistently reflect God’s love. And where Christians are supporting people who desperately seek inner change, their faith in the reality, love and power of God is central to what they’re doing. And so they will encourage their clients to be open to God.

There is a danger that we become so caught up in running social programmes that we lose an awareness of our own moment by moment dependence on God.  I best reflect God’s love when I realise that I’m unique, and loved by God, ‘a far grander marvel than our galaxy.’ For those who best know how much they are loved are best equipped to love others.

The most profound speaker at the meeting about the Madras Street Mission was someone who had been helped to put alcoholism behind him and make a new start. His face bore the marks of past struggles, but there was about him a radiance and peace, a heart-felt conviction. ‘I thank the Lord every day,’ he said more than once, ‘for the gift of sobriety.’

When lives are changed like that, you see not only masterpieces of creation, but masterpieces of re-creation.

(Christian Viewpoint column from the Highland News dated 22nd November 2012)