Open sets?

There were four ministers and their wives.

An Anglican couple, an American Presbyterian couple, a Baptist Union couple and a Grace Baptist couple. (It sounds like the opening line of some embarrassing joke. Should I set an en competition to see who can write the most amusing anecdote with that entrée?). But we were at a wedding reception and for some reason the bride and groom had decided to seat all the clergy around one table – perhaps so that the other guests could enjoy themselves!

The conversation at the table was stimulating, gracious and generally encouraging. We were all gospel people. But into the table talk – I won’t say from which quarter – came the idea of a gospel without boundaries. ‘If we have Christ at the centre and point people to him we need no fences. People are so put off by “fundamentalism”. I don’t want to get tied up on creation, or abortion, or the gay issue, etc. They need to hear about my Saviour, the Lord Jesus!’ Sounds convincing? Here we have the idea, in mathematical terms, of truth as an open set. There were all kinds of comments flying around to which I listened. Finally, everyone turned to me and asked me what I thought. But within a moment there was the sound of a spoon on a champagne glass and it was time for the speeches, so I went unheard. But what are we to think of this idea of Christianity having a centre but no boundaries?