The ways of God’s providence can sometimes hit us quite forcefully.
It was our church prayer meeting on June 28, the day after Gordon Brown had become our new Prime Minister. A Muslim convert to Christianity, with much experience of the workings of Islam, was speaking.
He expressed many concerns to us for the future of our country. Did we realise that the firm which provides security at all our airports, seaports and at the House of Commons is owned by a Muslim, although he is not involved in the day-to-day running of things? Did we know of the growing influence of Islam in the armed forces and the possibility of the head chaplain being a Muslim in the next few years? Did we realise that the Government plans to set up a panel of religious advisers comprised of 12 bishops and 12 Islamic clerics, and with the track record for spinelessness of our bishops it would not take a genius to know in which direction that will go? Did we understand that there are far more ‘honour killings’ of young women in this country than are actually reported?
The re-emergence of heavy shepherds
What would you think if you received a letter from your church leaders that read like this? ‘Are church members …