Dear friends,
Christ followers must resist jumping on the bandwagon of condemnation and trial by media currently directed towards Iris and Peter Robinson.  There is no doubt that it has given added impetus and profile to the discussion on the transfer of Justice & Policing powers to the NI Assembly.   Perhaps better that than discussing the Robinsons!  I’m sure none of us would claim to be so without sin that we could throw the first stone.  Yet, it cannot be denied that when a high profile person like Iris Robinson falls, especially when she has been so outspoken as a Christian on sensitive matters, the whole church of Christ suffers. 
Perhaps in your own workplace or club you have heard people comment, ‘That’s just typical of Christians, money focused, hypocritical, judgemental.’   And how would we begin to convince people outside the church otherwise?

At the Kirk Session away day on Saturday 23 John Ferguson reflected on the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and made the point that we can’t convince people verbally that all believers are not cynical, hypocritical and judgemental.  The only way to do that is by living an authentic Christ-like life - poor in spirit, meek, thirsting for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers.  Living as salt in a decaying society and light in the midst of so much darkness and gloom.

Perhaps more than at any other time in my life I am aware that people outside the church have no time for Christianity or Christians who are not the genuine article.  I’m drawn back to a sermon I heard John Blanchard preach when I was a student 30 years ago.  He spoke on Luke 11v23

"He who is not with me is against me,
and he who does not gather with me, scatters.”

Blanchard made the point that there is no neutrality.  We are either with Christ or we are against Him, there is no middle ground.  And either we gather with Him or we scatter.  There can be no refusal to take sides, no non-aligned status.  There is no place where we can say, ‘Well at least I’m doing no harm.’  Such a place doesn’t exist.  If I am not seeking, by God’s grace, to follow Christ, and be like Him and live like Him, with my life reflecting the Beatitudes, then I am actively scattering, actively opposed, actively doing damage to the cause of Christ.   
Blanchard’s words challenged me to my core.  They still do.  What about you?
Do people look at you and say, ‘That’s what a real Christian is like’?

Yours in His name

Rev Bobby Liddle