A highly offensive phone call

was not what I needed yesterday afternoon. Part of the morning had been devoted to one of those medical examinations only females have to endure. I was not interested in anything other than something to eat and a much needed mug of tea.

But it was a local number so I answered the call. "This is P...." the person at the other end told me. I know two people by this name but I did not recognise the voice. 

"I'm calling from a Christian group in E.... " E.... is a local suburb and it was possible that they were calling about someone I knew. I was wary though as "Christian group" is not the way most people would describe their church groups. They would tell me they were from a particular church.

It was still possible that someone might need some help though so I was polite and said, "I don't know who you are."  If they were a friend or acquaintance of someone I knew then they would surely identify themselves? Instead I got a "Oh, this is P.... I am calling you because we want to share a Bible message..."

"Hold it right there," I told her, "I could be a regular church goer somewhere or Jewish or Muslim."

"But...."

"I find this offensive. Please don't call again." I hung up.

There was no return call. I did not really think there would be one then. I made another call to someone I do know and told them what had happened.

"Yes, the same group who contacted us. J.... went along with it to try and find out more. Did he tell you they were looking for money?"

I had seen her husband in the library several days ago. He was telling me about this. They may well be a legitimate group in the sense that they exist and actually do what they claim to do but they also want money, a lot of money. If you belong to the group you "double tithe" and twenty per cent of anyone's income is a lot. 

I have known a number of people who have double tithed. Whether it made them happy I do not know - but I doubt it. I know many other people who give what they can afford to church or charity. They seem happy and I know I could rely on many of them to go out of their way to help someone in need. Not one of them would make the sort of phone call I had just received.

I wonder what the person making the phone call to me would have done if I had made a call to her asking her to give money or take in someone who needed a bed for the night. It is possible she may have done these things but I suspect it might have had strings attached, "Yes, if they come to our church" or "They will need to come to Bible study."

Some weeks ago a friend from a local church phoned me and asked, "You don't happen to have any toothpaste or soap do you? I've run out of our supplies here and I am doing up a box to take round to a mum who needs some help."

I knew exactly what this person was talking about. The  toothpaste and soap would be going into a box of essentials for a woman in need due to abuse or illness.

"Yes, come on round," I told her. 

It was the sort of thing I don't mind being asked about in the least. I keep a small supply of likely necessities for that very purpose. It is there for what the Senior Cat called "practical Christianity". He believed in that and taught us all to believe in it too.