A recent survey by The Office of National Statistics (based on interviews with over 450,000 people) found that 71% of the British public when asked what Religion they were, answered ‘Christian’. A surprisingly high figure?… Unfortunately from the angle I look, our communities don’t seem to reflect this.
I am deeply saddened by two things. 1. People do not believe Jesus is alive (or God) and thus scorn or ignore him. And 2. The church, on the whole, doesn’t seem to mind!
As I laid awake thinking about these things one night, I saw 3 people who will probably never make it to church. I felt a deep sense of injustice that these people will probably never be given the opportunity to meet with Jesus and his love.
There are of course a variety of reasons for why this is so… But surely the jump from where they are to 10am on a Sunday morning, is just too high!
Here’s the first person. I’ve called him Ray…
Ray is 44 years old. He works as a builder. He’s got a beer-belly and likes drinking alcohol, spending time in the pub, watching football, and gambling. He has a couple of children but only gets to see them on weekends. If you met him you’d feel a little uncomfortable by his constant swearing, tough manner and tatoos. But you’d also feel like he had a belief in justice and valued friendship and honesty. If pressed, he’d say he was ‘Church of England’, but Ray’s not a Christian and will probably never make it to church.
What can be done to help Ray meet Jesus?
Are we just to leave him where he is?…