The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby has singalled his support for a fresh round of government imposed Covid restrictions saying we, “are all neighbours” and news of an apparent rise in new cases of Covid-19 is a reminder we, “must keep supporting each other”.
In a series of tweeets posted following a press conference yesterday from the chief medical officer, Chris Witty and Chief Scientist Sir Patrick Vallance, Welby took the opportunity to go along with the doom laden statments made that claimed we could be facing up to 50,000 new cases of covid in a matter of weeks and living with restrictions on daily life for the next six months.
It's clear from @uksciencechief and @CMO_England's briefing today that the next six months are going to be challenging.
Itâs an urgent reminder that we must keep supporting each other â and especially those who are struggling financially, physically or emotionally.
— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) September 21, 2020
It was powerful to hear from Prof Chris Whitty that there's no such thing as personal risk-taking with this virus. If we increase our own risk, we put others at risk too.
In this crisis we are all neighbours. Let's renew our commitment to loving and caring for each other. https://t.co/GaOPms3T47
— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) September 21, 2020
You may read these comments and see no issue. Indeed, on the surface there is no particular issue, they are nice sounding, but that is where the problem is. You might expect the leader of the most recognisable and official state church of the land to use the opportunity of pending further Covid restrictions to call the nation to prayer or cast out the spirit of fear that has been marauding across the nation for the last seven months.
I see the ABC is spinning for the govt again ahead of tomorrowâs announcements.
When he should be spending time calling the nation to prayer and casting out the spirit of fear heâs just repeating the same fear mongering nonsense coming from the state https://t.co/IhaIyCr74x— Stewart Green (@stewartgreenuk) September 21, 2020
Yet, presented with an open goal, Jusitn Welby has sadly (yet again) opted to spin for the government and spout their lines adding nice sounding platitudes as he acts more as a pseudo social worker than minister of the gospel. Jusitn Welby might as well be an extension of the government. Back in March, he took it upon himself to go further than government regulations by banning clergy from even entering their church buildings for the purpose of broadcasting a church service for parishioners.
Welby has a nasty habit of missing golden opportunities to preach the gospel and offer hope to many tens of thousands of people across the nation who are feeling uttlery hopeless in the face of all this covid adversity and fear being populated and circulated by the government. Last year, the Archbishop of Canterbury used his Easter Sunday address to paint Jesus as a ‘nice guy’ without even a hint of him having died for our sins. This year he managed to mention Jesus on Easter Sunday on his Twitter feed, but then failed to do so again for the following six days. Arguably, the message people most needed to hear in mid April this year of all years was Christ’s message of hope through his death and resurrection, yet Welby chose to just repeat tired government messages.
The most damning indictment on Justin Welby and what he has been saying over the last six months is the fact there is little to no difference between what he says and what other well meaning secular organisations are saying and doing. If Covid has proved one thing it is this: Much of the church in this nation has become utterly morally bankrupt.
The nation urgently needs leaders in the church who are not afraid to stand up and speak out the whole truth of Jesus in an unashamed fashion. Instead, we have the leader of the Church of England acting as an extension of the government propaganda communications office.
How different, I wonder would things be if Justin Welby took up his cross and ushered the nation to come to Jesus? I wonder, how different the general mood of the nation would be if Justin Welby used the opportunity presented to him to bring the true hope of Jesus rather than spout empty platitudes that are better suited to a left leaning liberal think tank press release than the leader of the anglican church.
It is no wonder people are not drawn to the church when the church offers nothing more to the world than a sticking plaster to temporarily cover a few wounds. How tragic that we who have found new life, hope and salvation in and through Jesus seem to be quite content with keeping it for ourselves without sharing it with those around us. If the Archbishop of Canterbury wont share the gospel to those who most need to hear it, then we have to step in to the vacuum left by his refusal to do so. Let us pray God leads us by the Holy Spirit so we use the opportunities presented to boldly share the gospel with those we come into contact with. Let us pray Welby has a change of heart and starts preaching sin and forgiveness, repentance and salvation, life and death, heaven and hell.
It is simply not good enough to offer empty platitudes that support measures that could well restrict again the ability of the church to meet. We must rise above the narrative of fear. The hour is late, the time short. In this hour, may God’s people arise all across the nation that lives would be impacted for Jesus and souls plucked from the very gates of hell.
