This sermon was preached on Sunday 17th November 2024 at All Saints Church, Oakham.
Good morning. I want to start by addressing this issue on most of our minds this week here in church. I’m sure many of us have seen the headlines this week about the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, following the publication of the Makin Report. The report brings to light stories of abuse committed by a Church of England lay reader, John Smyth, over several decades and across three countries in what is regarded as the most serial case of abuse within the Church of England.
All of us have been shocked to hear about the abuse that took place, and our hearts break and cry out for those who suffered this abuse. What is worse, the report describes how some knew about the abuse that was taking place, and yet insufficient action was taken to bring Smyth to justice. Archbishop Welby was one such person, having known about the abuse since 2013. Although Welby was not the only person to know of the abuse, as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior person in the Church of England, Welby’s insufficient action was unacceptable. Thus, it became untenable for Welby to continue as the Archbishop of Canterbury. In Welby’s statement announcing his resignation, he said he must take ‘personal and institutional responsibility’ for his failure.[1] He recognises his own failings in this matter and the failings of the church he represents.
I don’t know how you feel, but to be honest, the events of the past week have left me feeling confused, frustrated, ashamed of what this shows of the church, and lost as to what is happening. God, where are you in all of this? Perhaps you have felt the same. How many of you have had family members or friends challenge you about this? What sort of God or religion lets such abuse continue? How can you be an Anglican, given what the Anglican church has been doing or failing to do regarding these horrific acts of abuse? How does this church exemplify the love of God in all of this?
It’s easy for us to lose hope in all of this. But I urge you to hear the words of the writer to the Hebrews, ‘Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.’[2] We must not lose hope, because though we as human beings fail to do good, God will never fail us – he is always faithful to his promises. And we hold onto how the prophet Daniel speaks of how God will deliver his people in their time of anguish.[3]
As we struggle to understand this sin that has taken place, we remember that we hope in a God who came to save us from sin. God doesn’t sit idly by but sent his son Jesus into the world to deal with the brokenness of sin. Jesus came and died on the cross to defeat the power of sin and death in this world. This doesn’t mean that the brokenness of sin in this world disappears overnight, but it does mean that sin will no longer have the last word on our lives.
In our Gospel reading, Jesus is walking with his disciples in Jerusalem, and his disciples marvel at how large and magnificent the temple and all these other grand buildings are. Then, instead of agreeing with his disciples, Jesus says that all these buildings will fall, and no stone will be left unturned.[4] Yes, Jesus is referring to the practical lifespan of a building from an architectural point of view. But I also think that Jesus is referring to what these buildings represent. The powers and establishments that tower over us, no matter how powerful or intimidating, will never last. No will or force of evil can stand up to the power of almighty God. Step by step, Jesus is working in this world to challenge evil and wickedness and heal the sick and the broken. Jesus will not stop until he has subdued all his enemies into a footstool for his feet.[5] This is the sure hope we have in Jesus.
As a church, we are all asking, ‘Where is the justice’ in all that has happened, and I’m all too conscious that the victims have been asking these questions for far too long. This justice we long for is found in Jesus. Jesus, the eternal judge, will bring all those who commit evil to justice. Everything will fall before God and will come under his rule. The King of Kings will come to exercise his rule and judgement and make all things good. Jesus comes to bring justice.
A lot of the time, we struggle to think about God as a judge watching over us. But this isn’t a bad thing, but a good thing, and this week reinforces that. We think that God is a cruel God waiting to catch us out for when we mess up. We see God’s judgement as an oppressive act. But this is further from the truth. God’s judgement is an act of mercy and compassion, for God’s judgement comes to bring evil and wickedness to account. Where our human realms of court and law have failed to bring justice to the victims who have suffered, our eternal judge does not miss a thing. In a world where evil prevails and those who perpetrate are not held to account, we long for the God who will bring justice to those who have been wronged. No power or force of evil can stand against God.
Although I don’t believe that Justin Welby intended his actions (or lack of) to bring others harm, his decision to step down reminds us that sin and wrongdoing at any level will always be held to account by God. God will not stand to see injustice and the needs of the victims go unseen. Welby’s decision to resign does not make up for the hurt suffered by the victims, but it reminds us of the importance of safeguarding.
Coincidentally, today, the Church of England marks Safeguarding Sunday, a day to remind ourselves of the importance of safeguarding in our churches and communities. Sometimes, it can feel like we go on and on at church about safeguarding, and people find it tedious and pointless. But I pray that from the mess of this horrific sin, we will learn the importance of safeguarding, not as a legal tick-box requirement but as an act of faith in God, our judge who comes to bring justice to all.
We love others like God does when we choose not to be apathetic to injustice. We seek to safeguard our church and community because God is a just God who safeguards his people and will not stand to see injustice prevail and evil triumph. Jesus came to open a new and living way for us. He saw the hurt of sin and came to defeat evil on the cross and bring new life to all people. God sees the injustice in peoples’ lives and this world and wants to make all things new. As Jesus’ hands and feet in this world, we are to join in this call to share God’s love and bring his justice to this world. We love one another, care for one another, safeguard one another, and call out sin when we see it. That is not for us to be judge, but to practice the ways of our judge who will not tolerate injustice and evil in this world. The God who loved us so much that he took sin with him to the cross to die and say, ‘It is finished.’
Amen.
[1] ‘Statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury’, The Archbishop of Canterbury, accessed 16 November 2024, https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/news-and-statements/statement-archbishop-canterbury-0.
[2] Hebrews 10:23 [NRSV].
[3] Daniel 12:1 [NRSV].
[4] Mark 13:1-2.
[5] Hebrews 10:13 [NRSV].
Shakeel Nurmahi 