From the October-December 2008 Issue
Mind the gap!
Michael and Ariette Robinson
EekloPerhaps you, the reader of this article, have been on the London Underground at some point in your life? If so, you might have vivid memories of seeing a train stop and hearing the public address announcer blasting out the words ‘Mind the gap’, warning passengers to beware of the gap between train and platform. Otherwise the result could be a serious injury or worse!
A ‘gap’ is something which needs attention and has to be bridged. Even as I write this article, I am well aware of a ‘gap’ between you, the reader, and myself, the writer. For example, at the time of writing, the Olympic Games in China are in full swing and it is tempting for me to make some passing reference to them. However, by the time this article is published and falls into your hands a large ‘gap’ will have arisen, the Olympic Games will be largely forgotten, and any references to them will have lost their impact. Yet, on the other hand, doesn’t all gospel work involve bridging gaps? When we read our Bibles, don’t we have to bridge a gap between the culture and mindset of the original readers and ourselves in the 21st century? When we listen to people, don’t we have to recognise that what they say does not necessarily correspond to our understanding of what they mean? When we preach, don’t we understand that what we preach is not necessarily what people hear or want to hear? There are gaps to be considered and bridged, and this is no less the case in Belgium. What, then, are some of the ‘gaps’ in Belgium and, more particularly, in Eeklo, the town where we labour for the gospel?
Theological gap – the basic one!
Let’s mention the most important one (the theological gap) first. Man is by nature ‘dead in trespasses and sins’ (Ephesians 2:1) and none of our efforts will change this fact. Divine intervention is required if this gap is ever to be bridged (see John 6:44). Our only response to this gap is that it drives us to our knees in prayer. Will you join us in prayer?
The mindset gap – it’s more than a piece of paper!
Here in my office, there is a small piece of paper which theoretically (on paper!) should carry some weight. What is it? The answer: a certificate issued by the Federal Government of Belgium to confirm that Eeklo Evangelical Church is a protestant church officially recognised in Belgium. Why should this carry any weight? Well, Belgium is officially 90% Roman Catholic and whilst very few Belgians actually attend mass (less than 3% of the population), the Roman Catholic Church retains a stubborn vice-like grip on national and cultural affairs and over the mindset of the people. This means that anything falling outside this (religious) framework is regarded either as a ‘strange sect’ or ‘something foreign’. Some people claim quite openly that Eeklo Evangelical Church is a sect. Would they change their minds if I showed them the above certificate? Probably not! Some people have even seen this certificate, yet I doubt whether they have changed their view that we are a sect, despite all the evidence to the contrary. We are facing here a mindset gap. If people have been brought up for centuries to believe that Roman Catholicism is the one and only true religion, their convictions are hardly likely to change overnight. This, too, drives us to our knees in prayer! Will you join us in prayer?
The perception gap amongst genuine believers – the tale is in the telling!
One person who visited our church some time ago described it as ‘totally dead and buried’; another more recent visitor was (slightly!) more positive in his assessment when he described our fellowship as ‘the best church in Belgium’. Now, how two professing Christians can arrive at such differing assessments is worthy of a discussion itself, but you have to say that those two opinions represent quite a gap! It is also true to say that some other (genuine and well-meaning) Christians differ in their views of our situation (some urge us to press on; others have already written us off). And so, where are we as a church? What is the truth? The following summary is a humble, honest, and sincere attempt to tell the truth as it is: we are a small fellowship (average attendance around 12); we are an ageing fellowship (average age around 50+); we have occasional encouragements when visitors attend our services, yet the future, humanly speaking, remains very uncertain. Yes, we have witnessed some growth over the past 12 months or so, yet we still have a long, long way to go. What is our response? The situation drives us to our knees in prayer! Will you join us in prayer?