The Revd Joshua Pollard reflects on visits to the Seven Churches in the Letter of John in Revelation with fellow curates.
It has been a joy to journey with Bishop Christopher, senior clergy of the IME and ministry team, and my sister and brother curates on a trip to Asia Minor – present day Turkey – to visit the Seven Churches written to by St John in the book of Revelation. In visiting each of the locations – aided by scripture, prayer, reflection and our senses, we were granted a special privilege to experience and consider what life might have been like for those who lived, worked and worshipped, in what are now – largely, relics of the past, having been abandoned and left to the elements after the forces of nature destroyed them.
Thanks to some fantastic restoration work however, and aided by a brilliant guide, I learnt a great deal about classical antiquity. Which became so relevant anew, especially when we considered the context in which St John from the island of Patmos wrote his letters to the early Christian communities in these cities. Frankly, you would be forgiven for thinking like me, that there appeared to be little hope for each respective community, having had read the letters. The Christian community of one city was considered as dead, another full of idolatry, another focussed on pleasure over holiness, another merely lukewarm and far from on fire with missionary zeal.
But, despite the letters having much to say of a necessarily exhortative manner, calling the communities to turn and repent and recommit themselves to God, there was also a hope channelled through them all. That to return to holy and faithful living and by following the Gospel, they would dwell safely and securely in Christ’s love again.
This same message resonates today with us. As part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, our mission remains the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. To witness to what is broken, damaged and lost, and by God’s help, Will and action through us, to transform people, by proclaim the gospel, baptising new believers into the wellspring of life, to bring them into the One Body the Church, and to feed them with the Sacrament of Christ’s Body, true manna from heaven.
