The Record - September 2021 by Free Church of Scotland

THE

RECORD

MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND SEPTEMBER 2021 • £2.00

Editor • John Macdonald The Editor, Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS editor@freechurch.org News Editor • Dayspring MacLeod dayspring.macleod@icloud.com 07974 261567 Missions News • Sarah Johnson Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS sarah@freechurch.org WfM Editor • Fiona Macaskill 8 Campsie Drive, Glasgow, G61 3HY rfmacaskill@me.com Gaelic Editor • Janet MacPhail 24 North Bragar, Isle of Lewis, HS2 9DA 01851 710354 Seminary News • Rev. Thomas Davis St. Columba's Free Church, Johnston Terrace Edinburgh, EH1 2PW thomas@stcolumbas.freechurch.org Prayer Diary • Dayspring MacLeod dayspring.macleod@icloud.com Design & Layout • Fin Macrae & Blythe Mackenzie @DUFI Art www.dufi-art.com The Record • ISSN 2042-2970

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For Subscriptions • The annual subscription price for The Record is £33. Cheques should be iPhone: Open your camera app and hold the lens above made payable to: Free Church of Scotland. Please the QR Code, it will automatically detect the link which contact the offices for overseas subscription costs. you can click on to open. Android: Download QR Code Reader from Google Play Details of the church's activities, latest news and Store and follow app directions. people to contact are all available on the church's website: www.freechurch.org For the visually impaired: Please contact Norman Kennedy on 01463 240192 for details of how to obtain The Record in an audio version. The Free Church of Scotland is a registered charity SC012925 • Women for Mission is a registered charity SC03898

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Cover: Photo ©Yulia Buchatskaya - stock.adobe.com

Published • The Record is produced by The Free Church of Scotland, Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS 0131 226 5286 offices@freechurch.org

CONTENTS

WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER RECORD

his month’s edition includes the last of our

04 TRIBE, TONGUE & NATION The Editor

articles marking a century since j. calvin and mary rachel mackenzie mackay began their

FREE CHURCH NEWS Church Plant for Wick, FCYC Connect, Big Free Rally, Women for Mission

WORLD NEWS UK, Haiti, Nigeria, Israel, South Korea, Afghanistan

PRAYER ON THE MOUND Prof. John A MacLeod

LETTERS

HEART APOLOGETICS: ENTERING INTO THE ARK Dayspring MacLeod

INTEGRATED MISSION: J. CALVIN MACKAY AND THE BEGINNINGS OF THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN CAJAMARCA Dr. Tomás Gutiérrez Sánchez

PRAYER DIARY

REFLECTIONS Colin Macleod

PLATES FROM THE PEWS

WHAT A NIGHT David Randall

PAGES FROM ADAM'S DIARY: THE GOD OF ALL CREATION

POETRY PAGE David Brinkman

If you have any news articles please send them to dayspring.macleod@icloud.com.

BOOK REVIEWS Free Church Books

Yours in Christ

MISSION MATTERS David Meredith

TOSTACHD Janet MacPhail

missionary work on behalf of the free church in cajamarca, peru.

I would like to thank Dr Tomás Gutiérrez Sánchez for taking the time to share some of his research on the history and impact of the Mackays’ work. Dr Sánchez is a sociologist and theologian who has studied and worked at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima, the oldest university in the Americas. He has extensively researched the history of evangelical missions in Peru, including those connected to the Free Church. He has written two volumes on John A. Mackay, who arrived in Lima a few years before Rachel and Calvin. In the day of his trouble, the Psalmist says, ‘I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old’ (Psalm 77:11). The history of God’s care for his church is a great encouragement. In his article, Dr Sánchez reminds us that the kingdom of Christ advances by the Word of the gospel, not by the coercion of the state. False teaching and religious extremism can have a devastating impact, which must never be minimised. But God makes a way for the Gospel. Our own Mission Director, the Rev. David Meredith, also takes up the theme of evangelism in a challenging time in this month’s Mission Matters. May their thoughts and insights encourage us as we reflect on the latest Pages from Adam’s Diary, and as we pray for the church and the people of Afghanistan. ‘Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?...Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.’ (Psalm 77:13,19-20) •

John

40 POST TENEBRAS LUX Catriona Murray

That in all things he might have the pre-eminence Colossians 1:18 2021

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Photo Jason Leung on Unsplash

Tribe, na

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tongue ation BY THE EDITOR

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Is nationalism compatible with Christianity?

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‘N

ationalism ,’ german president frank - walter steinmeier told a group of diplomats in 2019, ‘ is an ideological poison .’

It is certainly an idea with a poor reputation among Western Europe’s intelligentsia. This is despite the fact that historians and political scientists usually trace the origins of modern nationalism to the French Revolution. Nevertheless, for all the critiques of narrowmindedness, xenophobia and blind loyalty which have been levelled at it, nationalism is an idea that won’t go quietly. Perhaps in response to globalisation or to urbanisation or to inequality more generally, ethnic nationalists have come to prominence in the last decade. Beyond the idea’s European heartlands, the governments of Turkey, Brazil and China are recognisably nationalist. Meanwhile, back in Europe, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has claimed the term ‘illiberal democracy’ for his ethnic nationalist approach to governance. In France, Marine Le Pen has ridden the nationalist wave to prominence. Even the state which stood apart from the Spring of Nations during Europe’s 19th-century Age of Revolution has seen a comedy panel show guest-host and failed candidate for Rector of Edinburgh University rise to lead the successful, nationalist Brexit campaign and then go on to become Prime Minister. Naturally, we’ve ploughed a different furrow in Scotland. Wha’s like us, after all? Despite their ‘Tartan Tories’ tag and populist roots, the nationalist party here has always been politically left-of-centre. In fact, eschewing the pride of counterparts like Orbán, the Scottish National Party has often claimed not to be a nationalist party at all, but simply one in favour of self-government. The emotive appeals to a Scottish political and cultural identity — particularly when arguing against opponents in Westminster — For all the critiques of narrowmean this doesn’t ring true. But there is no doubt the SNP is, mindedness, xenophobia and blind largely, a party of civic, and not loyalty which have been levelled at it, ethnic, nationalists. Either way, the electoral nationalism is an idea that won’t go support the SNP has built quietly. means that the nationalist ideal of independence from the UK will remain firmly on the political agenda for the foreseeable future. But, in contrast to the early 2010s, the urgency of confronting Covid-19 has taken the heat out of the constitutional debate in Scotland for now. Perhaps this is one of the pandemic ‘silver linings’ we’ve all been looking for. The power-sharing agreement recently minted by the SNP and the Scottish Greens commits to another independence referendum, although neither party seems to be in a rush just now. Maybe this moment of relative cool is a good time to consider nationalism from a Christian perspective.

PROMOTING INTERESTS We tend to recognise nationalism when we see it, but pinning it down to a definition gets political very quickly. Proponents of nationalism tend to favour bland definitions. In The Case for Nationalism, Rich Lowry argues that it is limited to people’s ‘natural devotion to their home and to their country.’ But nationalism is more than patriotism. Political activist Yoram Hazony, in his book The Virtue of Nationalism, proposes that the concept is simply ‘that the world is governed best when nations agree to cultivate their own traditions, free from interference by other nations.’ But nationalism is not the same as self-government. At the other extreme, George Orwell wrote that nationalism is ‘the habit of identifying oneself with a single nation or other unit, placing

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it beyond good and evil and recognizing no other duty than that of advancing its interests… The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality.’ Orwell wrote his Notes on Nationalism in 1945, in the receding shadow of the most vicious and violent nationalist movement that has yet existed, and so his obvious revulsion is understandable. A nationalist ideology is not necessarily as all-consuming as Orwell suggests. But he gets closer to the heart of the matter. Nationalism is not merely to have warm feelings about the nation you belong to, it is also to make efforts to promote the interests of that nation. And a political ideology based on prioritising the good of my nation over that of the other nations has consequences.

NATIONALISM’S IMPLICATIONS Stephen M. Walt, professor of international relations at Harvard University, believes that nationalism is ‘the most powerful force in the world.’ He is wrong, of course. It is not nationalism which can draw out Leviathan with a fishhook (Job 41:1). Even so, the professor maintains this view because of the enormous influence nationalism has had on modern history, and continues to have today. The fact that nation-states pursue their own self-interest has become so normal it is easy to forget that it is not inevitable. It is a choice that is made by political leaders and backed by those who support or elect them. And The fact that nation-states pursue basing decision-making on the nationalist concept of ‘national their own self-interest has become so interest’ significantly narrows a normal it is easy to forget that it is not government’s options. Seeking to gain sovereignty over inevitable. It is a choice that is made a homeland is the most obvious by political leaders. upshot of nationalism. Since France’s revolutionaries deposed the monarchy, this goal has been set and achieved by many nationalist movements. Nationalism in Latin America created newly independent countries out of the Spanish Empire. Bismarck unified Germany. The Zionist movement led to the modern state of Israel. Supporters of Brexit sought to re-gain sovereignty from the European Union. The campaign for independence sees Scottish nationalists continue in this tradition. Nationalism has had myriad other policy consequences. It drives the efforts of China and Russia to become Great Powers of the 21st century. It forms the basis of the trade protectionism and antiimmigration policies of the Make America Great Again wing of the US Republican party. In Japan, the influential nationalist movement to which both the current Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga, and his predecessor, Shinzō Abe, belong advocates re-establishing Japan as a military power. Conceived by a nationalist US administration, and carried out by one which wasn’t expected to be, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan is an example of a political decision which prioritises the interests of one nation over others. President Biden has said that remaining in Afghanistan was not an option because ‘staying would have meant U.S. troops taking casualties.’ The United Nations reported that 1,659 civilians were killed and 3,254 were wounded in Afghanistan in the first six months of 2021. Half were women and children. During July and August, the situation has only become

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worse. When the pursuit of national interest seems a more natural choice for the leader of the free world than pursuit of the moral course of action, we see nationalism’s power and influence.

COUNTING KINGDOMS Can Christians legitimately pursue the national interest? Not as an end in itself. It is conceivable that Christian action may sometimes correlate with the national interest. But taking a Reformed, Christian worldview doesn’t involve asking how to promote one nation over the others. Prior to the rise of the nation-state in Early Modern Europe, popes and emperors vied for control of ‘Christendom’ — an empire, or Christian nation, with which parallels were drawn with the national covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai. With an eye to their own glory, kings were commissioned for crusades in which they did battle with unbelievers for control over the territory of the Holy Land. In response, Calvin opposed the ‘contrived empire’ of Christendom. In place of a Christian empire on earth, he identified a ‘twofold government in man,’ arguing that, ‘the spiritual kingdom of Christ and civil government are things very widely separated…. Still the distinction does not go so far as to justify us in supposing that the whole scheme of government is matter of pollution, with which Christian men have nothing to do’ (Institutes, IV:20 1-2). As Luther also did, Calvin was returning to Augustine’s classic work, City of God. Augustine wrote of two cities — one of God, the other earthly – which, as Calvin says, are distinct, but are also ‘interwoven… in this present transitory world’ (City of God, XI:1). In other words, the elect who When the pursuit of national interest are called into citizenship in the City of God continue to seems a more natural choice for the live, for now, in the Earthly City. leader of the free world than pursuit The separation between the two cities means that Christ’s of the moral course of action, we see kingdom does not advance nationalism’s power and influence. through territorial conquest and the construction of an earthly empire. It advances as the Gospel is preached. But, at the same time, and although we are only pilgrims, we still ‘seek the welfare of the city…for in its welfare you will find your welfare’ (Jeremiah 29:7). Two main schools of thought have developed in Reformed theology which consider how this is put into practice. ‘Two Kingdoms doctrine’ emphasises the distinction between the two cities. ‘The earthly city will never be transformed into the city of God,’ writes Michael Horton, so Christians should ‘approach politics not with the question as to how the world can best be saved, but how it can best be served in this time between the times.’ The Transformationalist position, articulated by Abraham Kuyper, is more broadly accepted. It takes an active approach, seeking to reform the Earthly City by the application of biblical principles, understanding this as an outworking of the creation mandate (Genesis 1:28). Though the emphasis and extent of a Christian’s role as a pilgrim is different between these two, neither advocates withdrawal from the Earthly City. While we are here, we serve.

