As I drove home yesterday the main item on BBC radio 4 was the report from the NI Police Ombudsman probe into 9 deaths in bombings in Claudy, County Londonderry on 31 July 1972 that indicates:
"The police, the Catholic Church and the state conspired to cover up a priest's suspected role in one of the worst atrocities of the Northern Ireland Troubles..."
I know that this is about the Catholic Church and as such doesn't represent evangelical Christianity. And I know that this happened almost 40 years ago and as such doesn't represent even the modern Catholic Church. And I know that the report hinges on one individual priest, and there will always be people who don't live the good life their faith calls them to.
Most normal people listening to Radio 4, or watching the news, or reading about this in the papers (and I tremble to think what is the the tabloids about this today) will only hear that once again the "church" is involved in something bad. The "church" tried to cover up for their own, just like they did with the priests involved in child abuse. Once again the message is "you cannot trust the church".
But in this there is also an opportunity. At least the church is in the news. At least people are thinking about it.
So grasp the opportunity this provides and go talk to someone about it. Tell them that the church you go to isn't like this and that Jesus is still alive today providing a choice that doesn't result in revenge and death.
Don't let Satan win this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment