Coming into middle age saw Greg wondering what life was all about. A simple invitation from a friend started him on a journey of faith. There were no big bolts of lightning – just the quiet hope of being part of something bigger.
Greg told his story as part of Come and See. There is more to life than meets the eye. Come and see what faith has to offer…
What is this all about?
It was probably coming into middle age that I made the classic thought of, 'What am I doing? Why am I here? What is it all about? What's my future about?' So a friend suggested - a good friend, who was a member of a church - suggested they had an Alpha course and invited me to that Alpha course.
The initial feeling of the Alpha course was the general perception that there are other people in the course that were open minded like myself, but coming back into faith, coming back into finding out more about Christianity. The fundamental purpose and the first initial feeling of the Alpha course was the people surrounding me that were members of the congregation had a peace, a relaxed being and an understanding, or were making other people aware of an easiness and a peace in life that maybe I initially felt I didn't have. And in all honesty it made me feel 'I want some of that please!' and that was the way I went into it
It made me more open minded of what I was being shown and spoken about, and made me think more of what it was about. For me as a, not as a historian but someone who likes history, to be given the facts and the reality that it must have happened was a real deep and meaningful process for my own mind to take in and think if that's the truth then the truth of whatever was said in the Bible and how it was said then becomes reality to me and, and there wasn't the lightning bolt but it became my faith, my belief.
Coming as we are
Faith is a strong thing for me. It gives me confidence, it gives me hope, and it gives me so much peace in that whatever happens, I know things will be what they will be because my faith will lead it out, and it's what's meant to be. And the overall and deep meaning of eternal life to me is very, very powerful in the way I live my life.
One of the first reasons of why we would like to stay was the welcome, and the welcome by individuals as well as a group of people. We weren't in any way thought to be different because we were new, we were just thought to be people as we are, and that's who we wanted to be and, and, and we wanted to be amongst people like that.
Leading well
My life has changed dramatically in the sense of what I can now be involved in, what I can be part of, which the church has led me into. Although my partner doesn't get involved as much as I do, it's not the point - we are part of the church. Whatever we do I know is greatly received, but whatever we do is not there for being received. We want to do it and I want to do it. I want to be part of this.
I see lots of things in my life now that I never saw, I see lots of acts of Christianity, I see lots of things that I never saw in life. I see lots of acts of God, and my own faith, my own confidence in fact, makes me lead much more than I used to lead. I led a lot in life, I ran a company, but it's a different form of leading, it's a lead with the confidence of 'I don't have to teach, I just have to be', and that's a lovely thing to have.
It's very rewarding, it's very humbling, because a lot of people I see are needy, and if I can help I love the thought of being able to help. And by helping, that just means by being there and giving that time. So yeah, I think my expression now is to be amongst others and help. It's made my partnership so much better, my relationship is better with God, with Jesus, with the people around me, but then also it goes on to the people that are here in church, at Holy Trinity, and the people, the vicar, the curate, whoever is around. There are people that you know are there. They're really strong for you, they don't question you, they don't actually judge you, which is a lovely item in life not to have, and I feel very much part of that.
Be amongst people of faith
If I was to offer or suggest to someone to come and explore the Christian faith I'd like - I hope that they would see what I've got, because that was my initial feeling. Try and be amongst people with the faith, with a faith of Christianity, that is so endearing to me, that I would like to give that to them.
You know for the first time only last weekend, I watched a film, and I've never seen it before - I watched The Passion of the Christ. Wow, he just did that for me, and then things like that just keep hitting, oh wow, what can I suffer, what can I do that's going to actually come near that for others, that I can do for others? Not going to stop me doing it.
We all have big questions about faith, whether it’s brand new to us or something we’re re-examining years down the line. Throughout Come and See, Christians share their experience of God at work in their lives - sometimes the best way to find answers is to come and see them for yourself.