Bigger than Jesus!!

Today's edition of The Sunday Herald contained an article that was as interesting in the reported comments, as it was in the event that was being reported!

The piece was headed: “New weapon in bid to beat Easterhouse gangs: the Bible” – and informed readers that “a group of evangelising Christians” is going to Easterhouse “in the hope that the Bible will persuade the enemy factions to put down their weapons and begin a more moral life.” This referreds to the invitation, by a group of local Christian fellowships, to The Scottish Bible Society’s travelling, and ‘hi-tech’, exhibition “Bibleworld”.

Comments made by spome of the 'locals' were also published, and I found these to be very interesting indeed. Mr Richard McShane, a lifelong Easterhouse resident, and community organiser, is of the opinion that, “God hasn’t been here once in the 60 years since we were built. We have suffered from deprivation, neglect, violence and lack of facilities since day one. Does Easterhouse really need God when he hasn’t ever been here?” (sic).

I am reminded of the reply allegedly given by Anne Graham (daughter of Dr Billy Graham) when she was asked where God was in the events of 9/11. Part of it was “...for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?” Perhaps Mr McShane, and others, omitted to seek God’s help! At least he appears willing, now, to give the Lord’s servants a chance!

However, I must admit that it was the reported comments of three teenagers that created, in me, mixed feelings of amusement and sadness. Miss Cassidy – at 16 years of age, already a “painter and decorator” (not even an apprentice!) – has the split personality that allows her to be “a Catholic” but to be able to say that she doesn’t “believe in God”! Without going into the different possible meanings of that latter statement, is her comment not a wee bit like claiming to be a jockey, but never having ridden a horse?! And, for the record, believers do not claim that “God invented everything”, but that He “created” all that is. There is a big difference there!

Miss Conner – another 16-year-old – doesn’t “believe in God” but is, apparently, willing to invoke His help at two of the crucial stages in a person’s life: the beginning and the end. Is there not some sort of contradiction in that particular stance?

The older (all of 17 years of age) and, one must assume, more mature Mr Robertson seems to think that the problems of Easterhouse are “much bigger than Jesus”. He is, of course, fully entitled to his opinion – as are the two girls – but until he has checked out the change that a personal encounter with the risen Christ can make in a person’s life, he might be well advised not to go public with it!

As Anne Graham said, God will not force His way into the life of any individual. But I have yet to meet, or hear of, anyone who has entered into a genuine relationship with Him, based on repentance and faith, who has ever regretted having done so – and that includes countless numbers in some fifty countries around the world, even today, where to claim to be a disciple of Jesus is to invite persecution of an intensity that makes the gang warfare of Easterhouse look like games in the nursery school!

Why a supposedly 'quality' newspaper like The (Sunday) Herald would give such prominence to the obviously uninformed, biassed, and contradictory, opinions of three children, is beyond my own understanding. I am just grateful that none of them, as yet, is allowed to vote in political elections! However, Jesus is in the business of changing lives. May it be that He will find some hearts that are softened and ready to respond to Him in Easterhouse - even as He did when David Wilkerson first went to work among the gangs of New York in the 1950s.