Summary
Joel Edwards describes the Bible’s vision for a flourishing community.
Transcript
Christianity speaks a lot about fullness of life – you know, if anyone lives in Christ they enjoy life in its abundance. We’re not always that good I guess at translating that into, if you like, ordinary examples. But I think a flourishing life, the wellbeing of society, has to start with what happens in our homes, you know. I think one of the strong things about Christian faith acting on behalf of society is that it begins in the home.
So the books of the New Testament, particularly the books like Ephesians and Colossians in the New Testament writings of the early Christian community, talks about everything from parents and children, masters and servants, masters and slaves even, in that context, but also our relationship to governments, civic responsibility. And so a well-flourishing community begins with a real focus in the home. It is passionately concerned about its engagement with education – and it’s not surprising that for many years Christian faith has been passionately involved in schools and educating our children. And it’s very, very concerned about the economics of our nation, the wellbeing, the flourishing of laws, which adds to good citizenship and which looks after the poor and the vulnerable. And so Christian faith, in committing itself to wellbeing, is concerned about everything from the cradle to the grave, really.
