Parish of St Britius, Brize Norton & St John 
the Evangelist, Carterton

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• themes for June & July 2003

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The Christian in Society

The following is based on Andrew Tweedy's sermon on Sunday, 6 July 2003

Introduction

We will be guided by the very interesting passage from Jeremiah 29. 1 -14  as well as various ideas from the New Testament.  There are parallels between the present circumstances of the church and the perspective of Jeremiah from a position of exile for the Jews.  This contrasts with the church described in Acts or the letters of St Paul which were written when Christianity was new and fresh and growing in influence. 

Jeremiah had the unhappy and painful task of bringing a message of judgement to the people of God. But he also had the privilege and joy of bringing a message of hope and restoration beyond exile. Not a cheap or an easy hope but a hope founded on the promises of God and which would inspire a radical attitude to exile. The passage from Jeremiah comes at the turning point in Jeremiah’s ministry, when his message was changing from judgement to hope. 

Jeremiah writes a letter to the recently exiled Jews, challenging the view of contemporary false prophets that the exile would be very brief and that God would soon overthrow these impertinent  Babylonians and restore Israel.  He says that the exile is not going to be short, so the exiles are to settle down in Babylon, to build and plant and marry and have children and grandchildren. What is more - and here Jeremiah anticipates the teaching of Jesus, they are to pray for their enemies - to seek the peace and prosperity and well being of their captors and of the land in which they are exiled.  This is partly so that the Jews themselves will benefit from the prosperity of the land, but also a long term hope for return and restoration.

Today we need to accept and be realistic about our current position of decline, neglect and division, but also to hold onto and to express a clear and firm future hope.  Rather than feelings of resentment, despair and self pity; fantasy and escapism we need to a radical and positive attitude.

PEACE - Shalom

The key word in Jeremiah's passage is the wonderful Hebrew word shalom usually translated “peace” but actually such a rich and deep word that English translations of the Bible have to use many different words to explain it (e.g. the NIV uses 68 different words or phrases!) Peace, prosperity, wholeness, well being, security … and so on.  This idea of shalom sums up, Andrew Tweedy believes, the Christian approach to society.  He has taken the English word PEACE to give us five headings to guide us.

• Prayer

The first step to shalom, and our first responsibility to the society and the community we live in is the responsibility of prayer.  “Pray to the Lord on its behalf” says Jeremiah.  How our communities, societies and nations would be transformed if more Christians spent more time every day on their knees in prayer for our neighbours, our politicians, our business people, our farmers, our doctors and nurses and teachers and criminals.  If we believe God and want to see transformation, first we pray.

• Example

We should set an example of Godly living. We do this by following the example set for us by Jesus and the Apostles and Saints down the ages. Peter puts this well in his first letter, where he says “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God.” (1Peter 2.11-12.) For Peter, this is what being a chosen people, a royal priesthood and a holy nation is all about - not hiding from the world in a sanitised religious ghetto, but living visible and distinctive Christian lives in society, in the goldfish bowl where people can see what Christianity looks like in the real world.

• Action

Jeremiah said the exiles were to ‘seek the shalom of the place where you are captives.’ The Apostle James asks “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (James 2.15-17). 

So we are called to do something which will have a positive impact on society. There are many ways in which we can serve - in national or local politics, voluntary service or charity work, school governorships, running neighbourhood watch schemes or meals on wheels, helping run children’s sport clubs or uniformed organisations.  Many already do some of these things, but you might not have seen them as part of your Christian ministry. They are, and the Church should be affirming and enabling you in these actions. Let’s help each other to be Christians who put our faith into action and make a positive impact in society.

• Challenge

Jesus frequently challenged things which were wrong in the society of his day and Christians down the ages have done the same.  That’s how the slave trade was ended in the nineteenth century.  Where our society is wrong we need to confront it with the challenge of God’s word and the values of the kingdom of God. Of course caution and humility are required here - who dares speak for God? 

• Encourage

In Acts 17 we learn how St Paul would affirm and encourage what he could about a society, as well as challenging its errors.  An application of this today is for Christians to join forces with other agencies and with people of other faiths and no faith, in joint community projects and to affirm and encourage all people of goodwill - rather than insisting on only contributing to “Christians only” projects. This kind of co-operation can lead to an awakening of faith in those who had none and a strengthening of faith in those who had a little. Society isn’t all bad and lot’s of good people are not yet Christians, so we should affirm what we can and provide encouragement.

Conclusion

The Sharing Life programme challenged the church to be “orientated towards the world and its needs”. This requires Christians to pray earnestly for society and its leaders, to be visible and active as Christians, providing encouragement to other people of goodwill as well as a Christian example and a challenge to the things which society has got wrong. Prayer, Example, Action, Challenge, Encourage. PEACE; SHALOM.