Christian leaders in Britain don’t seem very excited to have Tommy Robinson supporters showing up to Sunday services. They’re not necessarily fully Christian but have come to believe that Christianity is the only institution that can resist the government’s weird partnership with Islamists. What happened to meeting Christians where they are?

The BBC reports: All this has left the Church of England, an institution steeped in national history and culture, but which has undergone decades of declining attendance at its services, grappling with fundamental questions.

How does it challenge what some see as misrepresentations of Christian values, while welcoming potential new churchgoers?

And how does it reconcile engaging those on one side of the debate like Gareth, with continuing its long-standing interfaith work to foster understanding between Christians, Muslims and people of other faiths and support asylum seekers?

When Gareth walked into the church in Little Horton, he met its vicar, the Reverend Derek Jones, who encapsulates the dilemma. Since then, Mr Jones has mainly been listening to Gareth and exploring what he means by British or Christian values.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to understand where he’s coming from and what he thinks it means to promote the values that he associates with the Christian faith,” says Mr Jones.

A mostly bald man wearing glasses and with a brown long bears, sits in front of church furniture while wearing a navy blue jacket. He is straight-faced, showing little emotion.

“There are times when I question whether some of these movements fully understand the gospel that they are seeming to walk behind, and my gut feeling is it’s more about identity than faith,” he adds.

It’s a “difficult road for the Church to walk,” he says.

This debate has left some prominent Christians feeling deeply uncomfortable. In September, a group of Church of England bishops joined leaders from other Christian denominations to condemn what they called the “co-opting of the cross” at Robinson’s rally as a means of causing division and “excluding others”.

While they acknowledged in an open letter that many of those at the rally felt a “deep sense of frustration at feeling unheard”, the bishops said the “cross was the ultimate sign of sacrifice for the other”, and that Jesus called on people to love their neighbours.”

Awwwww. The poor things are uncomfortable.

This is a symptom off a disease that is infecting so much of Christianity. The clergy. They talk about love, about compassion, about reaching out. But when it comes to the real world they turn tail. They’re happy to meet the blue haired rainbow wearing leftist where they are. No questions asked. They nod, they smile, they shake hands. They lecture about inclusion, about justice, about understanding. But the moment someone shows up from the right who sees the world differently, who has a different idea of what’s right, they back away. They clutch their pearls.

It’s hypocrisy, plain and simple. It’s easy to nod along with the liberals, to say, “We’re all God’s children,” when the “children” are marching in step with their agenda. But if someone dares to show up (gasp!) a Tommy Robinson supporter, a Christian who sees the rising tide of Islamists in England as a threat, then suddenly, the church’s tone shifts. It’s uncomfortable. It’s awkward. It’s a scandal. Because they’re not really interested in meeting people where they are. They’re interested in controlling the narrative.

What happened to the idea of meeting Christians where they are? That phrase “meeting people where they are,” it’s supposed to be about empathy, understanding, dialogue. It’s about embracing the sinner, the outsider, the different. But what it really is, is a tool. A way to keep the power, to silence dissent, to box people in.

They say, “Oh, we welcome everyone.” But when the “everyone” includes those who think differently they stiffen. They say, “That’s not our way,” or “That’s too political,” or worse, “That’s dangerous.” They pick and choose who they meet. They’re happy to shake hands with the liberal, the progressive, the secularist because that’s predictable. That’s safe. That’s what they’re used to.

But the right? The Christian supporter of Tommy Robinson? The one who believes Islam’s influence is a threat? That’s a different story. That’s a threat to the narrative. That’s a challenge to their authority. So they back away. They turn their backs. They hide behind the altar, behind the pulpit, behind their “love thy neighbor” sermons. But love, it seems, only extends so far.

It’s the same old game. Pretend to be open. Pretend to be loving. But when it’s real, when it hits close to home, they’re nowhere to be found. They’re more interested in maintaining their moral high ground than in actually doing what they preach. They’re hypocrites, cloaked in righteousness, afraid of the truth that might challenge their comfort.

So what happened to meeting Christians where they are? It’s a lie. They meet who they want, when they want, where they want. And the rest? The rest get ignored, dismissed, silenced. Because in the end, it’s not about love. It’s about control.

And that’s the real scandal.