It ought not to be a problem for the believer and the local church to show true Christian love to the outcast, the lonely and the disadvantaged. But it can be! A rich man comes into our 11am church service, and we are impressed. He looks very impressive, and we think to ourselves, 'Ought we not to cultivate his more regular attendance?' A poor, ragged, smelly person comes in. Silent groans are mentally uttered, and before you or I know it we have discriminated among (ourselves) and become judges with evil thoughts. Does that sound familiar? It ought to, because they are the words of James Games 2:4). It would be naive to suggest that 'it would never happen in my church.' It very easily can.

All by themselves

It was the spring of 1968 and I was at a Christian meeting in Swindon. In a crowded church hall, alone in a row seated all by themselves, was a gypsy family, rather shabbily dressed. What a sad isolation that was! It was all the more tragic, as this meeting had been sponsored to promote active and dynamic evangelism in the Home Counties.

In inner London, a keen and zealous brother acts like the 'Pied Piper of Hamlin' in bringing many poor and hungry children to a local church Sunday school. Breakfast is provided for them, and then Sunday school lessons. No, this is not the Victorian era, but Newham in the 1980's. These 'waifs and strays', known affectionately as the 'Bash Street Kids', were not 'church children'. It meant that the Sunday school was lively! Those children from Canning Town were eventually relocated to a refurbished London City Mission in that area. Was this to the relief of others in the Sunday school? To be fair, I think not. But the 'waifs and strays' did make heavy demands. Nicer children are so much easier to deal with, aren't they? And, besides, my children might make friends with them, and you can never be too careful, can you?

On a more serious note, it can be risky. A Palestinian lad came to our Holiday Bible Club and was found to have a knife on him. The drug addict, the homeless, the alcoholic, the mentally ill, the poor, are there in our world today. Do we welcome them into our church? Would Jesus welcome them? Indeed he would! He is the friend of sinners. An advert from a church in the Christian press states, 'Students are especially welcome'. Where does a church say 'self obsessed drug addicts, unmarried mums, and everyone regardless are especially welcome'?

What do they read in us?

In Luke 5 we read of a leper falling on his face before the Lord Jesus: Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. What wondrous words follow, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' We may not get many lepers in church, but we may well get unconverted folk that socially, ethically and in every other respect would not be the kind of people we would seek out to be our friends. And yet if we are believers, are we not to show the love of Christ to them? Such folk may not actually be able to take in much of the message the first time round, but what impression do we give to them of the welcoming love of Christ? They may not be able to read or find their way around the Bible, but they are able to read you. And what do they read there? 'This person shows me the love of God in Jesus Christ.'

Obstacles to be removed

What are the obstacles that need to be removed from our hearts in order that we may love as Christ loved?

One major obstacle is self-righteousness. This is an enemy to our souls and to the Lord. How deeply embedded this lies within the heart! We can suggest all manner of excuses which cover our self-righteousness, such as 'being wise' or 'being protective of the testimony', but it will not do. The Samaritan stops and cares for the mugged Jew while others, of much more impeccable pedigree, walk by on the other side (Luke 10:30-35). Jesus would not have passed him by, would he? So why should we?

We have to overcome shame and embarrassment.

Such are the sub-cultures within which most believers move and are comfortable with, that they hardly ever meet non-Christians and feel distinctly ill at ease with them. We can meet unsaved colleagues, who are on a similar social scale as us, with whom we are at ease, and yet what about the 'great unwashed' who need our friendship and support? It won't do to ring up your local London City Missionary and get him to sort them out.

Another obstacle is our comfort zones. Here is where Christian adventure and risk comes in (I love this bit!). Leave your comfort zone and show the love of Christ to needy, desperate folk that God in his providence sends your way. He not only sanctions but also blesses all service lovingly done in his name. After all, who were we that God should step in and save us? Did we deserve more than the off-casts of the world? Not at all. The hymn by Samuel Crossman reminds us powerfully of this:

'My Song is love unknown,
My Saviour's love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
But who am I,
That for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh and die.'

Who indeed!

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