Although Bro. Bernard Burt has discussed the subject of the Pope’s visit in his editorial, we feel that the whole matter is of such importance that we make no apology for raising the matter again.
John Paul has presented himself to the British public as a man of goodwill who has standards to live by, and has been warmly received by many in Britain; and even those who may not see eye to eye with him speak of him as a man of God. We were particularly impressed by the strength of the ecumenical movement in Britain, and noted that Pentecostals were among others at Canterbury Cathedral, and that even the (nominally) Calvinistic Chirch of Scotland met him. We noted his popularity among the young. It is not difficult to imagine this man emerging as the “Man of Peace” whom the world will be prepared to follow. His conduct during the Falklands crisis may enhance that image.
His sermons were carefully worded; we were particularly interested in the sermon given before wildly enthusiastic young people at Ninian Park in Cardiff, on the subject of Prayer. He spoke of prayer bringing the action of the Holy Spirit into the worshipper (one wonders what the Reformation was all about!) and went on to list the ways in which men’s thoughts and actions could be influenced – such ways as understanding the suffering of others, receiving power to show compassion, helping to bring about the kingdom of Christ in the world, receiving the knowledge that God hates violence and war; in the main, ways in which better social conditions could be achieved in the world now.
It may be seen how belief in the working of the Holy Spirit is now drawing together the churches under the leadership of the Pope – and even influencing the nations to aim for peace under the guidance of a “man of peace” who is deeply interested in world politics. Of course, such a unity cannot bring about the true Kingdom of God – what it can do is achieve a great counterfiet Kingdom led by a man of “charisma” who can sway masses to believe that he can bring peace to a wretched world.
It has been a great grief to us to see some young Christadelphians espouse Evangelism, not realising that it is basically a Roman-derived doctrine and is playing a considerable part in drawing Protestant churches back to Rome. It has also troubled us that some “traditional” brethren have objected to the Pope’s visit on Protestant grounds, as if we were part of the Protestant tradition. We are not. We belong to a tradition of saints who object to all false doctrine on purely Biblical grounds, and have no interest in the argument as to how grace is dispensed to the believer – through “faith only” or through Spirit-bestowed sacraments. Let us stand apart, not only from Rome, but from her Protestant sisters, since we belong to the only true church of God, founded on the rock of the Word of God, which needs no interpreter, clerical or mystical.
The Borders of the Land of Israel