An inconvenience

I couldn't quite believe it when I read this article about proposals to put up railings around a former church in Cambridge city centre. The message that comes across is "the homeless and drunks are an inconvenience and we don't want anything to do with them. They are somebody else's problem".

Now, the Round Church isn't actually a church anymore. The former congregation now worship elsewhere, and it's being run as some sort of arts centre / intellectual talking shop. But it's run by an organisation called 'Christian Heritage'. The Christian response to the homeless problem should be to offer support, not to lock them out. In another place on their website they start to answer this criticism, but hide behind excuses that their charitable status doesn't enable them to contribute directly but that they (presumably intellectually) support the work of a local charity 'Wintercomfort', who seem to be much more switched on. Their response in a later newspaper article needs no further comment by me, apart from "well said!"

Ironically, Christian Heritage advertise for student interns to join them to learn "more about our unique approach to Christian engagement with contemporary culture". It's certainly an innovative apporach that Jesus would not have taken.

Christian Heritage - I'm not impressed. You use the labels 'church' and 'Christian' yet your actions tell otherwise.