On practical care

I’ve had the privilege over many years to be involved in a variety of Christian ministries, which is – which extends itself beyond the pulpit and the pew to try and bring the good news about Jesus to the pavement of society, if you like. And this is about conscientising, bringing awareness to Christians, of a long history and tradition of care. This is about practical care, be it in challenging poverty as we have done, be this about challenging corruption, or indeed human rights – these massive issues facing society. And it is virtually impossible to do that as a Christian in the here and now, in the 21st century, without some reference way back to the dawn of these biblical imperatives from the Old Testament prophets: “He has shown you, o man, what is good. What does the Lord require from you? Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God.” That was our mantra as we fought corruption and stood with individuals around the world in civil society to fight extreme poverty.

And so always one stands in the immediacy of the problems and the enormity of the problems in the 21st century against a backcloth of centuries of prophetic agitation, of this insistence of God that a higher quality of life through honesty and caring, living up to the image of God, is always behind you. You always have to look and remind yourself that this is true religion, and that this true religion has been seeking to enforce itself in Christian faith for three millennia.