IT’S an uncomfortable truth for Christians, but Jesus made it quite clear in his teaching that he is more concerned about what we do than about what we say.

It was true for his first disciples and it is still true for us today. Of course what we say matters and if we fail to tell people about God’s love for them then we are letting them down – but it’s what we do that really matters if we want to show that love to this generation.

As one of Jesus’ earliest followers put it: “My children, love must not be a matter of word or talk; it must be genuine, and show itself in action” (1 John 3:18).

Down the centuries that has shown itself in all sorts of ways – whether in the foundation of hospitals and universities – or primary schools and the care of the poor.

And it is still going on today.

In the last 50 years some of the main impetus for hospices, both here in Oxford and all around the country, came from the Christian Community. In the last few years we have seen the phenomenal growth of food banks – again, an initiative with a Christian foundation – and one that now involves a majority of the churches in this county.

And there are many others as well. Some small, and some growing very large indeed.

One of my favourites is the work of street pastors. These are people who are out in the middle of Oxford and in many of our market towns, week in, week out, in all sorts of weather.

They are there because they care for the young people who are in our clubs and pubs and nightclubs.

Often, whether through drugs or drink, or some emotional trauma, these emerge onto the streets rather worse for wear and it’s the street pastors who are there to befriend them; provide a pair of flip flops if they have lost their shoes or can no longer stand on them; defuse a situation that is getting tense; or simply to get them into a taxi to send them safely home.

They don’t preach to them, but they do show the love of God.

I remember talking to a policeman about their work and he could not praise them highly enough, pointing out that they keep people safe, stop them getting into trouble and in some cases prevent them getting a criminal record.

It is love in action and it is immensely effective.

But it is also very demanding and finding new recruits in the churches is very challenging.

Don’t fall into the trap that I did of thinking that you need to be young to do it. I’m told that some of the most effective volunteers have a good few years under their belt.

After all, you don’t have a fight in front of your granny.