EARTHLY NATION Competing national interests were not a pressing concern for Calvin nor Augustine. As empires rose and fell in Europe from antiquity to the Reformation era, the interests of powerful leaders and institutions — especially the Roman Catholic Church — were more significant

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than nations. In their thinking there is only one Earthly City, not many competing cities. The challenge for us then, in relation to nationalism, is to determine where the City limits lie. For Calvin, a civic policy adopted in Geneva would have little influence over living standards in Genoa. But today the world is interconnected by trade, communications, environmental impact and even by culture. What I do in my nation affects you in yours — ripple effects that can reach around the globe. Global citizenship is anticipated in Scripture’s assurance that Christ’s people are drawn from every tribe, tongue and nation (Revelation 7:9). While we can only act within the sphere of influence God has entrusted us to serve, the Earthly City whose welfare we are called to seek extends worldwide. By contrast, nationalism is a political ideology which seeks to make a virtue of the consequences of sin. The rebels who sought to make a name for themselves It is conceivable that Christian at the Tower of Babel were separated from each other action may sometimes correlate by the confusion of their with the national interest. But taking language. The gracious reversal in Revelation allows the great a Reformed, Christian worldview multitude to raise their voices doesn’t involve asking how to promote together in praise of the Lamb. Where nationalism seeks to one nation over the others. promote the interests of one nation above those of the others, we are called to ‘do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves’ (Philippians 2:3). An ideology which seeks to make the land we care about smaller, rather than motivating us to obey the command to expand the borders of the garden (Genesis 1:28) is incompatible with biblical Christianity.

FREEDOM When the next referendum on Scottish independence is called, where does that leave us? Nationalism may be incompatible with Christianity, but self-government is not. And, as the formation of new states without prior national identities in the postcolonial era shows, self-government can exist without nationalism. However, to cast a vote on Scottish independence from a Christian perspective, we need to make our questions big. To ask only, ‘What is best for Scotland?’ is to adopt a nationalist perspective. As far as possible, we need to consider which will be the best outcome for all who will be affected. That means considering the impact of independence on people in the rest of the UK and in Ireland. It means picking through point and counter-point about theoretical membership of the EU. It means reaching a view on the likely impact on the international relations of a diluted UK — its ability to use its place on the UN Security Council to promote human rights, for example. It also means asking what the likely consequences will be for evangelism, for the church’s witness and for religious freedom, both in Scotland and the rest of the UK. None of these questions has an easy answer; most don’t have a definitive answer, either. Praise God, then, that the future is in his hands. Though bound to love both God and our neighbours as we come to a decision, God has blessed us with the liberty to make a choice. His will be done.. •

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FREE CHURCH NEWS CHURCH PLANT PLANNED FOR WICK

Those who are involved in the Wick church plant would like the wider Free Church to pray for them as they embark on this work. Please pray that they would be united in their desire to see the Kingdom come and in their motivation to share the good news with those around them. Pray for those in Presbytery who are leading and organising the church plant, that they would be given wisdom and guidance in this endeavour. Pray for God’s guidance as a team is drawn together to lead the work locally; that they would be equipped for the work ahead; and that other believers will come alongside to support them. Pray that the gospel will advance, to the glory of God, in the town of Wick. (This article was drawn from a video produced by the Northern Presbytery and available at freechurch.org/news).. •

he northern presbytery is planning to plant a new church in the town of wick, caithness.

Wick is the second-largest settlement in the Northern Presbytery, home to around 7,000 people. And, although a relatively small town, Wick shares some of the economic and social issues usually associated with larger cities. Historically, there has always been a Free Church congregation in Wick. However, a vacancy that has lasted more than ten years has seen the congregation unable to retain a building in the town. Just over ten people remain in the Wick congregation, but they have a strong desire to see the gospel made known in their town. With the support of the Northern Presbytery, they intend to plant a new church in the coming months.

FCYC CONNECT SUCCESS

or the second year running, free church youth camps (fcyc) was forced to cancel their summer programme due to covid.

Undeterred, the organisers decided to launch a new online event called Connect that brought together campers from around the country for a series of evening events. Around 100 young people from P4-S6 logged into Zoom, taking part in challenges, games and quizzes while also hearing testimonies and Bible talks throughout the sessions.

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Camps coordinator Kirsten Macdonald said, ‘It was brilliant to have so many young people joining together for the week, to hear how much they got from the Bible talks and discussions, and to see all the fun they were having! ‘We’re so grateful to the leaders who put so much work into the planning and preparation for Connect, and who managed to maintain their usual FCYC energy levels throughout the week! ‘We’d also like to thank all those who prayed for the week. We’re looking forward to in-person camps resuming in 2022.’ The virtual campers said, ‘The talks were really good and helpful and great to listen to. ‘I loved how easy Connect made learning about God. ‘The best thing about Connect was learning more about God and meeting other Christians.’ •

BIG FREE RALLY

to get young people together for an afternoon of games and activities and to eat dinner together before watching the video. Please pray for our young people, particularly as they are unable to meet together in large numbers as usual. Pray that many will benefit from the opportunity to gather together with other young people from their local area. •

he big free rally will take place on saturday

25th september in various locations across the

country. One video for the P5-P7 age group and another video for the S1-S6 age group will be published on the FCYC YouTube channel in the early evening, and young people are encouraged to gather together in homes or churches to watch the video and to participate together. A number of youth group leaders or parents/guardians hope

WOMEN FOR MISSION PROJECT UPDATE

BY JANET MURCHISON, CHAIRPERSON

he 2020/21 project ‘ embracing the world with the touch of the gospel ’ was launched in september

2020 , when we were coming to terms with the fact that we were living in the midst of a global pandemic . more

than ever the world truly needed the touch of the Gospel, and the organisations we had partnered with in this Project — Leprosy Mission, Scripture Union (Scotland) and the Moldova Support Group — were endeavouring to do just that despite all of them having been affected by the impact of Covid-19. With many of the usual fundraising activities curtailed during this period, other innovative ways were discovered to ensure that the fundraising continued, such as online Zoom quizzes, the sale of face masks and an online auction, to name but a few. We are truly thankful to God that by the end of June 2021, when the Project was closed, the amazing total raised was £32,103. This truly did exceed the Committee’s expectations and we are thankful to God for the generosity of all those who contributed to help raise this magnificent sum. This amount will be distributed between the above-mentioned organisations and also help to replenish the almost depleted WfM Disaster and Relief Fund. As many of you will know, the 2021/22 Project was launched in May at our online Annual Meeting, and more details about it can be found on the WfM website, womenformission.org. With each Project there is an opportunity to learn about how different organisations, whether overseas or at home, seek to share the good news of the Gospel and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ in practical ways. It is our privilege to partner with these organisations and I would strongly encourage you to watch the videos that are part of the new Project: Hope for the Hurting. In doing so, may you not only be encouraged to support them financially but also to pray for them. •

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WORLD NEWS

AMERICAS AFRICA EUROPE ASIA AUSTRALASIA HAITI EARTHQUAKE The 7.2-magnitude earthquake which hit Haiti in August has resulted in the deaths of at least 2,000 people, injured 10,000 and left 500,000 children without shelter or safe food and water. Christian humanitarian organisation World Vision has been assisting some of those affected. Fédorah Pierre-Louis, a Director at World Vision Haiti, told The Christian Post, ‘We have deployed a team right now on the field focusing on the areas of shelter, food assistance, child protection and also, of course, Covid prevention. ‘Given the vulnerability in the country, we’re prioritizing nutritional and emergency response support to as many people as we can. ‘Whenever there is a crisis, child protection is not necessarily prioritized on a government level. World Vision tries to ensure that the well-being of kids is still protected. So we really want to raise awareness on that and continue to push for advocacy and the prioritization of child protection. ‘Children, in particular, have witnessed a lot of traumatic events. We provide them with psychosocial support for children to protect their physical and mental wellbeing. ‘There are multiple crises going on right now. We need to remain united in prayers, in solidarity and in action to make sure that we feel like we're all part of one Christian family. We need to make sure that people know that they're not going through the crisis alone and that they have many people with them praying with them around the world.’ •

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GENDER GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS The Scottish Government has published new, non-statutory guidance for schools on gender identity. The guidance advises teachers on how they should respond to a pupil who says they are transgender. It states: ‘If a young person comes out to you, it's also important not to deny their identity, or overly question their understanding of their gender identity. Teachers can of course ask reflective questions that allow young people to express themselves, explore their gender identity and identify their needs.’ In detailing practical steps to be taken in response to a pupil, the guidance says that ‘a transgender young person should not be made to use the toilet or changing room of their sex assigned at birth’, but goes on to say that providing separate, private or ‘gender neutral’ facilities may be the best solution. Recent press headlines alleging that the guidance means four-yearolds can change their gender without parental consent were somewhat exaggerated. The guidance asks for parental consent for a formal change in the school records of those under 16. Even so, the document does recommend that pupils who ask to be referred to in conversation by a different name or pronoun should be accommodated. Nevertheless, while the guidance encourages schools to involve pupils’ parents and carers, it also states that ‘it is best to not share information with parents or carers without considering and respecting the young person's views and rights’. A petition on change.org calling for the removal of the guidance and associated materials gained almost 10,000 signatures in a week. •

A CALL TO REMEMBER NIGERIA Christian leaders and secular commentators are urging both the church and international governments to pay greater attention to the persecution and killing of Christians in Nigeria. Bernard-Henri Levy has written in the Wall Street Journal, ‘A slow-motion war is under way in Africa’s most populous country. It’s a massacre of Christians, massive in scale and horrific in brutality. And the world has hardly noticed.’ While the kidnappings perpetrated by Boko Haram periodically attract attention, the Rev. Johnnie Moore, an American author and religious liberty campaigner, argues that radical Fulani herdsmen are murdering Christians at a rate that exceeds Boko Haram’s atrocities. Moore quotes one Nigerian pastor as saying, ‘This issue of Covid-19: we don’t know anything about it; our problem is Fulani who keep killing us.’ Meanwhile, agents of the Nigerian state have also been accused of persecuting Christians. International Christian Concern reports that authorities in Borno State in north-east Nigeria have demolished five church buildings in the area, alleging a lack of formal permission for their construction. Local press is reporting that Ezekiel Bitrus Tumba, the son of a pastor, was killed by ‘security men’ as he attempted to prevent the destruction of a church in Borno State’s regional capital, Maiduguri. •

SEPTEMBER

EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT EARTHQUAKE AND OF GIDEON

MISSIONARY CONFERENCE IN SOUTH KOREA After many years of meeting in the US, the Korean World Missionary Fellowship has held its convocation in Korea for the first time, meeting in the evangelical Handong Global University in Pohang. The conference saw 300 missionaries meet in person, and a further 400 join online, according to Christianity Today. As recently as 2017, South Korea sent more missionaries overseas than any nation except the United States, but in recent years has been surpassed by larger countries like Brazil and China. Encouraging the next generation of missionaries was a major theme of the conference. Won Jaechun, professor of law at Handong University, said, ‘Most Korean missionaries are in their 50s and 60s now, and the number of missionaries under 40 are shrinking. They are praying for not only their children, but the next generation of missionaries.’ University president Chang Soon-heung told CTS News, ‘Handong has a thousand children of missionaries as students. We hope that young people would gain a new heart for mission after this convocation.’ The meeting also issued a public plea for the release of six South Korean Christians who are being imprisoned in North Korea, stating: ‘We declare, as Korean missionaries, that we have the special duty and calling to bring forth reconciliation and evangelisation in the Korean Peninsula. We call for the protection and release of the unduly detained Christian workers in North Korea.’ •

The Israel Antiquities Authority has found new evidence of the earthquake referenced by both Amos and Zechariah. Excavations in Jerusalem have uncovered shattered bowls, lamps and cooking utensils among a ‘layer of destruction’ resulting from the collapse of buildings caused by the earthquake around 2,800 years ago. Joe Uziel and Ortal Kalaf, excavation directors for the IAA, said the event ‘was probably one of the strongest and most damaging earthquakes in ancient times.’ Zechariah 14:5 says, ‘you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah,’ while Amos 1:1 refers to the word given to the prophet ‘in the days of Uzziah king of Judah…two years before the earthquake.’ Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology has reported the discovery of a jug dated to 1,100 BC that seems to be inscribed ‘Yeruba’al’ (sometimes rendered Jerubbaal), the name given to Gideon after he destroyed his family’s alter to Baal. ‘The reading Yeruba’al is the most logical and reasonable reading, and I consider it quite definitive,’ epigrapher Prof. Christopher Rollston of George Washington University, told The Times of Israel. ‘I would hasten to add that this script is well known and nicely attested, so we can read it with precision.’ If Prof. Rollston is correct, this is the first physical evidence of a name from the time of the Judges which appears on an artefact dating to the period. •

