‘Rift’ and ‘rebels’ are ideas if not words that Paul chooses for his readers to consider as he argues for the truth of the Christian Gospel in his letter to the Roman believers. Unflattering it may be, it is unlikely to have recruits queuing to get a place at the table with Andrew, John and the others. Had Paul’s deftness with words deserted him? (Romans 5.8)
Everything about us protests. This is not the Christian faith as we know it. On great state occasions church leaders are allowed, encouraged and commended for expressing their loyalty to a religion of peace and concord, of acceptability and coherence in a mixed society. How can it be right and proper to use the word ‘rift’ about those who are loyal to a faith in which they have been nurtured? The cross may be a symbol of something deep and beyond understanding but that is no reason for making listeners squirm. It all happened long ago and we can do nothing about it. No wonder we squirm.
But the words have a place in the argument. Humankind is a fallen creature. We are not in the process of getting better and better every day. We may not be aware of all our shortcomings but we know some of the worst ones. Habits in the way we deal with property, promises and pleasures are so ingrained that we cannot change them. These aspects of our lives make it unlikely that anybody would go out of his or her way to help us.
There was one person who did that. When we read the Gospels, we find that Jesus spent time with those who could not help themselves. As a consequence he incurred the outrage of people who knew all about these things – the chief priests and their associates. In the end it led to his execution.
But in the great scheme of things this execution was the payment of a debt, a debt that humankind in its helplessness could not repay. While we were yet sinners. Christ died and paid the debt. We call it the atonement. It is at the heart of Christian belief. Helpless as we are, we can see a rift between an Almighty Creator and rebel subjects. Deep in our instincts is a sense of the rightness of that atonement.
BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION
Local people raised the necessary money in the 1840s to enable All Saints’ church, Preston, Lancashire to be built. It was designed in the Greek style to accommodate 1500 worshippers. The decline of the cotton industry led to its being known at the ‘Poor Man’s Church’ in the same way perhaps as Rovers were known as the poor man’s Rolls-Royce. Nathan Buttery leads a strong ministry team. An’Exploring Christianity’ course is in progress.
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