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Dear Friends,
In the heat of summer, there is always a sporting controversy just around the corner. As Wimbledon is underway, we think of McEnroe screaming ‘You cannot be serious!’ Or in more recent days we think of the dismissal of Jonny Bairstow at Lords when he walked away from his crease thinking the over was done, but the ball was still live and so by the letter of the law, he was bowled out. Any fan of sports knows that controversies are bound to come. It seems that any occasion with that much passion invested into it is going to spurn controversy.
The Church has had its fair share of controversies and disagreements over the years. Ever since its beginning, we can see controversies and disagreements in the life of the Church. In Acts 15 the early Church is debating on how the Gentiles are to live as Christians. Are they to be circumcised and follow the Jewish custom or not? In this case, it was decided that Gentiles did not need to follow the Jewish customs in order to be Christians. Then throughout the history of the Church there have been major Church councils and debates. There have been arguments and at times schisms too. Controversy is a natural part of anything where there is passion and emotional investment. This weekend the Church of England’s General Synod are meeting, and they will be caught up in much discussion and debate over all the current topics of the day. Controversy is part and parcel of church life.
So how do we respond when controversy comes? We do a Ben Stokes. We knuckle down in our core foundations, and we stay true to them. Stokes focused on his foundational skills of battling and stuck to it to overcome the controversy, achieve an amazing century and nearly rescue the match. As Christians, when we face our controversies, we need to stick to our core foundations of loving one another and living in the fruit of the Spirit. These core Christians foundations bring us through these controversies and help us to focus on the key things of God that overcome the challenges we face together. For General Synod this week we pray that they will, like Ben Stokes, overcome their challenges by sticking to the core of their heart of faith. If you are facing a controversy, do a Ben Stokes, and use your core foundations of faith to work through the challenge. You will be amazed by how God works when we stay rooted in our faith and brings us through it.
Every Blessing,
Shakeel
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