the good news
"The gospel cannot be good news to the Dalits of India unless it offers them a way out of the social discrimination they suffer." (Roger Bowen, 1996, 64)
Most ICC'ers and readers of mission books will have come across this phrase or one similar to it. And I was reminded of it whilst reading an article from last Saturday's Times entitled, 'Is this really the choice: the Bible or jail?'
The article is referring to anti-gun marches that were taking place in areas of London last week. With the apparent growth of gun culture the marchers are to be commended for not only their willingness to get out on the streets and stand up to the criminals but also for their bravery. With this fact the writer of the article is no doubt in agreement. However there does appear to be issue taken with the slogan that the group were chanting; "put down your guns and pick up the bible." And it is not just from the journalist.
The article quotes onlookers as saying; "They [the organising evangelical churches] are using gun crime as a recruitment drive," and "Why don't the churches open their doors to young men, teach them skills, keep them out of prison, take our young girls to the STD clinic, instead of shoving Jesus down their throats?" And I think that they have a point, in some respects at least.
I will never dispute the power of the bible to change a life in an instant. But I think that if we are honest for many people the experience of coming to faith is a more gradual process. It can therefore not be assumed that every person who does put down their gun and picks up a bible will fall on their knees, repent, and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. However I am sure that, were it to be offered, more of them would be likely to put down their gun and get into a training scheme, or to seek help from people who want to assist them and ask for nothing in return. Even for those who aren't prepared to give up their weapons just the fact that someone cares, perhaps for the first time in their life, is bound to have an effect, however gradual.
The article reminded me of the quote I began with for the simple reason that it seems to suggest that what Roger Bowen writes of the Dalits in India, the lowest of the low from a social perspective, is also a reality in the lives of some people today in the UK. They don't want Jesus they want help out of their situation. I am no historian but apparently one of the factors behind the growth of evangelicalism was the feeling that some churches (those that evangelicals may describe as liberal) were putting too great an emphasis on social action and not enough on gospel proclamation. But the problem is that in some evangelical churches, as the article may begin to show, the other extreme has been reached and there is no longer a great enough emphasis placed on social action. In fact can the two be separated at all?
So how do we respond? How do we, as Christ followers, who know that whether they realise it or not they do need Jesus go about bringing Him to those who think they don't? Well perhaps by meeting them where they are, helping them out of the situations they are in, providing training and health care; whatever it takes. And doing this whilst trusting that through the love that is shown, asking nothing in return, some of them will be led to seek after the one who gave his life as a sacrifice that we might live.
Jesus is the power by which all lives can be changed. The challenge presenting the church today is to find ways in which we can do that without switching people off at the outset.
