Autumn Lectures 2016, Revd Dr Richard Turnbull: Patience under injustice

Revd Dr Richard Turnbull continued The Christian Institute’s annual Autumn Lectures series yesterday with his message entitled: “Patience under injustice”.

Revd Turnbull is the Director of The Centre for Enterprise, Markets and Ethics and has previously been a Chartered Accountant and served in the Church of England.

Beginning with a passage from Amos, Revd Turnbull took quotations from Pilgrim’s Progress author John Bunyan, and German theologian and opponent of Nazism Dietrich Bonhoeffer, to show their trust in God through trials.

He quoted from Bunyan an expression of his desire to do whatever was in the “good will of God” – even if that meant being persecuted. And from Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison, Revd Turnbull reminded us of some of his final words before execution: “This is the end – for me the beginning of life”.

He then considered the question of justice, and said that the biblical view of justice is based upon the character, kingdom, grace and judgement of God. He said that justice is part of God’s vision for society and that righteous anger at injustice is biblical.

Revd Turnbull noted that we should bring a Christian influence to society and Government, and commented that whatever situation Christians find themselves in, they should always serve the Lord.

He encouraged those present to endure if we suffer injustice and to remember that Jesus Christ is our living hope.

You can order a copy of Revd Dr Richard Turnbull’s lecture on CD for £2.50. A special boxset of all this year’s lectures will also be available for £11.00, or on an MP3 CD for £4.

To place an order, phone The Christian Institute office on 0191 281 5664 or email info@christian.org.uk