You Dont Have To Be A Christian To Be Christian By TITVS-ADVXAS

The more that I worry about The State of The State, The more I realise that the values that I try to follow (and the ones that at times, I too, have failed to follow) are Christian Values.

As a young man having just passed my RAC/ACU motor-cycle test and my motor-cycle driving test, and then trundling about in my clapped out Reliant Regal Supervan III, I would often stop and offer help to other motorists, complete strangers, that had broken down. I can remember giving lifts to and from petrol stations, help push starting other cars, even towing other cars (yes with a Reliant Regal).

I can remember too driving in a snow storm through Acocks Green one Sunday morning and seeing a couple of pensioners shivering at the bus stop. I offered them a lift and took them to the door of where they were going.

Now I don't consider myself to be a Christian, as I do not believe in God as The Ultimate Being, and I've probably broken more of the 10 commandments than I should have, but I do believe that helping other people at times when they need help is a Christian act.

Pecuniary donations are not always done as an act of benevolence. They are sometimes an act of guilt. Slipping a tenner to someone or some organisation who needs say £500 is only charity when we know that another 49 other people are doing the same thing, but if the person who needs such charity has only the one person to rely upon, then a tenner could be conceived as an insult. Now I'm not telling anyone to give someone they don't know £500 either.

You don't have to give money to help others. You have your own time that can be invaluable in helping other people. Look at the countless volunteers who give a few hours to man the charity shops, Look at the countless people who act as unpaid stewards for charity events too.

I could be cute and give you a URL or link to a charity at this point, but I won't. I just hope that my little rant will make people think about the little old chap who lives 2 doors away, whose family don't visit that often or whose friends have dwindled, as they do. Perhaps he would appreciate an hour of your time for a chat. Or perhaps he does need help because he has the stark choice (like most pensioners do) of either "Eating or Heating". We can offer to take him a lunch or hot food.We can even invite him into our house for a meal. He has probably fought for or in some way served this country in his youth. So yes, we can do something for him. We must do something for him!

You Don't Have To Be A Christian To Be Christian!

©TITVS-ADUXAS XXIX-III-MMIX