AFGHANISTAN

While Western states who have had a presence in Afghanistan over the past 20 years are working to repatriate their citizens, some Christian aid organisations and workers have expressed a determination to stay and help. An author and aid worker who uses the pseudonym Anna Hampton told Christianity Today, ‘There is a 100-year modern history of the Christian foreigner in Afghanistan. It’ll get small again, but it’ll be there. We love Jesus and we love the Afghan people.’ Similarly, Becky Murray — whose charity, One by One, rescues children from slavery and runs Sunday schools to teach them the gospel — told Premier Christianity, ‘Where government leaders seem to have abandoned Afghanistan, we can’t and won’t do the same. The gospel propels us to “go”. It’s not an option.’ The Taliban’s takeover may have implications for Christians across the region. Claire Evans, International Christian Concern’s Regional Manager, writes, ‘The atmosphere throughout the Middle East region has changed with the fall of Kabul to the Taliban…. When ISIS captured new territory, Middle Eastern governments largely condemned it. Now, particularly in the case of Turkey, we see similar activities openly legitimized. This is potentially a significant turning point for religious freedom across the Middle East.’ •

The Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan has brought immediate chaos and fear for the church across the country. International Christian Concern estimates there are between 10,000 and 12,000 Christians in Afghanistan. The organisation writes, ‘What small hope there was for religious freedom in the former government has now all but dissipated. Religious diversity in a Talibancontrolled Afghanistan is not possible.’ The view of UK-based Release International is that anyone ‘identified as Christians could be killed. Christians risk betrayal, even from their own family members.’ At Prime Minister’s Question Time, DUP MP for North Antrim, Ian Paisley Jr, asked Boris Johnson to assist ‘228 missionaries in Afghanistan currently under sentence of death’. Reports that certain missionaries have been sentenced to death had not been verified when Mr Paisley raised the issue in Parliament. A coalition of evangelical leaders in America is urging the US government to help resettle Afghans who are facing persecution for their Christian faith, though it is likely that most do not qualify for the Special Immigrant Visas promised to those who worked with the United States military.

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PRAYER ON THE MOUND BY PROF. JOHN A. MACLEOD

ne of the highlights of the last academic year at ets took place every morning ,

Tuesday to Friday from 8.40-8.55. It was only 15 minutes, but it was always precious: the ETS student-led prayer meeting. This comprised a short comment introducing the passage, the reading itself, and then prayer led by one of the students. Prayers were rooted in real life, sensitively bringing requests to God and full of thanksgiving for so much. I shall always be thankful for these morning slots where students — young and old — committed our work to the Lord. Yet prayer is not always easy. I guess that one of the things about prayer is that it is at one and the same time the easiest thing to do, and the hardest thing to do. A well-known preacher last century said truthfully: ‘Everything in the Christian life is easier than prayer.’ And yet, prayer is surely easy — you just speak to God. Isn’t it strange to think that God’s own Son — Jesus — had to learn to pray to God? He could hear the prayers of others (he is after all God), and yet he also came to God in prayer as well. I would like to have heard Jesus speak. Clearly, the way Jesus used words often had a profound effect on people: people listened to him even when they couldn’t agree with him. When the crowds heard Jesus teach, even those who were sent to question him, they said ‘No one ever spoke like this man.’ And when he prayed to God, he did not just pray in private where no one else could hear. He certainly did that every morning. But he also prayed within earshot of his closest followers. Their response to his prayer says a lot about Jesus: ‘Lord, teach us how to pray’ (Luke 11:1). They must have felt ‘rubbish’. Yet, they knew that if there was anyone who could teach them to pray, it would be Jesus. He was good at praying; and he was brilliant at teaching! But how would you expect Jesus to answer? ‘Now, you must remember that I am special. You cannot possibly expect to pray like I pray.’ No. That is not what he said. Without the slightest pause, he began to teach them how to pray the way he prayed. Prayer should be one of the most thoughtful things that anyone does. That’s the way it was with Jesus. His prayers are a window into his beautiful mind, a revelation of his willingness to put God his Father first. His prayers tell us a lot about the things he thinks about. When we pray as Jesus wants us to pray, we begin to think more and more like him. It is a real privilege to pray like Jesus prayed, to ask for the kind of things that he asked for. You see, praying like Jesus can really change us. I suppose the main thing you notice about the Lord’s Prayer (and now, our prayer) is that it begins with God. He is more important than we are. Notice three things about the first line of his prayer in Matthew’s

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Jesus’ prayers are a window into his beautiful mind, a revelation of his willingness to put God his Father first. Gospel: Our Father who is in heaven (Matthew 6:9). First, remember that if you are a follower of Jesus, then God is not only his Father, but your Father. This would have been really shocking language in the world of the disciples. No one ever called God Father. But this is what Jesus encouraged. You see, he had come to do everything possible to make sure that people (like ourselves) could call God ‘Father’, AND live like his sons and daughters. When Adam was put out of the Garden of Eden, he would never have thought of calling God ‘Father’. But Jesus has come to bring people back to God, to know God, to trust God, to be like God. I am quite sure that some may have found all of this more than a touch awkward, almost impious at first. Yet, Jesus did it, and he intends his disciples to share in intimate fellowship with God as Father in a way similar to himself. But he wants us to do it with the same reverence as he himself. The second thing is that he wants us all to pray in the same way because we share the same Father: Our Father. It seems as if Jesus desires us to call God ‘Father’ the way he does, and not to think it’s presumptuous for any of us to do so. In fact, I think Jesus would be quite disappointed if his people never called God ‘Father’; but he also wants us to always remember that we are ‘family’, and no one is more special than the other in this family of adopted children. So he tells us to begin with our privileges — even though we might feel quite undeserving of it all. I guess there is something about grace that always leaves us uncomfortably indebted beyond our ability to repay. The third thing Jesus wants us to get to grips with is that our lives and our prayers are to be shaped by heaven: Our Father who is in heaven. Not the first heaven where the birds fly, or the second heaven where the stars are placed, but the third heaven where God is enthroned. If Jesus thought about these three things — God as Father, the church as a family, and heaven as the centre of his world — surely he wants us to do the same. And you know what, it is really exciting, challenging and life-changing when you do so! Times of learning together, eating together and praying together have always been key to the life of the Seminary. The togetherness in the classroom and the dining room was not to be in 2020-2021. That is what made these ‘meetings’ for prayer in the morning such blessed times of re-orientation with God for this group of staff and students who are primed to offer their lives to the mission and ministry of the gospel.. • Professor John A. MacLeod lectures in New Testament and Greek at ETS. He teaches the Presbyterian Church Ministry Module and the Saturday Course. He also serves as a postgraduate supervisor.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Re: ‘One Bible, Many Versions’, May 2021 Dear Sir I was glad to read Tommy MacKay’s letter pointing out some flaws with the above May article. He rightly reminded us of the doctrine of the divine inspiration of Scripture, and ‘that the most controversial issue in this field is not how the text is translated but what text is translated.’ Surely, God has not allowed the text he ordained to disintegrate into a poor text or an ambiguous one? Do we not also believe in the doctrine of the divine preservation of Scripture? The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) states: ‘The Old Testament in Hebrew…and the New Testament in Greek…being immediately inspired by God, and by his singular care and providence kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical’ (1.8). Equivalent, if not identical, statements are also in the Savoy Declaration (1658), Helvetic Consensus Formula (1675) and the London Baptist Confession (1689). At first glance, it may appear reassuring that the New King James Version (NKJV) says in its Preface that the O.T. is a translation of the Hebrew Masoretic Text, and the N.T. is translated from the same texts used by the AV of 1611. But closer examination shows many deviations slipped into the margins, using other texts (used in modern translations – the Critical Text). Back in 2008 when the Trinitarian Bible Society produced its 15-page booklet critique of the NKJV, fear was expressed that subtle points of difference slipped into the NKJV would be missed by many, and that ‘the character and testimony in our churches will radically change…for the worse…. The Authorised Version is far superior, and while not perfect it remains the best and most accurate English translation of God’s Holy Word’ (p14). I write to urge people to get this ‘Critique’ as well as the article ‘The Twin Doctrines of Scripture’ in the TSB Quarterly Record, Issue No. 624, JulySept 2018, pp39-40. Yours sincerely, Anne Sanderson, Larbert

We would love to hear from you…please write the editor at: The Record, Free Church Offices 15 North Bank Street, The Mound Edinburgh, EH1 2LS or e-mail editor@freechurch.org

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Re: ‘One Bible, Many Versions’, May 2021 Dear Sir I was most surprised and very disappointed to see that Tommy MacKay, Professor of Psychology, is publicly supporting the NKJV in your publication. A. Hembd, of the Reformation International Theological Seminary, published, in the Quarterly Record of the Trinitarian Bible Society 2007/2008, two articles comprising a total of seventy pages in which he extensively demonstrates the faults of the NKJV and its considerable departure from the Textus Receptus. I cannot recommend these two articles strongly enough to anyone minded to take up the NKJV as though it were an improvement to the KJV. For this it is not, as Hembd clearly shows. Hembd refers strongly to Herman Hoskier, whose admirable study ‘Codex B and its Allies’ proves the fact of a recension of the Greek text due to Coptic Egyptian influence and shows that this recension, in which Codex Sinaiticus and Code Vaticanus both play a significant role, is later corrected. It is that correction we should follow, not the corrupting influence of the recension. Dean John Burgon, the mentor of Herman Hoskier, has also shown in his disciplined and irrefutable work ‘Revision Revised’ that these two Codices differ between themselves in three thousand places in just the four gospel accounts and has argued that the preservation of the two is not a testament to their benefit but an indication that, being little used – due to their corruption – they survived by little handling. Thus their influence should be studiously avoided, except where they can be used, in conjunction with all the available manuscripts equally, as supportive evidence – but not be given the vastly disproportionate weight which the Revision of 1881, and the resulting Westcott & Hort/ Nestle Aland text, gives them. Your sincerely, Nigel Johnstone

Editor’s note: for ease of reference, the portion of Prof. MacKay’s letter, published in last month’s magazine, in which he referred to the NKJV is reproduced below. …the most controversial issue in this field is not how the text is translated but what text is translated. The crucial division here is between those who use the ‘traditional text’ and those who use the ‘critical text’. That is a topic of a sufficiently complex nature that it cannot be more than mentioned here, but it is a very major area of discussion and controversy, particularly amongst evangelical Christians. It affects most extensively the Greek text of the New Testament and to a smaller extent the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. The traditional text is represented by the King James Bible (still by far the most widely used Bible in the English-speaking world) and its modern derivatives such as the New King James Version. The critical text is represented by most modern translations, such as the New International Version and the English Standard Version. The matter has been an important one within the Free Church itself, and in a good number of our congregations it has been the central factor for those who have chosen, for example, the New King James Version.

