Our print deadline was only a day away, so we would have to be content with whatever trickled in. After all, even anonymously, who wants to open up about secret sinful habits? To our surprise, we received more than 500 responses within 24 hours, and they kept on coming in.
In the six years since we last published a major article on pornography and the Church, the landscape has changed. Mobile technology and the availability of broadband have made accessing explicit images and videos easier than ever. But perhaps the volume of response to our straw poll also suggests that while Christians continue to struggle with pornography, we are more willing to admit it and talk about it than we ever have been before.
Alcoholic recovery groups say that owning up to an addiction is the first step towards conquering it. No subject should be off-limits; no struggle should be borne alone because of the stigma of shame.
As Rob Parsons spells out in his column this month, Jesus himself had strong words to say about being judgemental. Our churches need to be safe, non-judgemental spaces for people to admit their brokenness to each other and ask God for help. As someone once said: the good news is simply about one beggar telling another beggar where to get bread.
Since taking up my editorial role with the magazine I have had the privilege of hearing all sorts of stories from around the world about how Christian faith is impacting society. One example is the account of an evangelical church in Cairo providing shelter for Muslims and Christians in the midst of Egypt’s violent political turmoil. Read it and be inspired.
This month we’re also excited to bring you an exclusive interview with Labour Party leader Ed Miliband. As the general election approaches, we’re hoping to speak to the leaders of all the main political parties in the coming months. Whether at home or abroad, Christians are doing amazing work in their local communities through social action, food banks, debt advice and much more. This impact could be extended even further if we step up our involvement in the political process as May approaches.
Jesus was never passive about the issues of his day, nor should we be.
