Holy Week Blog for Tuesday - seeing glory

I am reflecting on a passage I am about to lead worship round in a communion service - John 12: 20 - 37.
In this passage, people (some Greeks) want to see Jesus (a reminder of a plaque in my home chapel The Folly in the pulpit) and Jesus says the hour has come for him to be glorified. Later in the passage, he talks about followers living in the light, so that we may become children of light - making a difference to others, showing Jesus' glory to others.

People want to see something/feel something that will make a difference to them.
Yesterday with a friend in London I saw lots of crowds:

• Crowds in Trafalgar Square watching people stand motionless dressed as a character (Peppa Pig!)
• Crowds taking mobile phone pictures of a nice day for them on Westminster Bridge.
• Crowds queuing having been given a flyer for a "fantastic" Italian restaurant, queuing for a table. 
• Crowds on the South Bank watching some dancers from Ghana balance bicycles on their head for no apparent reason, and further on some singer blasting out. 
• Crowds in a pub opposite Cannon Street station enjoying a post work drink. 
• Crowds on a train home, just wanting to get home, after a long day. 

Everyone, be it watching escapist entertainment, or having a meal out, or a drink, or waiting to go home, wanted something to make them feel better. There is inquisitiveness in a crowd, sometimes we just join one to see what is going on.

I keep suggesting to churches that we live in an age where people encounter us with all sorts of questions, or not much clue about faith or Jesus or the church. Can we show them Jesus in a language that will make them stay and engage with us, or will we either not speak to them, or if we do speak to them will be it in a language that is long out of date? So, they walk away. I overheard someone say about my worship the other week, "We like him because he talks about things we know about." That's one of the greatest compliments I've ever heard. People need to see God makes a difference to them. They need to see the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. We need, those of us who profess to be Christians to live in the light, being attractive, wanting people to see us and stay with us. In today's on line bible study on the Methodist website, the President Designate Ken Howcroft writes, "like candles lit from a flaming torch, his followers must take his love and life into themselves so that when he is not physically with them, they can enlighten the world in his name. So must we."

Sadly I still think parts of the church are so unaware of the needs of the crowd, the crowd will pass her by. I've been watching "Rev" with interest this series, less a comedy, more a commentary on people's needs. We've had episodes this series touching on gay marriage and the rehabilitation of sex offenders and the response of the church to people coming with real life out of the world to find blessing and hope. I nearly cried when Adam the vicar turned on his highly critical verger and said, "do you think Jesus had rules?"
We don't glorify Christ by not meeting the crowd. In the end, meeting the crowd, making the crowd notice his claims cost Christ his life. But you don't get anywhere by being judgemental, ignoring and passing by.
As Ken says, we only enlighten the world in his name by taking him into ourselves. It is a challenge. But one meeting people this Holy Week where they are, I cannot not take seriously.