His recent supportive noises towards euthanasia - albeit unclear-sounding - are symptomatic of a sea-change of spiritual outlook that, arguably, he has been undergoing over the past decade or so.
It would be simplistic to identify one single cause in this spiritual catastrophe. But Hilary Roberts, of Welwyn Evangelical Church, pinpointed a significant factor in her excellent review of Sir Cliff's autobiography My Life, My Way in Evangelicals Now back in 2008:
In the early days of his faith he read his Bible regularly and went to church each Sunday. Now he is more relaxed — dipping into the Bible when he feels the need. By his own admission, ‘I stopped going to church regularly a long time ago because it became too difficult. I would tend to be surrounded by people who wanted autographs’. He does emphasise his need to be spiritually fed and that he tried unsuccessfully to overcome the problem. When at his home in Barbados he occasionally goes to a Catholic church — ‘I really enjoy it and I like taking communion — I feel it brings me close to Jesus’.
Belonging to a local church is so vital for spiritual support and accountability. It is a sad fact that public Christians under particular pressures, such as politicians, pop stars, film actors, professional sportspeople and, it has to be said, bishops, often fall out of belonging to a local church because of their work schedules and lifestyle. Peripatetic attendance at church services cannot substitute for commitment to the local expression of the Body of Christ.
The powerful CH Spurgeon story springs to mind. He visited a man who had become less regular in coming along to church. He did not lecture the man but simply took a coal from the fire, put it on the grate, watched its glow fade out and then left.
This piece by David Jackman in November's EN - Sticking with the church - is highly recommended.
Cliff does seem preoccupied with his wine brand, his Barbados home, etc, rather than much else these days [from what I read].
ReplyDeleteWho are his spiritual friends and advisers these days?