[This is adapted from the table talk session we had on Love Dewsbury that you can watch here]
3 Loves of DEC
We’ve been looking at the three loves of DEC – which are:
1: Love God
2: Love One Another
3: Love Dewsbury
And this evening we’re looking at loving Dewsbury. Here’s how we started the evening –
1: Sum up your feelings about Dewsbury in one word…
Some of the answers to this were positive, like “love-it!”, or optimistic like “potential”, or personal like “home” or “greenway”. However, the overwhelming response was negative. Here’s a selection of the words used:
- Hopeless
- Frustrated
- Dead
- Shut
- Bland
- Vile
- Broke
- Depressing
- Lost
In fact, the main descriptor I’ve heard people use of Dewsbury is that it is a dump. And in many ways, due to the economic challenges, the many places shut, the market shrinking, businesses closing – it is a dump.
There is a lot of economic poverty, and you feel that, especially when you walk around the town centre.
A while ago now, on the back of the Shannon Matthews affair, David Cameron called Dewsbury Moor Estate a place “where decency fights a losing battle against degradation and despair“. Dewsbury was also where Cameron did his “broken Britain” speech from. One can perhaps make the argument, from a socio-economic viewpoint, that nothing has changed.
So in many ways, if we were to describe our feelings of Dewsbury in one word it would be overwhelmingly negative.
Interestingly, the same words or impression may well have been thought about Nazareth! Can anything good come from Nazareth? (John 1:46) – a small, insignificant northern town like Dewsbury? It clearly didn’t have a positive reputation if Nathanel’s opinion is anything to go by!
But we know something good did come from Nazareth – the ultimate good – the Lord Jesus Christ!
And if we were to ask Jesus how he felt about Dewsbury? To sum up his feelings in one word – what word would Jesus use?
Well, if the gospels are anything to go by, then I believe it would be “compassion”. For example, we learn in Matthew 9:36 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Compassion is the emotion used of Jesus more than any other in the gospels (See also Matt 14:14, 15:32, 20:34 and Mark 6:34, 8:2), and tells us of the heart that Jesus has for the lost – for the harassed and helpless – for the people of Dewsbury – it is a heart of compassion.
A heart we need to reflect.
2: So how can we feel more compassion for Dewsbury?
There are many ways we can answer this, but there’s at least three main things we need to do.
I: Love Praying for Dewsbury
If we’re going to have a heart for Dewsbury. Have compassion for Dewsbury, we need to be praying for Dewsbury. Both individually and as a church.
We need to be crying out to the LORD to have mercy on Dewsbury, for his kingdom to come in Dewsbury, for opportunities in Dewsbury – and for our hearts to be soften for the lost people of Dewsbury.
II: Love Spending Time in Dewsbury
If we’re going to develop compassion we cannot be distant. We have to spend time in Dewsbury with the people of Dewsbury, rubbing shoulders with the harassed and helpless like Jesus did.
We already have things going on at the building, but if we can, can we take a walk through Dewsbury? Perhaps praying as we do? Can we meet others for coffee in Dewsbury? Can we get lunch in Dewsbury or visit the library? Can we volunteer to help at the Outreach Centre? And if possible, can we even move into Dewsbury, if we live outside?
We need to love spending time in the place where God has put us.
III: Love the Gospel
Finally, a compassion for the lost sheep of Dewsbury is fuelled through our love for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The more we meditate on the gospel, the more we spend time contemplating, and thinking about the implications of the gospel – the more we will see how the gospel is good news that brings salvation – in fact, it is the power of God that brings salvation! (Romans 1:16).
With this in mind, this is a good question to ask yourself:
3: What is it about the gospel that excites you and how can these truths transform Dewsbury?
This requires us to know the gospel well, but here’s a couple of things to think about.
One word mentioned to describe Dewsbury was “hopeless”, but we know that the gospel is the gospel of hope (e.g. Col 1:23). The cross and resurrection give real hope to the hopeless – that we have a saviour who cares for and saves the broken and hopeless! We have a Saviour who says come to all those weary and heavy burdened! (Matt 11:28-30).
Another implication of the gospel is that salvation brings with it ‘transformation’ – it transforms lives, it brings with it spiritual change.
And so, we must believe that the gospel can do that to the poorest of communities and to the Muslim communities – that hardened hearts can be transformed – can be made new!
To the gambling addicts, to the drug addicts, to those lost in a false religion – the gospel can transform people. God’s kingdom can come to Dewsbury!
The question is – how can we as a church – help bring it? Help share the gospel of hope, bring light into darkness –
4: How can we practically show compassion in Dewsbury? How can the challenges of loving Dewsbury be opportunities for gospel witness?
How can we be a light on a hill in Dewsbury? (Matt 5:14). How can we be the light of the world offering the light of the world to the people of Dewsbury?
These are the big questions – the questions we need to answer, think about, pray about and put into action if we’re to practically love Dewsbury.
