Next Tuesday, on the 4th of October, in just over a week’s time, we’re looking forward to welcoming Simon Edwards to come and speak at our next Salt Live event.
The event is entitled, "I can't get no satisfaction". Simon will be speaking on what Christianity has to say about humanity's search for contentment.
Why the title? Well, we start from the premise that the desire for satisfaction drives every decision we make. And yet, despite having more stuff, better opportunities and greater freedom than previous generations, lasting contentment feels perpetually out of reach. If you speak to non-Christian friends and colleagues about this, I suspect most would relate. Perhaps many would also concede that neither unadulterated pleasure-seeking nor materialism (more stuff) satisfies in a permanent way.
And so, we'd like to ask, is our contemporary dissatisfaction because we've detached ourselves from ancient pathways to human flourishing? Or, more pointedly, is Christianity the source of genuine meaning and fulfilment that folk are looking for?
Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician and philosopher said, "Men despise religion. They hate it and are afraid it may be true. The cure for this is first to show that religion is not contrary to reason, but worthy of reverence and respect. Next, make it attractive, make good men wish it were true, and then show that it is."
This argument informs some of our approach to evangelism at Grace. Given the general negativity to organised religion in our culture, our first job is to show secular friends how Christ fulfils their deepest desires. Then, as friends see the attractiveness of the Christian faith, we will have the opportunity to show them why we're also convinced it's true.
This event is a great opportunity to invite friends. Simon is a fantastic speaker and apologist with the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (OCCA). He is an author and writer, and has spoken at universities (including Oxford, Cambridge, Hong Kong, Oslo & Queensland), as well as businesses and government institutions. He's spoken at Salt Live events three times, which tells you something about how highly we rate him!
Please do join us. It's great to have the church there to support, learn something and chat with guests. Do also share the event with friends and colleagues. You can share the link with them here, or share the digital flyer that I'll put in the WhatsApp groups later today. Oh, and do sign-up if you're planning to join us. Like all the best things in life, it's free :)