Blinded by a bright white light

About a month before Christmas, during the daily early evening national news programme, BBC television showed some profoundly moving film footage from Burnley, a market town in North West England.

Ranked as one of the most deprived areas to live in Lancashire, today’s Burnley belies the place it once was, during the boom of its vibrant textile industry a century ago. Nowadays, even with a job in manufacturing, many of the town’s residents are struggling to survive, finding it difficult to feed, clothe and house their families.

In response to the scale of the need, a local church leader, Pastor Mick Fleming, together with a few friends, started to help the homeless, and it didn’t take long for ‘Church on the Street Ministries‘ to be born.

The goal? To share the Gospel through faith in action with people in need in Burnley – by providing social welfare and tackling injustice.

The BBC news report focused on showing us about what this looks likes, in lockdown, in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic. What it didn’t reveal was the story behind it.

It took until the week before Christmas for that story to emerge – and it truly is a lightthroughthecracks one.

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Pastor Mick is an unlikely pastor.

He had a painful childhood, which was shattered by a sexual assault and scarred by grief and loss. From his adolescence onwards, he became immersed in an increasingly violent underworld of crime. Murder and armed robbery became the norm, and he gained a reputation as a dangerous drug dealer.

Then, one day, three decades later, he was reaching for his gun, fully intending to use it to commit murder – only to be blinded by a brilliant white light.

“It was white – brilliant white. For 15 seconds, I couldn’t see,” Pastor Mick told the BBC news reporter, “It was like looking into the sun, and I was paralysed by it.”

Collapsing in his car, he suffered a complete breakdown. He pleaded with God to help him – despite not knowing whether he believed God existed. He even pulled the gun on himself, but it failed to fire.

Looking back now, he likens his blinding light experience to the Apostle Paul’s dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9).

After the incident, Mick’s mental health led to him being taken into a local psychiatric ward, which Tony, a Christian pastor, would regularly visit. Over the course of time, Tony extended care and compassion to Mick, and they would chat and pray together, including about faith in Jesus. Thanks to Tony, Mick started helping other people. He decided to leave his troubled life behind. He found new hope for the future.

It led directly to what he is doing now, serving the people of Burnley, “What I do today is not a penance,” he told the BBC news reporter. ”It’s the complete opposite. It’s a privilege to serve the people of Burnley. It’s a glorious thing.” 

There is also a ‘twist’ in Pastor Mick’s story.

Decades after the sexual assault of his childhood, his path unexpectedly crossed with his assailant. Thanks to his newfound faith, he was able to forgive, and find redemption and peace.

Rather than filling you in with all the details here, I’m going to encourage you to read Pastor Mick’s story here, on the BBC website. (Please read right through to the end to get the full impact!) Alternatively, you can watch Pastor Mick sharing his story, in conversation with Father Alex Frost, another local church leader in Burnley.

However you decide to digest this incredible lightthroughthecracks story, I have one word of warning: Parts of it are deeply harrowing and traumatic, so please proceed with caution.

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Jesus said of those who crucified him: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). He also told His disciples: “If you do not forgive others their sins, your (heavenly) Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15).

For Pastor Mick, forgiveness has been key to the freedom and release he now experiences.

For you, I have to ask:
Have you forgiven all those who have wronged you?
Have you experienced the forgiveness of God, through Jesus?

As ever, if you want to share any thoughts or reflections in the comments below, you are more than welcome!

Photo by Kaitlin Duffey on Unsplash