This sorry time

Not many Australian-born people become Christians. In my Hobart and Sydney churches - both around the 150 mark - I reckon it's about 2 each year. Significantly more international students come to faith, but there's still a vast number of people who haven't had the Christian message explained, who have refused to listen, or who have listened but disagreed.

We celebrate the salvation of these one or two, as we ought (Luke 15:7, 10). It's the next step that concerns me. When we speak of these people, we often add some vague comment about "others" who've also been saved. There is something right about this - for we don't always know what becomes of people who, say, come to church only once. It's good to think that God had mercy on them.

However I think this sort of comment is also motivated by a desire to protect God's reputation. Again, there's something good about this (Exodus 33:15-16). Yet God does not need us to blur the facts. He's perfectly able to look after his own reputation. The exile and the cross both brought great shame (Ezekiel 22:4-5; 36:20; Matthew 27:39-44), but he still has concern for his holy name and brings things to bear so that all might see his glory (Ez 36:21-23; 39:23, 27-28; Romans 14:10-12). He is still the same God in this - troubling - time when few are being saved. Perhaps we should rather mourn and beseech him to extend mercy, than speak as if things are better than they are.