CORRUPTION of the Christian faith “to exclude others” is “unacceptable”, the bishops of the diocese of Southwark have said, in response to Tommy Robinson’s planned carol service in London this weekend.
The Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, together with the suffragan bishops of Croydon, Kingston, and Woolwich, said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they were “gravely concerned about the use of Christian symbols and rhetoric to apparently justify racism and anti-migrant rhetoric”.
“We are better than this,” they said, and urged those who “may be swept-up in movements like this who don’t necessarily buy-in wholesale to what is being said” to “think again”, and to “choose compassion and understanding over hostility and conflict”.
The event, scheduled for Saturday, promises to “put Christ back into Christmas”. But in their statement, the Southwark bishops write: “Christ has always been at the heart of Christmas — and those who claim him need to be serious about what he stands for. The authenticity of a person’s faith may be judged by their actions.
“As we approach the season of Christmas, the Church prepares to celebrate the birth of a child born in the Middle East to be the saviour of the whole world. A child who, with his parents, became a refugee, fleeing those who would do them harm.”
Earlier this week, the Bishop of Kirkstall, the Rt Revd Arun Arora, warned that “populist forces” were “seeking to exploit the faith for their political ends”. His comments, and a poster campaign depicting the nativity in a bus stop, provoked a furious response from the organisers of the Unite the Kingdom carol service (News, 9 December).
The extensive use of Christian imagery at a Unite the Kingdom rally in September was condemned by church leaders from a range of denominations (News, 26 September).
“The cross of Christ is the ultimate sign of sacrifice for the other,” the Southwark bishops said in their statement. “Jesus calls us to love not just those whom we like or agree with or who look like us — but to love our enemies and welcome the stranger.”
Bishop Chessun, along with his suffragans, Dr Rosemarie Mallett, the Rt Revd Alastair Cutting and Dr Martin Gainsborough, reflected on recent meetings with clergy to discuss the issues raised by such demonstrations.
They said that they were planning to develop resources to help Christians respond to the issues in a way that was “Christ centred” and “outward-focused”.
“We are proud of our nation and our communities — and we know that we are better than this. We call upon all Christians to commit themselves afresh to work with others in building a more United Kingdom, where the values of love, humility and compassion shine through in every community. Let’s do so unapologetically in the name of Jesus Christ,” the statement concluded.