For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth,
to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (BSB).
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It's often said these days that the UK is becoming a secular place, what with so many churches closing and religious attendance dropping. But I think that story misses a bigger picture. You see, I've always felt that religion, at least the way it's often practiced now, isn't quite hitting the mark. It's become a bit too much about itself—its buildings, its routines, its politics—and less about the core of what it means to really live a Christian life like they did back in the first century.
I'm not alone in this feeling. Many folks are getting "churched out," as I like to say. They're tired of the institutional grind that seems to forget the heart of the Christian message—love, kindness, and community. Instead of sitting in pews, they're rolling up their sleeves and doing God's work directly. They're out in the community, volunteering at charities, helping where the need is greatest, living their faith through action.
I know this because wherever I go—whether I'm taking a stroll through the woods or just out and about—I end up talking to people about this very shift. There's a real movement of people who are finding their spiritual fulfilment outside traditional church walls. Nature often becomes our contemplative escape; the open sky, a vaulted ceiling that inspires more awe than any stained glass ever could.
This isn't about abandoning faith. Far from it. It's about rediscovering it in its most basic and beautiful form. It's about going back to what Christianity was all about in the beginning: not the trappings or the power structures, but the simple, profound act of loving and serving others.
So, even though it might look like the UK is turning secular, I think it's more accurate to say that spirituality is just changing its address. It's moving out of the old structures and into the streets, Online meetings, into the homes, into the places where people really live their lives. And I find that incredibly hopeful. Because no matter where we are—surrounded by nature or just doing our bit in our corner of the world—we're part of a community of believers walking this path together, sharing and rediscovering what faith really means in the process.