Having already recently published a strong article against the Church of England, I’m reluctant to do so again. I don’t want to get a reputation for Anglican-bashing. But the latest bonkers idea by the church makes it difficult to remain silent. In case you missed the news, they’ve decided to graffiti the inside of Canterbury Cathedral to show, presumably, they’re ‘down with the kids’.
Oh please! This is yet another symptom of a denomination that seems more committed to chasing cultural applause than proclaiming eternal truth. Let’s cut to the chase: if the church wants to be relevant, it doesn’t need spray paint. What people need isn’t another gimmick, but the gospel — preached boldly, clearly, lovingly — to a culture adrift in moral relativism and existential despair.
A church that thinks it can youthify itself
The Church of England looks like an aging uncle who’s desperately trying to appear youthful. He buys the branded sports clothing, he uses the street slang — but the spectacle is awkward, forced, cringe-worthy. So it is with the Anglican hierarchy. First a “rave in the nave,” then a female archbishop (which I’ve critiqued already), and now graffiti on stone pillars.
The pattern is clear: the institution is so anxious to be young, edgy, and “relevant” that it forgets what its calling actually is. Graffiti in a cathedral is not prophetic. It’s pandering. It says: “Look how open we are.” But it fails to say: “Look to Jesus, repent, believe, follow him.”
