Neil's blog

Just back from a week of blistering heat in Turkey! I enjoyed dodging the rays, swimming in the pool, hugging air conditioners, reading books & chilling (more like sweating) with the family. Indeed, it was rare to have our 20, 18 & 15 year olds away with us! Magic!!

I hadn’t been to Turkey for over 22 years and it’s much more commercialised than I remember it. The people are friendly, their service excellent, and not a few Brit’s have bought up apartments in their Aegean coastal resorts. However, once again it struck me how far Turkey is from the Christianised Asia Minor of St Paul’s day when he, and many others spread the glorious news of Jesus’ victory over sin and death and His Way of ‘faith, hope & love’. Since then Islam has taken over leaving little trace of Christian faith. I don’t doubt that there are believers in the town of Altinkum, where we holidayed but they’re keeping a very low profile.

Over the summer, the overwhelming sense I’ve had is the need for us not to lose sight of our purpose and goal. Aim for nothing and you’ll hit it every time! It’s the same in football, business, and all walks of life, indeed aimless Christianity is hopeless Christianity. We’ve been commanded by King Jesus to ‘Go’ with him into all the world and call people to their true humanity in him. But all too easily we suffer from flat-footed (or flat bummed) faith, playing at churches, sunbathing in past glories or complaining about the new spiritual weather, stuck in a safe harbour while Jesus calls us to deep-sea fishing on the high seas. One of the main reasons western Christianity is not making similar headway to Africa, South America, China & the like, is surely that we’re not heeding the command to ‘Go!’

Where are you ‘Going’ in the run up to Christmas and beyond? What is your aim in daily living? What is going to stretch your faith, hope & love? Who is going to benefit from your sacrificial love? Who are going to be the new believers and renewed believers from your willingness to ‘Go’ and live for Christ? Some of the questions I’m asking myself on the threshold of a new season. Jesus said, “Go into all the world….and lo I will be with you always!”

As someone said, “No Go, No Lo!”

In the attached photo I'm simply preparing for the high seas folks!