‘‘Go for it!’ Did I find that somewhere in the Bible? Like ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’, it seems at home in that context. ‘Honesty is the best policy’ is another saying surely derivative from the Scriptures. It’s almost as though there is an alternative Bible made up of such sayings. But ‘Go for it’ is not one of them.
What is it about ‘Go for it’ that seems hollow? Can it be that the Christian faith has no place for muscle, determination, prolonged endeavour? To put it another way, is Christianity essentially passive, waiting for things to happen to a believer. Are we to avoid initiative, effort, strenuous output?
I asked Humpty about this. He was doubtless putting his shoulder to the wheel before his unfortunate accident.
‘Don’t get worked up,’ said Humpty. ‘Some you win. Some you lose. Be like the lilies in the field or the grass in Matthew 6, I think it is. Then there’s the birds. They get on all right without dusters and scrubbing brushes. The only thing that matters is God’s kingdom and justice.’
Humpty added a caveat. ‘But of course, that’s not the whole story. If we all gave up our jobs, shut the banks and let rip, we’d get nowhere. We have to feed the baby, keep the teenager clean and tidy, do the painting and decorating, pay the taxes. Being a Christian doesn’t mean living in a slum or refusing to read and write. You know that perfectly well.’
I wilted under the onslaught. I know we have to take the Sermon on the Mount seriously and I also know that we have to earn our living. But if we have to find time to do all these things, how are we going to cope? We’ll be wrung out, exhausted, washed up. It’s not just that we have to keep ourselves going. We have to think of others – other family members, for example.
Finally I turned to Humpty. ‘Humpty, would you say it’s about priorities?
‘Yes, who said Christianity was easy?’ He had a grin on his face. It’s amazing how he can come back smiling after being all over the place like an Airfix kit. And I’ve got an idea there are still one or two bits missing.
BOLTON FLOWERS
Bolton parish church transforms itself with flowers. The 32-page magazine makes this abundantly clear with its array of pictures marking the 150th anniversary of the church building. The church website features a virtual tour of what is a magnificent building with the highest parish church tower in Lancashire. Moving around the interior, a visitor can select interior angles, ground plan, construction details and close-ups. I have not seen any other show quite like it. Chris Bracegirdle leads the strong ministry team.
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