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Heart Apologetics: Entering into the Ark

DAYSPRING MACLEOD floods Noah with some hard questions

ately an atheist friend of mine on facebook has been posting a lot of memes questioning and in some cases ridiculing christian beliefs. One argument that he put up this summer

Photo by Lucas Dial on Unsplash

really struck me. We know the Biblical flood never occurred, because there were great civilizations thriving during that time. They kept good records, and neglected to mention they were all wiped from the face of the earth. The Chinese (Neolithic Dynasty), the Egyptians (Dynasties 4, 5 & 6), Mesopotamians (Early Dynastic Period), Sumerians (Early Dynastics Illa & Illb), Peruvians (Norte Chico Civilization and more…). We find a continuous line of culture, construction, art and historical records that runs through the time Noah’s flood was supposed to have happened. There are layers to the apologetic answers we might make here. How do we date each of the dynasties mentioned? Are we accurate in our dating of Noah’s Flood? Does the Bible really mean that the entire world was flooded, or the ‘known world’, i.e. the Middle East? What geographical evidence do we have that the world (either entire or localized) was flooded around 2500 BC? And how many animals did Noah fit on the Ark, given the geographical spread of fauna, the measurements given in Genesis, and the extra numbers of sacrificial animals? And of course, don’t forget the positive sociological evidence of a worldwide flood: the fact that many civilisations across the world have a similar legend of one taking place. This would lend credence to the idea that the Flood did indeed take place over the whole globe, with Noah’s family the sole survivors. As people-groups formed and were scattered in the aftermath of Babel, their oral memory of it became distorted, whereas the Judeo-Christian version was preserved by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration to Moses. Ken Ham and his organisation, Answers in Genesis, have attempted

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Instead of chaos there is order. Instead of violence there is community. Instead of destruction there is peace and a drawing near to God. to speak to these questions, and more, in the most literal way possible: by building an ark to the exact specifications given in Scripture, and populating it with life-size models of actual animals, including dinosaurs. The Ark Encounter, in Kentucky, looks like an absolutely incredible day out. I wonder, though, if concentrating on the details, the how, of a miraculous biblical story diverts us from its purpose. We get distracted and defensive, trying to rationalise what we really accept by faith. What about the why? And was it, as we tend to think on quick analysis, harsh of God to destroy the entire population? To set the background, the biblical account of the antediluvian world presents us with many mysteries. Who were the Nephilim, and the ‘sons of God’ who intermarried with the ‘daughters of man’? Were there already civilisations among which Cain wandered? Why did people live to be many hundreds of years old? The attempts to explain these are only speculation. But we are left with a picture of darkness, confusion — and a wickedness so pervasive that only total judgment could answer it. It’s a quick, blurred sketch of a sin-drenched world. Noah’s mission is not to speak to the godless society around him; his initial dealings with God are, as it were, personal salvation. He is to be saved, along with his family, by obeying God’s command of ‘entering in’ (much as Moses’ audience of Israelites would be many generations later, when they entered in to their homes under the blood of a sacrificial lamb). But in every case of divine covenant, a promise which God makes to one man is also set to bless all of humanity; in this case, through a promise never again to flood the world. In the antediluvian years, God had clearly made himself known; for example, he specifies that seven pairs of each ‘clean’ animal should be loaded on to the Ark, suggesting that he had already communicated a sacrificial system to those ones who sought him. It is, however, very much a picture of a world without a community of faith, or understanding of God and his desires for humanity. A world without God is devoid of purpose, joy, or love toward others. It is full of violence, fear and confusion, and is fit for nothing but destruction. Life in covenant, however, is full of blessing, joy and meaning. In the Flood, evil is judged and man is saved by obedience; and a more perfect covenant through more perfect obedience is foreshadowed. For the nation of Israel, presented with the Flood narrative after their exodus from Egypt, the lesson is clear: life outside of God’s will, is worthy of death. But they are part of the line of Covenant drawn through Adam, through Noah, and on (as the narrative will

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continue) through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They are not to be like the godless ones who lived in violence and chaos, but are to willingly ‘enter in’ to God’s deliverance. The law, which Moses is presenting to them, is not onerous but is good because it is an expression of God’s desire, purpose and willingness to be in communion with them. Instead of chaos there is order. Instead of violence there is community. Instead of destruction there is peace and a drawing near to God. The Ark really sailed on the floodwaters. It is not just an illustration. Yet, even if we do not understand all the details of the actual event, we who live after the time of Messiah have an even clearer picture of the why of Noah’s Ark. Noah, although the one man on earth who sought God, still entered into salvation by grace (Gen. 6:8, ‘But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord’). He still had to sacrifice animals. He still fell into sin, as did his sons and their sons, all the way through the line of humanity. But in Jesus, we have been given a place of perfect safety; a saviour of perfect righteousness, who required no sacrifice for sin; a covenant which brings us boldly into the throne room of God; a promise of eternal life; and a priest who has ‘perfected forever them that are being sanctified’ (Heb. 10:14). We see with clearer vision the true covenant that God had in mind when he ordained the building of the Ark, and yet we will see clearer than this when we see the Lord face to face. I was struck by Christianity Today’s review of Ark Encounter. After touring the Ark and interviewing Ken Ham, journalist Cort Gaitliff writes: I pull out my phone to check Twitter and find headlines about yet another tragedy that quickly moves me to tears. My morning inside the ark had felt like a vacation from the real world, a brief distraction from the overwhelming brokenness and pain that permeates our communities.…But for the skeptic or the atheist who might be drawn to the park out of curiosity, there is little to make them stop and think about the point of it all: Jesus, our savior who left heaven, came down to earth, lived a sinless existence, and died so that we may have life abundantly. It’s interesting to discuss the details of biblical events, but we must do so with a humility that admits we don’t necessarily know all the answers. Getting too caught up in visualizing a 4500-year-distant event can rock our faith if we encounter ‘facts’ which contradict our image of what happened. Everything in Scripture is beneficial for learning to live God’s way. What do we learn from Noah’s Ark? Life apart from God leads only to despair and destruction, but there is life, hope and relationship for any who will enter into Jesus, his perfect salvation. •

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INTEGRATED MISSION: J. CALVIN MACKAY AND THE BEGINNINGS OF THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN CAJAMARCA BY DR. TOMÁS GUTIÉRREZ SÁNCHEZ

his year, we are celebrating the bicentennial of

delegations from various countries, inaugurations of public squares, avenues and monuments, theatrical performances, musical concerts and festivities throughout the country. However, the deep Peru of the Andes and the indigenous communities were not considered in the plans and programmes of the governments of the day. The mountains cried out and the indigenous communities were ready to receive a new gospel. The gospel which would bring the message of salvation in Christ and redemption, and would also result in social transformation. The vision of Christianisation that came to Peru with the Spanish is known by social researchers as the arrival of the sword and the cross. It was a message that oppressed, destroyed, and placed alongside its teachings prejudices which deprecated the culture and custom of native people. The so-called ‘conquistador’, Francisco Pizarro, together with the Dominican friar Vicente de Valverde, also made the journey to Cajamarca. They arrived in 1532 with a small army to confront the last Inca emperor, Atahualpa. The Spaniards — with their breastplates, horses and arquebuses — overcame the entourage of the last Inca sovereign. Atahualpa was first taken prisoner, then executed on July 26, 1533. From that moment, Roman Catholicism was present in all its splendour within the Inca Empire. Spanish forces achieved victories in Lima and Cuzco, supported by various regions which had previously been conquered by the Incas. After the death of the last descendant of the famous Empire — ‘Manco Inca’, who was murdered by Spanish colonists in the year 1544 — the door was open to the might of King Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor. The methods of Catholic evangelisation in Peru, and across Latin America, were ruthless. The Dominican friar, Bartolomé de las Casas, initially took part in, but later felt compelled to oppose, the atrocities and mistreatments carried out by the Spaniards, which were being legitimized by friars and priests. He describes the abuses he witnessed in his most famous work, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies (1552).

the independence of peru.

It is an opportunity to remember the moments that shaped our national history as well as our evangelical identity. On July 28th 1821, General Don José de San Martín gave his proclamation of independence saying, ‘Peru is, from this moment, free and independent by the general will of the peoples and by the justice of their cause that God defends.’ After a century of light and shadows, of wars and concord, of joys and sorrows, oppression and liberation, Peru celebrated the centenary of its independence under the presidency of Augusto B. Leguía. Leguía sought to create a ‘New Fatherland’ and his government began with democratic reform. But, lamentably, it ended in dictatorship and social and economic crisis. The month of Peru’s centenary, July 1921, also saw the arrival of J. Calvin Mackay to the city of Cajamarca in the northern highlands of Peru. He founded the city’s first evangelical church, with direct support from the Free Church of Scotland. Analysing the beginnings of this evangelical work in Cajamarca allows us to appreciate Mackay’s determination to start a new work under the principles of Reformed Theology. Especially important was his emphasis on a new paradigm for mission. Previous missions in Peru and across Latin America shared Mackay’s focus on starting local churches and his dedication to evangelisation. However, they left aside care for people’s physical needs: social action such as founding schools, clinics, orphanages and farms. Mackay’s approach was different. In this essay, I’d like to discuss this new paradigm of mission, beginning with a historical perspective on Peru, and the evangelical presence in the early twentieth century. Then, comment on the arrival of J. Calvin Mackay to the city of Cajamarca, and analyse the paradigm of ‘integrated mission’ which he developed in his missionary work.

THE PRESENCE OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM AND THE BEGINNINGS OF EVANGELICAL WORK IN PERU The commemorative acts held to mark the centenary of independence in 1921 were unique in Peruvian history. The celebrations included visiting

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Spanish forces sought to end the religious practices of the indigenous people in order to direct them more easily to Roman Catholic Christianity. They did so by destroying altars of worship and burning places of veneration such as the Huacas (monuments), Apachetas (cairns) and Mallquis (tombs). The hegemony of Catholic power was consolidated not only by the presence of the various religious orders which were established with greater force in the sixteenth century, but also by the foundation of the Holy Office of the Inquisition. The Inquisition was created to pursue other religious beliefs and was charged with apprehending, judging and putting to death those ‘heretics’, who were not in the ways of the Catholic faith. Jews, Muslims and Lutherans were persecuted; and in some cases killed (Gutierrez 2017). The religious orders, churches and parishes, as well as the Inquisition, were institutions for the expansion of Roman Catholicism. Without the presence of other religious creeds they were successful in establishing the Catholic faith throughout Peru and across Latin America. However, they could not prevent the struggle for religious tolerance, as well as freedom of worship, which took hold in the nineteenth century and culminated in the birth of new Latin American republics, beginning in the year 1810; and coming to Peru in 1821. In the Peruvian case, however, the Law of Freedom of Worship was not formalised until the 20th Century. The Political Constitution of 1860 stated that: ‘The nation professes the Apostolic and Roman Catholic Religion: the State protects it, and does not allow the public exercise of any other’. Important links were established between liberals, workers’ movements, Freemasons and Protestants, and this coalition eventually succeeding in having the Article amended on 11 November 1915 by deleting Part Two; ‘... and does not allow the public exercise of any other.’ This constitutional amendment initiated the arrival of the various Protestant missions. It allowed the foundation of local churches, theological institutes, schools, clinics, printing presses and bookstores of any creed other than the Roman Catholic.

John A. Mackay came to Peru in the year 1916, a few months after the celebration of the First Evangelical Congress that was held in Panama City. He set in motion the foundation of a Protestant school, bringing to education a tradition, an ideal and a spirit which contributed to the formation of a new generation. In the years he was in Peru (1916-1925), Mackay dedicated himself to the direction of the school, to giving lectures in the different congregations of Lima, to teaching at the Biblical Institute, to directing the National Society of Treaties, to serving as a professor at the University of San Marcos, to exercising the functions of vice-president of the National Society of Temperance, to being a member of the Protervia (a group of intellectuals that directed the magazine Mercurio Peruano), to giving lectures in the Christian Association of Young People in Peru (and in some countries of South America); and to writing in secular and religious journals about social reality, issues of religious controversy, and evangelical thought. John A. Mackay really was a multifaceted man and was totally dedicated to his work as a trainer of men and women of character. He always had in mind in his life and messages the teachings of the ‘great democrat’, as he called his Lord, Jesus. Under these ideals, his desire was to form educated and practical people who were also people of character. But, his great concern was to start an evangelical church under the auspices of the Free Church of Scotland. It was to that end that J. Calvin Mackay (1891-1986) arrived in Peru with his family in 1919. The Mackay family initially stayed in Lima and dedicated themselves to learning the language of Peru, the history of the country, its culture and its customs.

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE WORK IN THE CITY OF CAJAMARCA: THE NEW PARADIGM OF MISSION It was not easy to start evangelical work in Cajamarca. Its inhabitants did not welcome the presence of creeds other than Roman Catholicism. For example, the colporteur Federico Antay, agent of the American Bible Society, visited, in December 1895, the district of San Miguel, which belongs to the department of Cajamarca, with the intention of selling Bibles, New Testaments and biblical treatises. Upon his arrival, Antay was visited by the mayor of the district, who disguised himself as a villager and expressed a desire to buy all the biblical material that the Methodist colporteur carried with him. Federico Antay agreed to show all the material he was carrying. At this, the local Catholic priest was summoned and immediately confiscated all of Antay’s belongings: 23 Bibles, 26 Testaments, 37 gospels, 8 Psalmodies and 9 Hymnaries (SBA 1900, p. 21). Antay was taken to the main square accompanied by the priest, the mayor and the whole town, and all his texts were burned. Some of the local people asked that Federico Antay be burned along with the books, but divine providence spared his life (SBA 1900, p.22).

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND IN PERU AND THE PRESENCE OF JOHN A. MACKAY The first missionary sent by the Free Church of Scotland to begin its evangelistic work was the Scottish missionary and prominent educator, John A. Mackay (1889-1983). He is undoubtedly one of the Protestant missionaries who came to Latin America with the desire to bring Protestant thought, culture and ethics to the youth of our continent. His work was not only developed in the nascent evangelical congregations, but also in the main academic circles of our country.

