SS Peter and Paul

The other day I was watching a programme “The Call Centre” IT is about one of the largest call centres in Wales. In the recent episode that I watched they were trying to get the voice of call centres in Wales that year and this person would be on the back of buses promoting Call centres. What the employees had to do was to read or sing the hymn “Guide me O thou great Redeemer” to the boss.  This caused many of those applying great difficulty because they did not understand that it was a hymn. Some just did not know it at all. IT seemed that too many of these, and the majority of them were young people, that the concept of faith or Jesus or Church means nothing at all.

We live in a society where the word faith or Christian for many has little or no meaning. In a recent poll less than 30% of young people went or go to Church. There is no concept of the love of God in their lives and so they search other means of self worth. This often has disastrous effects. We have to ask ourselves why or look to the past for answers or how others coped with this.

Both Peter and Paul had similar problems. They were fighting a culture who found it hard to believe in the risen Christ. They were persecuted laughed at and ignored for what they believed in. They fought against apathy and misunderstanding. And yet through their faith and perseverance through facing hardships and disappointments head on but ultimately through knowing and loving Christ they were able to build and establish communities and the Church. Jesus says to Peter “On this Rock I will build my Church.”

So where for us does it leave us today? For many people they come back to the Church in times of need or want. Some tentatively knock at the door of faith again and test the water. Others will stay well clear.

But what about us who are here? Where do we fit into the story? We are the Church that was built we are that faith community we have something very precious to proclaim like Peter and Paul did. But do we do it? I am not sure how great we are? Do I welcome those who come back to the Church or do I ask them to move because they are sitting in my seat. (Not that anyone has a right to the seat they are sitting on) Do I proclaim the faith by my actions in the street or do I walk the other way. Am I proud to call myself Christian or do I get embarrassed to talk about Jesus to others? 

After watching the episode of the Call centre I released how much work there is to do how much we need the prayers and follow the example of SS Peter and Paul.