The Good News we still believe in

If you follow the news, you’ll know that Christianity often appears in the headlines for reasons that feel a long way from the heart of the gospel. We hear about groups claiming to “defend Christian Britain”, or voices using Christian language to push political agendas, leaving many people feeling disenchanted and disheartened wondering whether Christianity today is simply another form of nationalism, wrapped up in religious language.

But for the many faithful Christians who regularly worship in their respective local churches week by week, their faith is so much bigger, brighter and more wonderful than this small, petty and dismal portrayal. Their faith isn’t a slogan or a badge of political or cultural identity – it’s good news! Good news to share with everyone and especially the people they love, their neighbours, families and friends. It’s a message about a God who loves us, regardless of our sinful and often foolish behaviour. It’s a message about a God who has not left us alone, but has wonderfully stepped into his world as its Lord and King, and offered us all a better way of being when we put our faith and trust in him as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and his death upon the cross. This discovery changes our understanding of who we are ‘in Christ’ and offers us all a better and brighter perspective as we endeavour to walk his way of love, light and forgiveness.

Yes, we can be genuinely proud of our Christian heritage that has shaped so much of our national life. Our traditions of charity, law, education and healthcare, which all support human dignity and have deep Christian roots, but the irony of much that is presented on our news and televisions at this present time, is that people seem to be yearning for the glories of a Christian past without really understanding the heart of the gospel or the need to embrace it for themselves.

And this is why discipleship matters. Being a disciple simply means learning from Jesus — not just admiring him from a distance, but allowing his way of life to shape ours. Discipleship is daily, practical, and often quiet. It looks like choosing forgiveness when resentment would be easier. It looks like generosity in a culture of scarcity. It looks like prayer that keeps us rooted when the world feels unsteady. It looks like serving others without necessarily expecting anything in return.

If we want our Christian culture to shine, the answer is not louder slogans but deeper discipleship. The best way to honour our Christian heritage is to live it, for when we sincerely do that, we offer our friends and neighbours a living faith and a glimpse of God’s kingdom – and that is really good news.

With best wishes. Stephen Thorp.

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5.16

This article was published in the July / August edition of the parish magazines associated with the Necton Benefice - Parish Link and Moonraker.