Newsletters
From Autumn 2006 Issue
We Need To Identify Ourselves
I do not wish to be too harsh on my fellow clergy but I feel that the
trend to discard one’s clerical collar – except in church where everyone
knows you! - is nothing but a retrograde step. I sense it is all a part
of implying: ‘I’m no different to you; call me by my first name!’. Yet –
the fact is – we are meant to be different! We are meant to represent
Jesus to the masses; just as Muslims are so proud to convey by their
attire that they follow Mohammed. Indeed, I have always been proud to
represent My Lord; and long before becoming a cleric – when going from
door to door to read electric meters – I proudly wore on my lapel a
badge which said: ‘God is love!’ And let me assure you that it was not
without effect. Some fellow employees would despise me while others
respected me. And as for one house visited, the dear lady had just lost
her husband and was terrified to retire for the night. However, I openly
prayed with her and all that was malevolent left her home. Later, she
profusely thanked me for what I’d done.
Jesus wants us to confess Him before others. But He wants us to
preach His gospel by deeds as well as words. Therefore, Christian
leaders should be in the vanguard within our spiritual war against evil.
They should be flying the Christian colours. Yes, and rocking the boat
aswell! Like our Lord we should be ‘stirrers of the people’. The price
for freedom is constant vigilance and, therefore, freedom of speech and
responsible demonstrations are a vital part of a democracy. Yet it is
sad, indeed, that speakers corners within our various cities are
diminishing. What is more, for myself, I’ve lived in industrial parts of
Yorkshire long enough to enjoy what is termed ‘banter’. People – even
husbands and wives! – exchanging rudish remarks to one another; one
seeking to ‘outshine’ the other. Yes, and woe betide an outsider who
intervenes to stop them. They’ll both, unitedly, turn on such an
uninvited guest!
Well, I’m proud to say that to my mind Mohamet was as false a prophet
as Joseph Smith (founder of Mormonism) and that immigrants need to
respect our customs and heritage, just as I would theirs, on visiting
their original country. They have every right to oppose my dietary
requirements as I have theirs. And as for ritual slaughter as it is
practised by many of them - and indeed by far more Jews! - I consider it
to be cruel and barbaric. And one needs to have the right to say it
openly and publicly within a country cradled in Christian democracy.
Such freedom of expression will naturally carry with it the probability
of causing offence, but then we are emotional animals and as such, every
day, by the looks as well as the words of others one is to a stronger or
lesser degree being either commended or offended. What is more, attire
has the same ability. I once offended a lady because I entered a Roman
church in Munich wearing shorts. That’s an extreme case! To a far lesser
extent, Sunday worshipping females attired in denim jeans or dowdy black
apparel made me choose worship at another church where women wore gay
and bright dresses, the choir were colourful, and the parson
interspersed his sermon with jokes. Yes, trivial things, indeed, to
either commend or offend in comparison with the mistreatment of animals
and birds, over which God has instructed us to fulfil a caring
stewardship!
Christ was not only moved with compassion but He was also moved with
righteous indignation (holy wrath), and the qualities that moved Him to
action need to move us as well. For, once this ceases then we have
ceased to be ‘the salt of the earth’ and we are then fit for nothing but
to be cast (said Jesus) on to the dunghill!
Getting back to a preacher’s attire, some clerics appear so strangely
pious as to be as off putting to Christianity as I consider strict
Orthodox attire to be for Judaism or a fully veiled woman walking behind
her spouse, to be for Islam! So – let other clerics do the contrary –
but for myself, I’ll hold hands with my wonderful wife while wearing a
‘dog collar’, I’ll radiate a smile (she always does!) express laughter,
visit a Wetherspoon’s Inn! Yes, and equally, when confronted by evil
towards man or beast: take a militant stand. So consequently, when
another Christmas draws near I’ll be demonstrating in the streets of
Chester against intensively reared poultry, while those in the faculties
of theology waffle on ad-infinitum, and while clergy (as a whole) might
come round to question: ‘Does a bird have a soul?’ A question they may
even ask before they knife in to it on Christ’s birthday. Ah, but – take
heart! - not before they’ve offered grace over such a carnivorous
conglomerate of congealed carcass!
Go on to And A Little Child Shall
Lead Them
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