‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ Romans 10:13

I was rather surprised to read an article yesterday informing me of one of the fastest growing areas of Christianity in the UK. ‘Huge numbers of Gypsies and travellers in England now say they've joined a new movement called Light and Life. Those who join have given up drinking alcohol and fortune-telling, and many have even abandoned their traditional Catholic faith.’ BBC News

Not being an expert myself on the Gypsy or traveller culture, all of the travellers I had come into contact with were of the Catholic faith even if they were not practising. Stepping away from Catholicism at one stage was seen as an abandonment of the Gypsy way and risked even being thrown out of the community. So, the article telling informing me that up to 40%of British Gypsies belong to it challenged me.

While teaching an art lesson today I began with the sentence “Hands up all those who believe...” I was going to say ‘that they cannot draw’. Before I could the, so called, trouble maker of the class said “IN JESUS!” The class being 95% Muslim looked at him as though he had just sworn. I quickly jumped to his aid and said “I do, because I am a Christian, but that was not what I was going on to say.”

Whatever label you may carry, troublesome child, traveller, shy Christian as long as you believe on the name of Jesus, you WILL be saved. Christianity is growing faster in the marginalized areas of our society than the supposed ‘easy to reach’ suburban’s.

Let us not get left behind by this movement in the last days of earth history. Take up your cross and follow Jesus.

Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sing ‘Take up you cross.’  Click on the picture to listen.