Since our fridge has been working again, I’ve had a few snaccidents (a handy word I learnt from a crossword).
In Sunday’s Lectionary, 2 Corinthians, the writer (generally thought to have been Paul, as in the attribution) lists the troubles he’s had. It includes this… “…in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute.” Maybe Christianity has been reputable for too long. This is a useful reminder that it wasn’t always thus. And it won’t always be. And it isn’t now in many places and in many people’s heads. But reputable or disreputable, we will believe still.
This is not true in every society (some are hostile to Christianity per se), but it seems to me here that Christianity risks becoming disreputable as soon as it starts moving from belief to action. So it may be hard to avoid disrepute if you believe that Christianity includes ideas about how human relating should be (which inevitably includes the geopolitical and the economic).
Anyway, here’s something really controversial… “Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.” Unfortunately, it’s in the Bible (Luke 6:20).