MISSION MATTERS

BY DAVID MEREDITH

Sometimes words are like objects taken from the attic when you’ve finally found a use for them. Febrile has been recovered from the loft of my vocabulary this month. The meaning? A situation which is ‘characterised by a great deal of nervous excitement or energy’. I used it when discussing the Kate Forbes campaign to be elected as leader of the Scottish National Party.

Media discussion has been febrile plus, more like frenzied, as the dark arts of the Fourth Estate are unleashed against Kate because of her unequivocal Christian views.

What does this teach us?

There is a moment at which people move from thinking that they quite like Jesus to hating him to the point of wanting to kill him. In Mark’s gospel a theological discussion regarding the Sabbath soon turns into a murder conspiracy (Mark 3:6). The mood changes in the synagogue when he applies the sermon in an unexpected way. They take him to the brow of a hill, not to show him the sights but ‘in order to throw him off the cliff.’ (Luke 4:29) As followers of Jesus we will be caught up in this conflict. As believers we will also be caught up in this conflict and as evangelists, honest conversations demand explaining that following Jesus will inevitably lead to trouble. There was a day when being a Christian was respected; now we are perceived as having extreme views.

It teaches us that there are many opportunities to speak about our faith. Election campaigns are dominated by soundbites and cliches. We live in a culture where good optics and slick branding are more important than reasoned argument and nuanced reflection. It has always been the case that we need to take time to calmly and lovingly explain our position. Remember that the natural man does not understand the ways of the Spirit? Expecting a non-Christian to think and live like a believer is like expecting a dead person to explain calculus. It is impossible. However, there is hope. As we speak about Jesus there are supernatural forces at work. The words of the gospel come with inherent power. The energy of gospel conversation does not come with the raised voice but often in the gentle wind which will not even break the bruised reed. A breeze so gentle that it will not extinguish a flickering candle.

Hate and bigotry must be met by love and understanding. The cross gives us a model in dealing with hatred. In a bizarre paradox the world kept wanting Jesus to be a leading politician. The people saw his potential and wanted to make him king by force. Above his cross they mocked him by calling him the ‘King of the Jews’. His response: “Father forgive them.” Scotland will never be transformed through political renewal. Our society is at such a low ebb. It’s not only our infrastructure that’s decaying but the moral and spiritual soul of our nation. The flower of Scotland is never that sentimental, racist dirge sung at sports events but is surely that other flower which the Church has always seen as depicting the Lord Jesus, the lily of the valley known as the rose of Sharon (Song of Solomon 2:1). Remember, the lily is among thorns. On the cross his head was crowned with thorns but that same head is crowned with glory now.

God laughs off opposition. He always has, he always will. •