Christianity is supposed to be for everyone. As Jesus points out in a parable, not all seed falls on stony ground
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“There are many rooms in my father’s house,” St John’s Gospel records Jesus as saying. It looks like churches in this country might soon be needing a few extra spaces too. Apparently followers of Tommy Robinson have started going.
This is, however, not some miraculous religious conversion, more a rallying of patriots to the flag of St George that flies from every Church of England chapel, church and cathedral.
According to reports at the weekend, young men usually found protesting outside asylum hotels or at “Unite the Kingdom” rallies are going to church, fearing the Christian roots of Britishness are under threat.
One new member of a congregation, Gareth Talbot, admitted that he was not that much of a believer in God, but he does believe in the Church as an English institution.
“I’m feeling like Christianity could be replaced, so that’s why I feel the church needs support,” the 36-year old from Bradford said. By replaced, he meant by Islam.
This could be awkward all round. Firstly, the Gareths of this world could be in for a shock. They’re not going to find ranks of white Englishmen and women filling the pews of churches.
Take the London church I attended at the weekend. Among my fellow parishioners were Nigerians, Maltese, Japanese, Poles, Italians, Colombians, Syrians and Iraqis. If Gareth heads to a Church of England service in his home town of Bradford, I suspect he’s going to find a mixed group of people too. After all, the Anglican Communion stretches far and wide, and he’ll probably find Anglicans from Africa and the Indian sub-continent. He might also find a fair few converts.
Last year the Home Affairs Select Committee heard evidence that some asylum seekers were using conversion to Christianity as a ruse to not be sent home, saying that if they returned they would face persecution or even death under hardline Muslim regimes.
Some clergy were outraged at the suggestion of such cynical behaviour, insisting the new Christians were bona fide believers. So when Robinson’s followers start heading down the nave too, vicars must surely welcome them too. After all, isn’t converting to Christianity about changing hearts and minds?
What young men have got right is that Christianity is in jeopardy in this country – not, though, from Muslims, but from the indifference of supposedly nominal Christians, and from cynical money-spinners.
Churches in city centres are often kept going by recent arrivals and long-established migrants here. Others – the kind who write Christian as their religion on a census form – would rather stay in bed, shop online, or stream movies than head to a Sunday communion service. The situation is even more dire in village churches. Earlier this year I spoke to people struggling to keep their rural parishes going. They say they are doing well if they attract congregations of between just five and 20 people.
Then there’s the way retailers treat Christmas, erasing it bit by bit by their renaming Christmas trees and cakes as festive trees and treats. There’s an irony there: the very same firms have spotted other religions as business opportunities, regularly stocking items for Diwali and Eid. Yet these businesses assume that people won’t want to know whether something’s linked to Christian traditions.
But young people do want to know. Lamorna Ash’s moving account, Don’t Forget We’re Here Forever, published this year, told of her generation exploring Christianity – a trend confirmed by a Bible Society report that found Gen Z, particularly young men, were dipping their toe in Christian waters, even if they hadn’t gone all the way yet to the baptismal font.
And when those 18-24 year olds do turn up – even if they are from the Tommy Robinson camp – the very least they should get is a welcome and a willingness to listen to what they have got to stay.
As Jesus points out in the parable of the sower, not all seed falls on stony ground.
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