How not to love your community

I heard it suggested last week that Britain had become a nation who no longer moaned just about the weather but now moaned about everything.  My initial reaction was to disagree.  But then listening to others and my own conversations I began to wonder if they were right.  And the biggest tragedy is that I didn't detect any significant difference between Christian conversation and worldly conversation.  As the church we have absorbed societies negativity and made it our own.

But that is so dangerous because it subtly undermines the gospel.  We live and work in a community where there are lot of needs.  We live and work in a community where many people do not have the choices that others might; to move, to access different health care, to drive miles to a better play park, or to another toddler group, or school.  In that situation what does moaning about those things say to the community - I don't love this community, I don't value it, and I opt out of it.  And by implication I don't love the people in it, or at the very least I don't want to live through what they have to live through.  I'm not really in it with you, I'll parachute in and out when I feel like it, when it suits me!

The moan about there being nothing to do with the children, or about the local resources, or the local health care seems small but is actually incredibly damaging.  Stop doing it if you want to convey to the community that you love it and those living in it and that you are there for the long haul.  But secondly do something about it.

In order to moan we have spotted a need, a weakness, an area of opportunity, for development and that is incredibly positive.  We have glimpsed how life should be and could be.  So instead of moaning about something (which undermines our gospel witness) why not actively try to obtain a better deal for your community?  As a church how can you bless the community in terms of provision for mums and toddlers?  How can you bless the community and meet a need for youth activities?  How can you pray for the local leaders and the decisions they are making which are isolating your community?  How can you campaign for access for that community especially for those who can't?

Grumbling in the bible is never viewed positively, it is always detrimental to communities and nations.  So among God's people today it has no place, but don't just clamp your mouth shut when you see something you might moan about.  Think of it as an opportunity to bring change, to bless, to show God's love and pray that God would use it to open hearts and eyes to the gospel.