Remaking a Broken World

David Cameron and the Conservatives have labelled Britain as a 'broken society'. And in saying that, they mean that vandalism, racial tension and family breakdown are all too common in our nation. The trouble is, their diagnosis doesn't go far enough and their solution (politics) can never work. 

In his new book, 'Remaking a Broken World', Christopher Ash outlines how the Bible explains that the breakdown of relationships (from personal to international) is inevitable. He shows why all human attempts to heal the divisions fail and how the Bible alone explains the solution. 

The argument goes a bit like this:

The LORD God is One. Unity is in his nature, though he is three persons. Unity is his delight and his goal.

Humanity was created to be in fellowship and unity with him, but sin disrupted that unity. 

"Sin" is me wanting to rule my own life, and my attempt to make everything revolve around me. In other words, it's me wanting to be god.

So, after the fall, Adam & Eve's relationships with each other, with God and with creation are disrupted. As Ash puts it, 'Had there been two gates out of Eden, we may be sure they would have stormed out of different ones, not speaking to each other, muttering under their breath how it was all the other's fault'! (p11).

Then at Babel, as men try to build their towers to heaven so that they can climb up and behave like gods, God comes down and disrupts their plans. He scatters them and confuses their languages in a gracious act of judgement because it hinders their plans to be gods. That's why we live in a broken world - because we're sinners making gods of ourselves.

From then on, God is working to bring a people back to himself in unity. He calls them together into an 'assembly' or 'church'. Whether this assembly is the OT assembly or the NT church, God gathers people to himself and his word. So, 'We need to remember when we gather in the local church that our assemblies are not just functional (to encourage us in our Christian lives); they are the reason God has redeemed us.' (p49, italics mine). 

Just think of that. The purpose of your redemption was to join the assembly (church) of God's people. Church is not something to help us on our Christian way, it is now the purpose of your whole Christian life.

It's the purpose because God's plan is to bring people together in a great, united multitude around the throne of Jesus. And God's plan begins to be fulfilled at St Peter's. At St John's. In the Icknield Way Parish. 

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev 7:9-10 ESV)

This is a great book Buy it. Read it.  Remaking a Broken World