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During this era, the climate of rejection on the part of the Cajamarquinos was incited by the Catholic priests. Similar circumstances existed throughout the country. The preaching of the Gospel was vetoed by the people, the mayors and some prefects, and especially by the Roman curia. This attitude would end with the Freedom of Worship Act, which was finally achieved after twenty years of effort. So, Cajamarca in the 1920s was a department which manifested an intolerance towards religious messages that were not of the Roman Catholic Church. The evangelical missionary presence was thus bold and full of faith and courage. It was in this context of intolerance that J. Calvin Mackay departed from Lima with his whole family to start the work in Cajamarca. He left the port of Callao on June 15th, 1921 towards Pacasmayo, to arrive in two days at the city of Cajamarca. He began the work of evangelisation and discipleship in the family home of Alejandro Llanos, who had been converted thanks to the work of the mission of the Church of the Nazarene in Monsefú (Kessler 2010). However, the presence of J. Calvin Mackay was not to the liking of the Catholic population; resulted in a rejection and persecution of the work he was initiating, as explained by the report to the Free Church of Scotland: From numerous references that have appeared in the Monthly Record, it will have been observed that the missionaries in Cajamarca have recently been persecuted by fanatical elements in the population. However, the most recent information available makes it clear that, due to the intervention of the authorities, the opposition’s sinister intention to expel the missionaries from the city was prevented...In God’s goodness, the latter have passed unharmed through the terrible nervous experience. (FCS, 1922, p. 863) This same report notes that the ‘fanaticism’ was being incited by local priests. However, these attitudes of intolerance created, in some intellectual circles of the city, support for the work that was initiated by the Free Church of Scotland. Moreover, the authorities were strong enough for any hostile act on the part of the Catholic clergy. News of the hostilities was made known in the city of Lima, because support was requested by the Mission from the British ambassador there. The ambassador sent a telegram to the Prefect of Cajamarca asking him to take all precautions to protect the missionaries (FCS, 1922, p. 863-864). In the 1920s the situation of the indigenous people was poor. They were experiencing both labour exploitation and racism from landowners. Novels published at the end of the 19th century, such as Narciso Aréstegui’s Father Horán, Scenes of Life in Cusco (1848) and Clorina Mattto de Turner’s Birds Without a Nest (1889), brought this to wider public attention in Peru. The novels portrayed a situation where the local governor, the justice of the peace,

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the landowner and the priest oppressed and exploited the indigenous people; and described the deplorable situation in which they found themselves. Calvin Mackay, too, describes this situation of oppression and misery: Indians generally live in primitive, ignorant, conservative, oppressed, drunken conditions. When a ‘party’ approaches, hopefully you don’t have enough money to pay the priests’ dues... the party is celebrated with liquor in abundance (FCS, 1923, p. 1060). J. Calvin Mackay describes the situation of poverty in the indigenous community as something that existed throughout the Republic. The social and economic crisis in which indigenous people found themselves was very painful. And one of the barriers which prevented the social transformation of these communities was the Catholic Church itself. This is mentioned by the businessman, diplomat, historian and novelist, Pedro Davalos y Lissón, in his book, The First Century: geographical, political and economic causes that have halted Peru’s moral and material progress in the first century of its independent life, published in 1919. In this work he takes stock of what the country was going through and makes a scathing criticism of the presence of the Roman Catholic Church, as one of the institutions that hindered the progress of the country. Pedro Davalos y Lissón writes: In the provinces, worship and evangelisation continue in the same state that colonialism left them. On the part of the native people, the same ignorance, the same superstitions, perfect similarity in the fandangos and in the francachelas that follow at the end of the church festival. As for the priests, carelessness in the teaching of the catechism, lack of selflessness and dedication necessary to reform the social and moral condition of the parishioner. (Davalos y Lysson 1919, pp. 202-203) Although evangelisation continued in the same way as in colonial times, the clergy were not taking care of the social problems that the millions of indigenous people in the country were experiencing, nor taking care of their own souls. On the other hand, Dávalos y Lysson mentions the work of the Protestant missions that were already in the country. For some time now, some Protestant pastors belonging to the evangelical church have been interned in the country, who, in their desire for proselytism, disseminate their doctrines among the indigenous people... They have faced hostility from Catholic priests and governors, until in 1915 the second part of Article 4 of the Constitution of 1860 was abolished. (Davalos y Lysson 1919, p. 205) The different evangelical missions attended especially to the highlands of the country where there was a large, destitute population with no hope of great change. Their work began in the departments of Cusco, Junín and Cerro de Pasco. By 1916 the evangelical communicant

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population was 1,326 members, served by 47 foreign missionaries, 62 national preachers and seven organised churches. But, they only had three secondary schools, seven primary schools and 650 pupils, for a population of around 5 million inhabitants (Braga 1917, p.137-138). The evangelical presence was small in number, representing 0.03% of the population. However, their message and actions had an impact on the whole country. The fields were ready to sow the gospel, starting local churches along with schools and clinics. This social impact is also highlighted by Davalos y Lissón: It is remarkable the way the evangelists intensify their work in the mountains of Peru. Their efforts are interesting seen from the moral and civic side. They direct their action to correct the immoral customs of the Indians; and, what is more useful, to combat alcoholism, the terrible scourge of our indigenous population, a vice that until now has been tolerated by the priests of souls in every religious festival. (Dávalos y Lissón 1919, p. 206) The city of Cajamarca is no stranger to this situation, and at the time was one of the poorest regions of the country. It did not have basic health, housing and education services. So the missionary perspective of J. Calvin Mackay and the Free Church of Scotland was to adopt a new paradigm of mission. Not only did Mackay begin a new congregation, and conduct evangelism and discipleship in the local church, but he also supported social action; that is, the service or la diaconia of the church, helping to address the great evils that the indigenous people faced – in particular, alcoholism. The new paradigm has been called the ‘integrated mission’ of the church because it brought together the work of evangelisation, discipleship and service in a co-ordinated manner. All three dimensions of the ‘integrated mission’ were carried out in these early years by Calvin Mackay and the Free Church of Scotland.

including evangelical magazines such as El Heraldo and Renacimiento, which were published in Lima. He also received visitors and supported the work of the colporteurs (FCS 1924, p. 1281). With regard to the colporteurs, one of the most significant actions of the Free Church mission was to employ Peruvians to visit the towns of Cajamarca. Mackay recruited Lizardo Romero, Ricardo Vásquez, Juan Rocha and Alejandro Llanos, ‘who considered it an honour and duty to serve the Saviour, in the face of the threats and bad intentions of their adversaries...’ (FCS 1924, p. 1282).

THE EDUCATIONAL DIMENSION, DISCIPLESHIP OF THE CHURCH

One of the crucial aspects of the work of the church is the discipleship of the new converts who would help to strengthen the local congregation. Therefore, from the beginning, J. Calvin Mackay taught the essential doctrines of evangelical Christianity to his parishioners. In his 1924 report to the Free Church of Scotland, he wrote: The mission’s main efforts up to now naturally concentrated on the young congregation, which is now a visible expression of Christian unity, and the beginning of what is confidently expected to be a true Protestant Christian Community in Cajamarca. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has altered the thoughts, beliefs, and lives of several people, and some homes have been significantly illuminated by the presence of the Spirit. A sense of loyalty to the Saviour brought forth efforts to bring others to him, and the spirit of prayer now allows believers to express the deep joys their souls have discovered in Emmanuel’s blood. (FCS 1924, p. 1280-1281). The young evangelical congregation, the first to be established in Cajamarca, was supported by the local brothers who had converted to the faith. Discipleship was part of the formation and strength of the church. In less than three years there was already a congregation where the ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ were performed; but, above all, it was distinguished by the Bible study meetings and prayer, both of which are important in Christian formation.

THE EVANGELISING DIMENSION OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND From the beginning, J. Calvin Mackay was concerned with evangelism. He worked as a colporteur, distributing Bibles and tracts every week. His longing was to bring the gospel to all people so that they would be converted by faith to Christ. He wrote: The object of the Lord’s Day and weekly meetings and the learning of the Word of God is that the individual can put his faith in Christ the Saviour... Thus grows the Kingdom of Christ (FCS 1923, p. 1058) Presenting Christ alone as Saviour broke with the tradition of Roman Catholicism regarding the veneration of Mary and the saints, and the religious worldview of mediation. In addition to the weekly meetings that Mackay held, other methods of evangelisation were directed towards the nearby districts. Mackay corresponded with those outside Cajamarca. He disseminated Christian literature,

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THE SOCIAL DIMENSION The condition of the interior of the country was very lamentable. Basic services were only available to people with higher income. The lack of doctors and nurses across the country was one of the nation’s biggest problems. As a result, a nurse was sent by the mission to work in Lima and then to Cajamarca. It was the clearest testimony of social action on the part of the Free Church. The creation and care of the new clinic was in charge of Sarah MacDougall, who arrived in Lima in 1919 as a missionary. She began her work in a hospital in Lima (Kessler 2010, p.106) and then established a clinic in the city of Cajamarca in 1922.

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Sarah MacDougall’s work was formidable: The number of patients treated in the operating room of the missionary house during the year 1924 amounts to 1,670. They represent people who suffer from all kinds of diseases. Many who could not afford the medicines received them for free and were very grateful for that charity. Five hundred and thirtyone visits have been made to people’s homes and assistance has been provided in thirty confinements. Nursing in people’s homes corresponds to the work of a district nurse and provides rich opportunities for evangelistic work. Many questions are asked as to our faith, mode of worship, and who can measure the results, because, after all, we are only allowed to sow the seed. (FCS 1925, p. 117) As we can see, within a missionary remit, the Free Church sought to support health services, attending to 1,670 patients, with only one nurse. This action, which bore witness to the faith, was carried out in the love of God. It was a means to sow the seed of the gospel; no longer with the sword and the cross, but with the Word and the love of God, sharing with the poorest and most needy. As well as the clinic, J. Calvin Mackay wanted to establish a primary school. The children of the new converts were discriminated against because of their faith, an attitude encouraged by the Catholic clergy, especially by Catholic teachers in public schools (Kessler 2010, p. 106). For this reason, a school was established in charge of Mary Rachel MacKenzie Mackay, Calvin’s wife, who developed this pioneering work, before leaving the missionary Christina Mackay in charge. She shows us the progress of the school: December 10, 1925 saw the closure of the second year of work at the Peruvian-Scottish College. Despite the strong opposition from the priests, especially in the first few months, we managed to close the year with seventy-three pupils on the roll. Official examinations were conducted during the last week... The full official curriculum was followed throughout the year, while each day a special time was devoted to Religious Instruction in each class. There were frequent excursions in connection with the studies of Science and Geography. The Diaz brothers organized a football team and the boys showed a lot of enthusiasm in the game... Reviewing all the privileges and stimuli of the past year, we were, even on closing day, eager to start once again, and we looked forward with confidence to the new year that would be enriched through the experiences gained in the past (FCS 1926, p. 351). The school was criticized by the Catholic sector, which was constantly opposed to it; however, this did not discourage the teachers and missionaries; rather, it was a stimulus and a profound testimony of the service to God and to the extension of his reign in the city of Cajamarca. The missionary tasks of evangelisation, discipleship and service (diaconia) were performed simultaneously

THE RECORD

in Cajamarca. No aspect was neglected by this ‘integrated mission’. J. Calvin Mackay did not slacken in his commitment to the Great Commission; to go and make disciples of all nations, but he also sought to follow the way of the teacher from Galilee, as described by the evangelist Matthew: Jesus travelled through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every ailment in the people (Matthew 9:35). • Dr Tomás Gutiérrez Sánchez is a sociologist and theologian. He gained his PhD in Social Sciences from Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. He is the author of several books, including Protestantismo y política en la vida y obra de John A. Mackay (Protestantism and politics in the life and work of John A. Mackay).

