Why the Hardness?
by admin on May.03, 2011, under Cultural, Struggles
A question was sent in via the contact page, and I thought it was worth posting for discussion. Here it is:
Does anyone have any theories about why these areas [council estates, urban priority/deprived areas] are so hard and the people so resistant to the Gospel? The usual response is a) poverty and b) poor church witness and practice. But I don’t buy this. In many parts of the world people are much poorer, and churches much more corrupt, sectarian and heretical, yet people flock to them because they are desperate for God! They even plant their own churches without having being discipled or without having even heard of Mark Driscoll or Tim Keller! Why not here?
Got any answers? What are your thoughts? Post a comment below.
May 4th, 2011 on 7:28 pm
Good question. My thought on that issue is that the great western idols of money, sex, individualism, etc etc are just as pervasive in areas of poverty as they are in areas of affluence. Or maybe even more so. I do believe that the church needs to look at itself on this issue, as we too have been undermined in our witness by taking on these idols ourselves.
May 9th, 2011 on 4:20 pm
I don’t think that the people in these areas are more resistant to the gospel; I think it’s just that living among these particular people is less personally pleasurable for us so our ‘lack of success’ gets magnified in our minds.
Faithfulness in the face of failure – without the consolations of leafy sub-urban comfort – simply isn’t attractive enough for us to buy into long-term. We crave success in order to make the sacrifice of comfort somehow more meaningful or ‘worth it’. I think there are plenty of people ministering in nice areas that see comparable lack of gospel growth as those who minister in hard areas but more are happy to overlook it because of the niceness of their area.
And so, we prefer to blame the hardness of the people – and areas in which they live – for our struggle to find pleasure and comfort in living in hard areas. So, it’s not the hardness of the people – or the areas – that’s the problem; it’s the unwillingness of the ministers to live ‘unhappily’ and ‘unsuccessfully’ in hard areas where external consolations – which are freely available in nicer areas – are often few and far between.
May 10th, 2011 on 3:49 am
I don’t think these areas are ‘harder’ than any other area – just less well trodden generally because poverty is unattractive and most Christians identify themselves as middle rather than working class so, in my opinion, it’s 2 things – demographics and relative poverty…
Every Blessing,
Giles Coghlan
May 10th, 2011 on 4:05 pm
It’s because of the lack of understanding and wisdom on these issues that Reaching The Unreached has come into existence. But we’re at the very early stage of a ‘work in progress’, networking christians on mission in these areas, gathering information and experience, starting to do some biblical thinking etc..
So I don’t think there’ll be quick and easy answers from RTU, but please be patient and join us.
If you haven’t already, see if you can get hold of a copy of Urban Harvest by Roy Joslin (out of print now, but there must be second hand copies around). He provides some useful historical background.
The RTU consultation group is also looking to publish some material from it’s first meetings in 2010/11 in the not too distant future.
Are you booked in for the conference in May?
May 16th, 2011 on 11:01 am
My view is that about 90% of the apparent hardness is sociologically explained leaving about 10% for spiritual rasons.. though as its all God’s world the distinction is a bit of a false one.
First modern capitalist society and the economics and politics of the last 30 years means that society is more segregated residenitally, peripheral estates are seen as sinks for the socially excluded, unemployable and marginal, as problem areas with problem people. Although a lot of residents nobly resist that, the labelling gets internalised and people feel worthless, nobody wants them and they don’t expect or feel they deserve anything, even God’s love. It’s particularly so of the white, (once upon a time) working class, where the bonds of community, shared industry, family and kinship have been systematically broken down as a result of economic and social change.
Historically (apart from a possible blip in the 18th Century revivals) the industrial working classes have seen the church (and therefore God) as alien, outsides, dominating, moralistic and hypocritical and preaching yet more judgement (as if God is a harsh magistrate in the sky). They’ve rarely if ever been exposed to the love and grace that is in Christ, certainly found it hard to understand. and as long as most Christians look down on such people and such neighbourhoods, and think of them as needy, benighted and unsafe.. and certainly don’t chose to “become flesh and move into the neighbourhood,” they are not going to get it.
Next there is the problem of suffering, where poverty and bad health abound, where hope is scarce, people want direct answers about why I am homeless, or why Dad died of cancer at 40, or why a family has less than £100 a week from benefits to live on and there are no jobs that pay better than that. If they hear Christians trying to give an answer they find it incredible, or trite or without empathy.. “It’s all right for you mate!” Pentecostalism may do a bit better as prayer, followed by signs and wonders offer solutions to immediate felt needs, and feels a bit more “us” rather than “them”. But in working class Britain even that has not really taken off.
Finally popular culture offers dreams of escape, the lottery win, the vicarious glamour of the Royal wedding, the gossip and slease around celebrities, distrust of MPs and others in authority and jealousy of bankers who have fiddled the books and the markets to make a fortune without ever doing a days work. For many it seems as far away as pie in the sky when you die, but because the media invade you home the messages divert, influence, persuade and give awful role models of people who get away with it.
It’s only when you get through these social factors that you can start dealing with the real questions about the meaning of life, eternal destiny, sin and salvation, discipleship, belonging to a Christian community.. and last of all about identifying with an institution recognisable as Church.
It leaves you in a bit of a puzzle if you are of a more Calvinist theolgy.. It doesn’t seem fair, nor ideed Biblical that God should choose more of the affluent to be among his people. Easier I think to explain if you believe God died for all.. much more of the problem is because people in social exclusion have not had a proper chance to hear because of the Church’s reluctance, to go, show, tell, be and stay.
May 22nd, 2011 on 11:52 pm
Hi,
Here are some thoughts that come to mind.
We all live out of our hearts
When the hearts of these children become crushed and hope departs at an early age these children protect their hearts and form tribal groups.
No Fathers lovingly spend time with their children.
Because of the deep pain they connect with things and other kids through pleasure and learn to be comforted by the world and they have not the emotional capacity to hold love within themselves and all the love poured into them just passes through them. The Holy spirit has to minister to these children through healing prayer and long term people pouring their lives in these kids. If you want to change the estates, create boys clubs and grow young men with emotional skills, sexual purity and vocational skills. Stop looking to the govt to help these kids. You never see in the bible where the Father says the church looks to the Govt to bring hope. The only hope is the revelation of The Fathers Love for these children especially young boys. Bless you.
Tim
July 4th, 2011 on 10:36 am
maybe because we are so used to treating the christian life as an intellectual exercise we find it difficult when we are interacting with people who can’t read or are not articulate in expressing their ideas etc. To me it often seems like an impossible task, thankfully it is not impossible for God!
August 25th, 2011 on 10:42 pm
Maybe people simply want real help instead of spiritual help. Which may sound harsh but it’s not that unthinkable really. Maybe the question also generalizes a bit. This tendency may not be the case as a rule in the areas mentioned, but only in the probably limited experience of the person who asked it.
August 26th, 2011 on 3:19 am
I wonder if these areas are harder than rich areas where people can be so self sufficient and have no interest in God. Two churches I have been involved with have been in the middle of large needy council estates but most of the congregation lived outside the estates, including me. We have seen some progress with Kids clubs, breakfast clubs, helping hand projects and various community projects which show the love of Jesus unconditionally.