Greetings from Great Falls, Montana in USA. Great to be here as guest of IBTS research student Patti Duckworth and her husband John, pastor of the baptist church here. Great hospitality, Christian love and fellowship and yet also another experience of how the context and culture we have to express our faith in Jesus varies so much. Never eaten elk or buffalo before, but both were great! John and Patti also took me to the local county fairground yesterday, and an exhibition of stalls selling hunting gear and so many tpes of weapons and guns! People here are strong on their right to hold weapons and hunt in the wide open country of northwest USA, and are very suspicious of government control and legislation.
Many Christians here will have weapns in their homes. And this is the context for John, Patti and their people in which the Christian life of transformation and change has to be rooted and come to find expression. In a way that engages with the culture and context that is real for people here. No place for sweeping judgments on weapons control or unrelenting vegetarianism. But, as everywhere, a need to find the voice of Christ's call speaking to people where they are and draqwing them into the life of God's transformational love. God help us all to realise this and to be slow to judge and quick to love.