Bibliographical References Arestegui, N. (1970). Father Horán, Scenes from the Life of Cusco. Lima. Editorial Universo. First Latin American Evangelical Conference. (1949). Evangelical Christianity in Latin America. Buenos Aires. Imp. Post Tenera Lux. Davalos y Lissón, P. (1919). The First Century: geographical, political and economic causes that have halted Peru’s moral and material progress in the first century of its independent life. Lima. Gil Bookstore and Printing House. De las Casas, B. (2005). A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. Madrid. Chair, Hispanic Letters. Gutierrez, T. (2017). Lutheranism and Inquisition in sixteenth century Spanish America. Lima. Pankara Publishing House. Free Church of Scotland (FCS). (1920). The Monthly Record of the Free Church of Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland. Free Church of Scotland (FCS), (1922). Reports to General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland. Free Church of Scotland (FCL), (1923). Reports to General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland. Free Church of Scotland (FCS), (1924). Reports to General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland. Free Church of Scotland (FCS), (1925). Reports to General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland. Kessler, J. (2010). History of evangelization in Peru. 3rd Edition. Lima. Puma Editions. Matto de Turner, C. (2017) Birds Without a Nest. Lima. Lexicom. American Bible Society (SBA). (1900). Report by Mr Federico Antay from July 17, 1895 to January 12, 1896. Lima. Imp. and Gmo Library. Stolte.

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SEP/OCT 2021 PRAYER DIARY Please send requests to Dayspring MacLeod (dayspring.macleod@ icloud.com). This month we will be focusing on major world events along with a few things closer to home.

Sun 12th — Wed 15th ‘Think of all who suffer as if you share their pain’ (Heb. 13:3): plead with the Lord for the Christians of Afghanistan. Ask him to give them physical protection from their enemies, provision for everything they need, and spiritual protection from fear, doubt and despair.

Thurs 30th — Sat 2nd Oct Remember the country of Nigeria, and the Christians who are persecuted and killed there by radical Fulani herdsmen and other groups as well. Ask that the Church there may be comforted, strengthened and purified, and that the Christians will show a truly Christlike character that will draw many to faith. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

Thurs 16th — Sat 18th Continuing to remember the Lord’s people in Afghanistan, ask him to grant them patience and endurance, so that they may overcome even unto death if he so wills it; a love for their enemies which will astonish those around them; and overall that he would use the return of the Taliban to effect a great turning of Afghans to the Lord Jesus.

Sun 3rd — Tues 5th Pray for the Jewish people, both in Israel and throughout the world, that they may recognise Jesus as their Messiah, their hope, and the comfort of Israel. May the Lord open their eyes to see his Anointed One, and may there be a great turning of the Jewish people toward the One who has wooed them for so many centuries.

Sun 19th — Wed 22nd Pray for the nation of Haiti and all those affected by the terrible earthquake. Pray especially for the children left orphaned, homeless and traumatised, that they may find homes, family, and safety. Ask the Lord to bless the work of World Vision to reach out to those in great suffering.

Weds 6th — Fri 8th Pray for Dr Adam, who blesses us each month with his amazing and encouraging stories of the Lord’s tangible presence and work in some of the world’s most complicated mission fields. Give thanks to God, who would have none to perish, but that all might come to faith in Jesus. Ask him to send workers to this ripe harvest of people who live in darkness! Pray too that Dr Adam may be kept in safety and go on serving the Master faithfully.

Thurs 23rd — Sat 25th Pray for the Big Free Rally taking place on Saturday, giving thanks for the leaders and facilitators who are making this day possible. Pray for the children to have hearts open to God’s Word. May he awaken a great passion for his glory, his Name and his truth among our young people, and may they by unified in worship!

Sat 9th — Mon 11th Pray for those re-planting a Free Church in Wick. They may be small in number, but they have a great view of the Lord and passion to see him glorified in their town. Ask God to honour and use their desire to serve him, and to give them much fruit in that place.

Sun 26th — Wed 29th Continue to bring the pandemic before the Lord. The autumn is beginning and health services are expected to come under strain, but ask him for mercy and protection on behalf of the whole population. Pray also a blessing on our healthcare and other essential workers, giving thanks for them and asking the Lord to restore, encourage and sustain them in truly exhausting days.

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For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT)

EMIGRATION TO EMANCIPATION Sometimes a nation is rescued through the occupation of a liberating force, such as in WW2, when for a time much of Europe was under the occupying, tyrannical reign of Hitler and was then freed by the invading Allied forces and the people were free to live in their own countries. The words of Paul in Col 1:13-14 paint a picture not of liberation from occupation, but more of emigration to emancipation. ‘Transferred’ refers to the mass movement of a whole nation, and here that nation is rescued from a tyrannical ruler and moved to a place of safety and liberty and freedom under the government of a good and gracious King. If you imagine the people of North Korea rescued and taken across the border to South Korea, from dictatorship to democracy, from fear to freedom, to the place they were meant to be, then that is near to the image Paul has in mind as he speaks of the mission God has accomplished through Jesus’s death on the cross. He rescues us, removes us and restores us to a right relationship with God. It is an emigration to emancipation. Our emigration is: As a people: It’s not an individual flight to freedom as such, but we are part of a much bigger people group who share, en masse, the same experience of freedom which unites us collectively. We are not ‘me’, but ‘we’, all one in Christ, and that emphasises the corporate nature of our identity. To a place: not physically transferred, but spiritually transferred. We are moved from the domain of the dark lord to the Kingdom of the kind King, Jesus. We have crossed the border into another country where the governing powers and principles are so very different. They are good and gracious, decided and delivered by a good and gracious King who is pleased to encourage and enjoy our emancipation. Our own Holyrood symbolises this rule: the ‘Holy Cross’ of Heaven. With a passport: we are not taken here illegally; we do not arrive as a people who are stateless, homeless, helpless, having fled a despot nation without the proper documents, having to seek asylum which can take a long time to process and a long time to prove. Not only have we been freed, but that freedom has been purchased legitimately. We have a new passport, paid for, authenticated and authorised by the King, with our name on it and a new citizenship approved. We don’t have to fear being removed by any border agency. Perfect love drives out fear. We are legally, legitimately loved citizens of heaven, and we have the passport to prove it. For a purpose (v10-11) Verse 13 begins with ‘for’, which is a ‘reason reference’. Our emancipation is so we can grow in citizenship, living a flourishing life, ‘so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.’ Fear of punishment stunts our growth. Freedom from punishment stimulates our growth. Our sins have been forgiven, so we can flourish. Emigration to emancipation. •

THE RECORD

BY REV. COLIN MACLEOD

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PLATES FROM THE PEWS This month we’re trying a crowdpleasing pudding from Ishbel Murray, a well-known face (and kitchen!) from Lochaber. If you can get to Fort William, be sure to take up Ishbel’s offer of a cup of tea and a treat in the kitchen! Until then, here’s the next-best thing. Tell us a little about yourself, your family and your church. I’m a school nurse here in Fort William. I’m a wife to Craig and mum to three fabulous older kids: Katrin, Robbie and Elspeth. I love swimming in whatever loch or sea is available and I love singing both at church and in my choir, the Kilmallie Singers. I grew up in a house where hospitality was the norm. I lived on a farm with four hungry brothers competing for seconds (!) and with visitors coming in and out of the house on an almost daily basis, so had a good education in how to stretch a meal with loads of tatties! We worship at Kilmallie Free Church, where we’ve recently welcomed Euan Dodds as our minister. Poor Euan and family haven’t quite had the chance to experience the legendary great food and baking from Kilmallie due to lockdown (or if they have, it’s been in a garden with a hot water bottle and wrapped in blankets!). NB – as written in April! I believe Euan and co. have now been properly satiated with home comforts. -ed.

the difficult things that happen to us have their purpose in God’s good plan. Do you have particular memories of this meal? When would you serve it? Before lockdown the church was having lunches one a month and this is a great pudding for that, as it’s so easy to fling together and bung in the over, and it always goes down well. I cheat by using frozen raspberries and white chocolate buttons. We are so looking forward to meeting again with strangers and friends over a meal or just a cup of tea. We’ve always been motivated by seeing in the Bible how much of Jesus’ speaking and teaching was associated with a meal. I’m not a fancy cook and presentation is not my strong suit, but you’ll get a good cup of tea and whatever is in the tin should you come by our way here in Fort William…you’d be most welcome. •

Do you have favourite Bible verses or hymns you’d like to share with us? When Craig and I got married in 1997, the Bible verse that was special to us, and still is now, was Psalm 34:2, ‘Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.’ This is what Craig and I try to remember when we open our home and table to strangers and friends. My favourite hymn is one by Keith Getty called ‘The Perfect Wisdom of Our God’. The line that says ‘each strand of sorrow has its place within the tapestry of grace’ reminds me that even

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WAFFLE BERRY PUDDING (BASED ON THE RECIPE FROM PAMPERED CHEF)

480g sweet Belgian waffles (this is what the original recipe called for but it’s there or thereabout) 150g white chocolate broken into bits (or if you’re lazy like me, white chocolate buttons) 300g frozen raspberries 55g caster sugar 1 tbsp plain flour 500ml sour cream or crème fraiche 3 eggs ½ tsp vanilla essence 2 tbsp icing sugar

Photo by Joyful Captures on Unsplash

Cut waffles into 1 inch pieces. Layer ½ of the waffles, raspberries and chocolate into greased ovenproof dish, then repeat another layer of the same. In separate bowl, mix together crème fraiche, eggs, vanilla, sugar and flour. Pour mixture evenly over waffles and bake for 25 minutes in lowest shelf. Dredge with icing sugar and serve with cream or ice cream.

(Editor’s note – a delicious autumn twist is to substitute chopped apples sautéed with butter, sugar and cinnamon for the raspberries!)

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What A Night In the This is my story devotional series, REV. DAVID J RANDALL imagines how some of the Bible’s characters might tell us their story. Some are not headline characters, but they all had a part to play in the great drama of God’s plan, given to us in Scripture. Hebrews 11:4 says of one character, ‘though he died, he still speaks’. May the stories of these Bible characters from yesterday help us today to trust, follow, love and serve the Character of the Bible.

got the city magistrates on side, and saw that the two troublemakers were beaten and handed over to me for my tender mercies. ‘All in a day’s work,’ I thought, after locking them up and settling down for a good night’s sleep. I had no idea of the seismic change that was about to take place in the prison and in our lives. It was a night like no other. These prison walls had heard a few choice words over the years, but the stillness of that night was broken by the sound of singing — not the bawdy songs I’d heard before, or songs about what the inmates would do if they could get their hands on their enemies. It was the sound of hymns. How on earth could anyone in their position sing songs of praise to God? And then — turmoil and confusion. An earthquake shattered the jail. The ground shook beneath us, walls collapsed and the doors flew open. What was I to do? Everybody knew that Rome had no mercy for jailers who lost their prisoners. News had gone around about an incident down in Jerusalem when some jailers were executed by order of Herod after their prisoner had disappeared from prison. So my first thought was that I might as well do away with myself before the same fate came upon me. I was just trying to arrange my sword when I heard a voice shouting to me and saying the prisoners hadn’t fled after all. It was turning out to be a very strange night, and people have asked me what I meant when I asked Paul and Silas what I needed to do to be saved. Sometimes when I look back, I’m confused myself. Of course I wanted to be saved from my employers’ retribution. But something else was going on. There was a strange stirring within me, and I’m so thankful that Paul and Silas told me that ultimate salvation could be mine through faith in Jesus Christ. That girl used to go on about them proclaiming the way of salvation and it was true.

ll the paraphernalia about gods and goddesses left me cold, and as for the idea of caesar being divine, well i ask you...

