David's Daily Diversions

Be Warmed and Filled

The Central Methodist Church of Dudley was in the news yesterday. It's always good to see a church in the news. Okay, not always...

Seems about 60 members of the church were having a party when a naked or nearly-naked man asked to come in out of the freezing temperatures. Apparently they didn't realise that when St James said, "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?" he was suggesting this was the wrong thing to do.

The feasting church members gave him a blanket, sandwich and hot drink and handed them to him, but left him out in the cold. The Rev Ivor Sperring told the inquest that the man’s behaviour was threatening. "He was picking up plastic and banging it on the ground. Most of the people were older than him and didn’t feel they would be able to deal with the situation. He was nothing more than a nuisance. We felt we weren’t in a position to deal with it because of his behaviour, his nudity, and there was something sinister about the way he was breaking things.”

So he didn't get inside the church and do anything sinister. Instead, he died outside in the cold from hypothermia. Sounds lije the kind of thing Jesus was talking about when he said, "I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me." I hope they don't answer Him, saying, "Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?"

Though I think 60 people, even if they were over-60s (as was the naked man) could have controlled him enough to eject him had he become violent. To be fair to them, they aren't the only culprits. The church did ring the police to deal with the situation. Apparently the cops had just sat down for their coffee and donuts, because it took them three hours to arrive.

Either the church or the cops could have prevented this man's death. However, I don't think Jesus will be referring to the cops when He says "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me."