Posted on: 24th May 2023

The world is in complete turmoil in 2023 – in the UK alone, we have moved out of a 2-year global pandemic and into a Cost of Living Crisis. The war in Ukraine continues, as does conflict in many other parts of the world, and we are in a climate emergency. It seems to me that many of us may feel like Gideon in this passage in Judges 6:

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

In discussing Christianity with those of no faith, these are two of the big questions – if God exists, why does this happen? Where is His goodness?

As a Christian and a church Communicator, I believe that we have a responsibility to share our good news stories when we have them to share. Testimony is so powerful, and together with fruits of the spirit, we can individually make an impact on anyone who we come into contact with; planting seeds of hope, and raising questions about spirituality.

But there is more to this passage.

“The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

We are called, just as Gideon was, to partner with God to bring about His goodness. What an honour! As we tell our stories of God’s goodness in our lives, planting and nurturing hope, we also have the opportunity to stand with people in their struggles and use our strength as Christians to make change for the better.

At Leeds Sanctuary, we are committed to sharing good news stories and creating campaigns which we hope will bring about change in our local communities and beyond. Head to our website or our social media feeds for more information.

Emily Smith, Leeds Sanctuary