What a night! I’ve seen a few prisoners in my time, but none like the two who were thrown into my jail in Philippi that day. They weren’t at all like my usual customers. The two men were bruised and battered, and I just carried out my orders by locking them up in the most secure part of the prison — and putting their feet in the stocks for good measure! According to the rumour mill, they’d been arrested after a fracas that centred on a poor girl we used to see going about town shouting and screaming (the kind of person many would cross the street to avoid). She was supposed to be able to tell fortunes. The people who had enslaved her had turned that reputation into a nice little earner for themselves. So they had a vested interest in her delusions, and when she said one day that she wasn’t going to serve them any longer — that she had a new Master called Jesus — they were irate. And it didn’t take them long to find out who was responsible; she had come under the influence of two wandering evangelists who’d arrived in town. For a while she had been following them about, yelling maniacally about them being servants of the true God. Events bore out the truth of her words, but her weird manner became an embarrassment and a hindrance to Paul and Silas. After several days of it, one of them commanded the evil spirit to come out of her. And — lo and behold — suddenly the poor girl was completely changed. Instead of ranting and raving, she was cool, calm and collected. And she refused any longer to comply with her owners’ demands — which obviously wasn’t going to go down well with them. They stirred up a riot,

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I have to say I hadn’t been very religious up to that point. All the paraphernalia about gods and goddesses left me cold, and as for the idea of Caesar being divine, well I ask you... None of it made any dent in my cynical shell, but maybe there was always a nagging thought that there must be more to life than just one shift after another for so many years and then — nothing. Was there any meaning to life? And what about death — and what might come after it? I didn’t give a great deal of attention to such questions before, but that night, in the ruins of the jail in the wee small hours, things seemed to fall into place. The two prisoners told me about Jesus — that he wasn’t just a naïve rebel who had fallen foul of Rome, but that he was God incarnate who had come to earth to open up a new way of salvation from sin and death. They went on to share many things from the word of the Lord with me and my family, and it all came home to me as good news. I gladly decided to put my faith in this Lord who had died and then rose from the dead. I remembered that these men had been unceremoniously thrust into the prison hours earlier, that the blood had caked on them and they were hungry and thirsty. So I saw to all of that. They saw it as a sign of the change that had taken place in me. They also explained about baptism as a sign of being washed clean and even of dying to the old life and being made new. My wife and family also responded to the message and so we had a little baptism service right there in the middle of the night. What lies ahead now? I have no idea! If I can keep my job, I’ll certainly treat people differently in future. But I’m willing for whatever God has for me and my family. And we’re part of the new church of Philippi too. Paul and Silas were keen to make sure that we would all come together to share in praise and prayer and to learn more of the gospel. And what a strange mixture we are. There’s the former fortune-teller who is now in her right mind; there’s Lydia — prosperous, posh, the kind of person I’d normally never mix with; and there’s me with my rough and tough background. But the amazing thing is that, through Jesus, we are all one. We all believe that the One who began a good work in me that night will lead us on. Paul taught us to rejoice in the Lord. He encouraged us to forget what lies behind and press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ. Maybe I should write a song about it, something like: O happy night! O happy night when Jesus filled my soul with light. This is my story. • Rev David J. Randall spent fourty years in pastoral ministry in Macduff before retiring in 2010. He has served in a number of locumships, written several books and is a member of the Free Church congregation in Broughty Ferry

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PAGES FROM ADAM’S DIARY The God of All Comfort A brother, known to some of us as Dr Adam, has served the Lord among his suffering church for many years. Dr Adam has also ministered in various parts of the world among refugees. We have asked his permission to print some of the stories of his life and service for the encouragement of readers of The Record. For well understood reasons, some of the names of people and places have usually been changed or omitted.

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He used the might of the American army for something Pentagon war strategists had not imagined – to make a pathway for our Lord.

ooking back, 2020 was a trying year for many of my friends.

Photo by Beau Horyza on Unsplash

Covid-19 precipitated much hardship for our world and, undoubtedly, it adversely affected even the body of Christ. It unsettled people’s lives and disrupted their routines. It brought confusion, conflict, uncertainty and, eventually, despondency. In terms of my own ministry and service for our Saviour, it interrupted my work. However, there were a few bright points in an otherwise dismal year. One such highpoint for me was an incident which happened a few months ago on a cold February night. I was speaking at a small prayer gathering. Suddenly, the doors of the hall flung open and a disheveled, seemingly homeless man in his late 60s staggered into our midst. He quietly sat in the back on an empty chair, rested his head between his two hands, and looked as though he went to sleep. I thought he had come into the church to get out of the inclement weather and to keep warm. That evening I was speaking about the miracle of God’s saving work in Afghanistan and amongst the Afghans — historically one of the most hardened people groups to the Gospel. I noted that in Afghanistan, this incubator of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, there are today thousands who have become followers of Christ. There has been an astonishing tidal wave of the movement of the Spirit of God upon a people. I told them the ways of the Lord are at times inconceivable to us. The war against the Taliban in Afghanistan drew the NATO armies into that region. Their mission was to expel and defeat that savage band of opium-peddling religious fanatics who had destroyed the nation, brutalized its inhabitants and taken the country back to the dark ages. But God had an additional assignment for those armies which they did not know — to open a way for the Gospel. He used the might of the American army for something Pentagon war strategists had not imagined — to make a pathway for our Lord. Those soldiers did not know they were instruments in God’s hands to open a highway for the Light of the World (John 1:4; 8:12; 9:5). For the last 20 years, the war has kept the Taliban distracted and at bay. Sadly, with the recent withdrawal of the NATO troops, the Taliban is now coming back in full force and are resuming their reign of terror. During that 20-year lull, millions of Afghans were exposed to Christians and the Christian message, in part by soldiers who knew the Lord. In my own work among the refugees during these years, I have encountered thousands of Afghans in our meetings, where so many of them have come to faith in our Saviour. Some of these refugees have shared their faith with their families and other Afghans. Some have gone back to Afghanistan, and the message has kept spreading. In one of my previous letters, I shared with you the account of one such brave Afghan doctor, who came to faith in one of the meetings in a refugee camp, and has since gone back. The Lord has marvelously used this courageous man. Today the Gospel is widely known among the Afghans and, according to various corroborated reports, many thousands have embraced the Christian faith. After the meeting ended, I went to greet that apparently homeless man. With tear-filled eyes, he asked if he could wait until everyone was gone to speak to me. When most people had left, he explained that his son was one of those soldiers to whom I was referring. He said, ‘What you described has been indeed intriguing to me. I never knew this until tonight.’ Wiping away a teardrop from the corner of his eye, he told me that his son was a lieutenant in the United States infantry deployed to Afghanistan. He was killed near the end of his first tour of duty.

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While I wished I could take his sadness upon myself to give him a measure of rest, I sat helplessly watching this dear, broken man sob. It was a cataclysmic loss. It was too overwhelming for his wife, the mother of the young solider. She died, inconsolable, shortly afterwards. He was left to face the demise of the two people for whom he had lived. He turned to alcohol and lost his employment and became homeless. That evening, he noted, he was overcome by sadness and feeling suicidal. He said that, as he was aimlessly walking, it began to rain. He saw our small church building. And it was as though a hand had led him to enter the building. He saw the light in the hall and staggered into our meeting with a heavy heart. He stressed that he had hated Afghanistan, the Afghans, Muslims and anything to do with that part of the world. The roller-coaster of hate, rage and despondency had been the reality of his days. He said that when he entered our meeting, it was as though peace was made into a blanket, and he became an infant wrapped in it. The crushing weight of sorrow was lifted, and he was freed. It was as though God poured water upon a smoldering fire. There are times when we wish, even for a brief moment, we could take the pain of another human being upon ourselves, to change places with that person, so that he or she will be given momentary relief. But we cannot. Only the Lord can (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 1:29; Isaiah 53:4-6, 11). While I wished I could take his sadness upon myself to give him a measure of rest, I sat helplessly watching this dear, broken man sob. It was as though a boil or an abscess had been lanced and all the accumulated pain and septicity was pouring out. When he finally stopped crying, he felt his wandering into the church, into our meeting, could not have been a coincidence. (I was certain of that!) He said that when he heard about the conversion of Afghans, it was as though God said to him, ‘See! The death of your son has not been in vain! Look what eternal gain and victory has been achieved through his courage and sacrifice! You will see him again soon.’ My new friend told me, ‘The hate has been washed off from my heart and the pain diminished. After years of agonizing anguish, peace has come. The death of my son was a seed planted to bring life and realize something of eternal value far greater than all of us.’ I must say that this encounter was one of the brightest points of the last year for me. I could not thank our Lord enough for giving me such an honour and the pleasure of serving this precious man to whom, and those like him, all of us who live free and cherish freedom owe a never-ending debt of gratitude! • Several readers have asked how they can support Adam’s ministry. For information about the Adam Support Group, please contact either: Evan Macdonald (Chairman) evan.m@ntlworld.com 07981 756786 or John MacPherson (Secretary) johnmmacpherson@btinternet.com 07484 397670

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POETRY PAGE LOVE A CHILD BY DAVID BRINKMAN My heart was broken, At the sight of young and old, Scouring among the mounds of rubbish, On a garbage dump in Truttier, Haiti, For a piece of mouldy bread, Or some rotten meat, To put in their empty stomachs. My heart was broken, At the sight of a family, Existing in a small tent, Made of cloths and rice bags, With a jobless father, Searching for cans to sell, To feed his four unclothed children.

Photo by Zach Vesseels on Unsplash

My heart is happy, At the news of this family, Now living in a small house, In the Miracle Village, With their father working in construction, Well-fed children in school, Thanks to donations to Love a Child.

David Brinkman worships at Bon Accord Free Church in Aberdeen. He wrote ‘Love a Child’ to support the charity of the same name which is working to provide relief, education, medical care and to preach the gospel in Haiti. The charity was founded in 1985 and is currently supporting the response to the recent, deadly earthquake in Haiti. •

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BOOK REVIEWS Our books this month are a glorious mix of topics. Take a peek! All are available from Free Church Books (https://thefree.church/shop), unless otherwise stated. SHOW ME YOUR GLORY STEVEN J. LAWSON (2020) In “Show My Your Glory,” Dr Lawson guides the reader through a set of his sermons on understanding the various attributes of our God. This has been centred on Moses' exclamation to God in Exodus. This book could be easily used in a devotional style as each sermon is broken down for each point, making it very readable in short bitesize sections, but each sermon could be read as a whole with minimal difficulty, I actually found myself reading several sermons in one sitting. The topic of the attributes of God is often overlooked or we take it for granted. A statement like ‘God is holy’ seems obvious to us as Christians, but what does it actually mean for our God to be holy and why is it of upmost importance for us to understand it? Dr Lawson breaks down these big statements about God and helps us understand why they are so magnificent and what God’s various attributes teach us about Him. I highly recommend this book for personal study or for group use. It’s an easy read that allows for you to meditate on the things we often overlook during our busy lives. It explains how just wonderful and truly unexplainable our Creator is and why that is such beautiful news for us as believers. • This book is available to purchase from eden.co.uk. Sarah Perkins, London City Presbyterian Church

GOD MADE ME FOR WORSHIP JARED KENNEDY (2020) Through the pandemic, we have sought to keep our four-year-old engaged with church ‘at home’ by reading lots of Christian books for kids. This book has been one of my favourites, because it has helped remind our son of what church is meant to be like, even if he couldn't remember the details all that well. With bright illustrations and accessible language, this book follows a Sunday School class as they explore the different bits of a typical church service, and why we do them. Your church may not do every part of worship the book describes, but you will do something else for the same purpose. This book offers a delightful chance for adults and children alike to remind ourselves of the Biblical foundations of our worship, and helpfully uses Isaiah 6 as a key text for this. There are also really helpful prompt questions to encourage our kids to reflect on what they did during church that week. Hopefully as we return to church that is more normal, at least for now, this book can encourage the children in your house, or congregation, to get excited about church all over again. And not just because they get to see their friends! • This book is available to purchase from Free Church Books. Miriam Montgomery, Free Church Books These books are only a small proportion of the ones we review. You can find all our reviews online at https://books.freechurch.org or sign up to our monthly email to get them directly to your inbox: https://thefree.church/books-sign-up

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DISABILITY: LIVING INTO THE DIVERSITY OF CHRIST’S BODY BRIAN BROCK (2021) Reading this book by Brian Brock was a mixed experience for me. Parts I found to be excellent, other parts I found to be less so, and some points I felt were clouded by an exterior of biblical interpretation that made me uneasy. As a person with diagnosed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and with rather thorough theological training I feel I come to this book from a somewhat unusual position. While I have not thoroughly studied disability theology, I have dipped my feet in from time to time. I approached this book hoping it would help me to better come to terms with my own disability. To some extent, it did. At many turns, Brock offered perspectives and ideas that are too little heard in the church. However, at other turns I felt there were interpretive moves that did not do justice to the Bible. I acknowledge that this is often inevitable when you put two scholars together, but this was at the level that bothered me. It seemed to me that at some points, like the interpretation of Peter and John’s healing of the beggar at the start of Acts and Philip’s talk with the Ethiopian eunuch, there was a move to read into the biblical story a scheme that was already considered right, rather than let God teach us through the story. All considered, I found the earlier chapters to contain more I considered problematic, but generally overlaying a true and important message. However, the last two chapters I found to be generally excellent. In these, Brock presents a message that the church needs to hear and respond to if it is to live out God’s will. In the last chapter, I enjoyed reading numerous examples of how churches have responded to various different disabilities. This I found to be an invaluable addition to the book, because, as Brock points out, disability is really a catch-all term to describe many varying conditions that are vastly different. Even conditions bearing the same name can lead to vastly different needs. In all cases, responding appropriately involves listening, being flexible, and bearing with one another in love. Essentially, and I can’t remember if Brock mentioned this, this is how the church ought to approach all people, because all of us have our own troubles and unique circumstances. This book is available to purchase from eden.co.uk •. Phil Foster, Buccleuch Free Church

BOOK OF THE MONTH BEING THE BAD GUYS STEPHEN MCALPINE (2021) Books on the intersection between faith and culture are not every Christian’s cup of tea, but this one, I think, should be widely helpful. It is concerned to help us navigate society’s assessment of the place of faith in our era, addressing the now widespread view that Christianity is not just passé, but harmful. This is an issue we will all face (unless we are determined to seal ourselves off from the world), and the author handles it in an accessible way. It is shorter and more condensed than another recently released (and also very helpful) book, Carl Trueman’s The Rise & Triumph of the Modern Self, but it shares some of that book’s insights into how we got to where we are now. McAlpine addresses current big-hitters like individualism and the ‘authentic self’; the demise of the vertical (where relation to self and affiliate tribes replaces any relation to God); and the current complex interrelation between identity politics and victimhood. Throughout, rather than just being intellectually satisfying, the book is also pastorally sensitive to the issues raised, and thoughtfully challenging to each reader. The final section concentrates on what the response could be to living in such challenging times, and I found this to be both biblical and practical. We are called to have the courage to live for Jesus when it may seem easier to compromise, and the clarity to see how the gospel continues to be exactly what our age needs most. Much of this reads like an unpacking of the familiar directive to be at the same time in, but not of, the world. Being the Bad Guys is an articulation of how many people today understand the self, God, and the Christian testimony — and of how we must respond. It is clear, concise, biblical, and practical. I heartily recommend it. • This book is available to purchase from Free Church Books. Rev. Tom Muir, Esk Valley Church

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MISSION MATTERS A monthly take on some of the mission work the Free Church is involved in by our Mission Director, DAVID MEREDITH

opportunities .

There is a growing and serious environmental catastrophe already at our door. Evidence of this situation is everywhere. The population sizes of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians have experienced a decline of an average of 68% between 1970 and 2016. Rising seas, partly caused by a melting Antarctica, are causing misery. Antarctica has been losing more than 100 cubic kilometres (24 cubic miles) of ice per year since 2002. This results in flooding and changes in weather patterns which disproportionately affect the poor. A flood in Elgin will lead to a sodden carpet and an insurance claim; a drought in Ethiopia will lead to ‘high levels of food insecurity’ for 12.9 million people. These issues will be addressed by COP 26, which is due to meet in Glasgow from 31st October to 12th November. This triggers off the opportunity. Everyone is talking about global warming, the need to get the emission of greenhouse gases to net zero by 2030 as well as the war being waged against plastic. Does the Bible have something to say about this? Is this a time to present the gospel which is good news against a backdrop of seemingly unrelenting bad news? We are not surprised at the global meltdown. The creation is creaking and groaning as a result of the Fall (Romans 8:18-22). We know that the day of liberation from decay is linked to our ultimate salvation. It is not just the individual believer who trusts in Jesus who will be saved, but a new pristine heaven and earth will emerge from the ashes. Just as we want healing and health for our bodies, even though there will be a resurrection, so we will want the same for our planet. A key word is ‘creation’: the world is not an accident but a carefully, crafted and beautiful example of the artwork of the creator. Apart from man himself, the natural world is the pinnacle of God’s creative genius. We will be at the front of the queue when it very

crisis

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presents

comes to protecting our Father’s handiwork. We are concerned because we are people of justice and mercy. If sea levels rise by three feet, then 20% of Bangladesh will be permanently submerged. Drought has meant that a lady called Lengo in Lembakuli in northern Kenya now has to walk seven miles back and forth to get water for her family every day. As Christians we simply cannot be indifferent to the plight of the poorest of the poor. One of the greatest commandments given to us by Jesus was to love our neighbour. Environmental and social justice concerns are at the top of our younger people’s thinking. 73% of young people support public protests to raise awareness of issues, with the Black Lives Matter movement cited as an example of the next generation raising their voices on the issues that matter. This is in comparison to their older counterparts, who are perceived to be less vocal and less optimistic about the future. A GlobeScan study showed that the younger generation felt ashamed of their non-sustainable lifestyles. If the church is to be relevant, we must engage with the issues that are important to all ages. Engaging is not the same as agreeing, although with the incontrovertible evidence of global warming we would struggle to disagree. Mission in this context must be honest. Many of the mainstream, broadly Christian denominations are highly motivated in what they would see as their prophetic mission to speak out about the environment. We should speak out more. However, the priority must be to point out the core of the gospel, which is highlighted in the creation passage in Romans 8. ‘He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?’ Remember that just as souls are not disembodied, so we do not split people from their environments. The gospel is green. •

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Tostachd (Silence) LE JANET NICPHÀIL

ha amannan nar n - eachdraidh ,

agus ann an eachraidh mhòran anns an t-saoghal, nuair is e an nì as glic' dhuinn a dhèanamh, a bhith sàmhach. Nuair a thig Làmh an Tighearna gu h-obann, gu nì ris nach robh dùil againn a dhèanamh, clisgidh sinn, agus ar cridheachan goirt. Nach math aig àm-èiginn gum bi an Cruthaidhear a' frithealadh gràs oirnn', agus gum bi E a' toirt sìth dhuinn ann am meadhan gach èiginn? Nach iomadh cridhe goirt a tha san t-saoghal, agus is e an Lighiche mòr na aonar a nì an slànachadh. Nuair a smaoinicheas sinn air suidhichidhean a tha ann an iomadh rìoghachd, bidh seo gar fàgail gu math balbh, agus sinn a' leughadh mu iomadh seòrsa fulangas air feadh an t-saoghail. Is e Criosd Fhèin 'An Lighiche Mòr' a bheir neart do dhaoine a tha a' dol tro èiginn sònraichte. Leughaidh sinn gu robh Iosa ann an Nàsaret, agus gun deach E don t-sionagog air Là na Sàbaid, agus gun do leugh E briathran an fhàidh Isaiah, 'Chuir E Mi a shlànachadh na muinntir aig a bheil an cridhe briste, agus a thoirt saorsa don mhuinntir a tha brùite'. Nach math gu bheil Lighiche mòr ann, a fhritheileas air daoine a tha ann an suidheachadh èiginneach sam bith, oir tha sinn glè mhothachail nach eil oidhirpean dhaoine ach gu math lag. Bu chòir dhuinn a bhith taingeil gu bheil A shùilean an-còmhnaidh air daoine a tha air an claoidh le freastal goirt. Dh' fhuiling Esan doilgheas do-labhairt, agus mar sin, tha E glè chomasach a bhith a' cuideachadh dhaoine, agus A chridhe a' tuigsinn mar nach tuig aon eile. Nach eil Esan 'na ionad-fasgaidh on ghaoith', agus nach E an Tì a shlànaicheas gach cridhe a tha briste san t-saoghal thrioblaideach-sa? Cha thuig sinne gu bràth doimhneachd fhulangais. Nach e A thuras anns an t-saoghal-sa a bha na thuras èiginneach Dha, ach air sgàth coileantachd na h-oibre, bidh ceòl-molaidh agus taingealachd aig A shluagh ann an Glòir. Aig amannan goirt ann an eachdraidh dhaoine, thig mòran le briathran, agus leughaidh sinn iomradh air an seo ann an Leabhar Iob. Bha freagairtean aig a chàirdean a thàinig g'a chomhairleachadh a thaobh a' chall a thàinig air. Cha d' fhuair Iob faochadh bhom briathran, agus cluinnidh sinn e ag ràdh,'Is luchd-comhfhurtachd truagh sibh uile'. Aig deireadh na h- eachdraidh, nuair a bhruidhinn an Tighearna ri Iob às a'chuairt-ghaoith, agus E a'cur

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iomadh ceist air, a' faighneachd dha càit' an robh Iob nuair a leag Esan bunaitean na talmhainn'. Thug ceistean a' Chruthaidheir air Iob a bhith a' tuigsinn gum b'e creutair cruthaicht' a bh' ann fhèin, agus gu robh e a' gearan an aghaidh làmh a'Chruthaidheir. 'Cuiridh mi mo làmh air mo bheul', thuirt Iob, agus e a-nis a' tuigsinn gur e a ghliocas a bhith sàmhach, agus e a' faicinn gu robh Cruthaidhear àrd agus glic a'riaghladh, agus nach robh tuigse againne ach air fìor bheagan. Tha sin tòrr nas fhasa a sgrìobhadh na tha e a dhèanamh. Is e an Cruthaidhear Fhèin a nì rèidh sinn ri cridhe briste, agus is E a chumas rèidh sinn. Cha dèan sinn fhìn e, agus cha dèan facail, ach nì Esan le chumhachd ar misneachadh agus ar cuideachadh. Ged nach fhaic sinne E, tha E mion-eòlach air gach glaodh a tha a' dol thuige, agus is ann Aige Fhèin a tha freagairt. Teagaisgidh E dhuinn brigh nam facal,' Bithibh sàmhach,'s tuigibh gur mi Dia', agus gheibh sinn deagh mhisneachd bho bhriathran an fhàidh, ' Ann an suaimhneas agus ann an earbsa bidh bhur neart'. •

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BY CATRIONA MURRAY

POST TENEBRAS LUX

Photo by Ashni on Unsplash

n an english class many moons ago ,

our teacher set us an article from the ‘Herald’ (or possibly the ‘Scotsman’) as an interpretation exercise. The subject was the leadership style of Margaret Thatcher and it was evidently chosen for its clever use of language and a number of other literary devices. It began something like this: ‘Margaret Thatcher created the cabinet in her own image...’ The teacher asked what image was being thus invoked. There was a momentary silence and then I somewhat startled her by saying loudly, ‘oh, God’. Her face registered shock and then realisation that I was answering the question, as opposed to blaspheming. The redoubtable Iron Lady had become synonymous with strong leadership, and the philosophy she espoused was so much her own that it was named for her. Thus her followers became Thatcherites and the use of divine motifs to describe her relationship to them seemed entirely appropriate. Around the same time that my English teacher was setting these problems, I was beginning another dalliance with a philosophy more transformative, even, than Thatcherism. My exploration of what it might mean to be a Christian led me to a book — and not the one you might think. It was Thomas a Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ. I haven’t the faintest idea how or where I came by a copy, but I did, and it was a precious insight into the life of faith. God, of course, originally made man in his own perfect image. Not content to be a mere reproduction, however, we soon fell in sin and now bear only a fractured likeness — a lookingglass smashed in one blow. When we are being renewed in Christ, however, those shards are gathered together and made good. The more we live in faith, the more like him we become. Lovely as I found the writing of Thomas a Kempis, and attractive though he made the person of the Saviour, I was not mature enough to see what I see now. Imitation of Christ sounds like a huge effort — and it is, if you are trying to do it yourself. However, when we understand that Christlikeness is in his gift to us, then we make a spiritual breakthrough.

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Like so much else in the Christian life — for me anyway — it has to be learned and relearned. I judge other Christians all the time, for example. Of course, I don’t like when it happens to me, or to my friends, but that doesn’t prevent me turning my sights on the conduct of others. And I’m a hypocrite. There are so many things I don’t do that I should, and vice-versa: I can talk the talk, but walking the walk, well, sometimes only if I know people are watching. People, notice, not God. Of course, the tendency to worry more about what people see stems largely from the fact that we’re a lot less forgiving than our perfect Creator. That particularly conservative elder who purses his lips at my dol a-mach is far more immediately concerning than the Saviour who died for my sins. Which brings me, like a Wee Free minister in training, to the third point upon which I fail as a Christian. In fact, also like a Wee Free minister, I could probably have condensed everything under this one point. But it’s an important one, it’s the one where we’re going wrong — and I am very much part of the ‘we’ that is culpable. We are being remade in the image of Christ. When we meet with other Christians and, more crucially, the unsaved, they ought to be meeting with Christ through us. They ought to see him and hear him; they ought to be on the receiving end of his love because we are joying in it until it overflows. I am acutely aware of my own deficit in this regard. God himself knows that I love him and I trust him and that my faith has never seriously wavered. But my very real shame is that he will never tell me that I fed him when he was hungry, nor clothed him when he was naked. All I have done is take the riches of his blessing and stored them up like a miser. And that is why I am struggling with a polite return to church, while all around us, our community is dying. We ask them to come to us, and lament the emptiness of our buildings. But, all the while, the real hollow is in our pale imitation of the heart of Christ, which led him on dusty roads to where the people were. •

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