Fran Kirby works part-time for Affinity managing their publications and is a part-time MTh student at Edinburgh Theological Seminary. When she’s not reading theological journals, she can be found exploring the Peak District with her husband and their border collie.
1. How did you become a Christian?
In the Lord’s kindness, I grew up in a Christian family and I don’t remember a time when I didn’t believe in Jesus. However, I made my own commitment at eight years old at Spring Harvest – and it’s been a joy to see the Lord continue what He began in me!
2. What lessons have you learnt since that you would want to pass on to a younger Christian version of yourself?
That justification is both about ‘just as if I had never sinned’ and ‘just as if I had always kept the law’. It isn’t only that your sin is dealt with through Jesus’ sacrifice, incredible though that is. It is also that God looks at you and sees in you the righteousness of His Son. You are not only a forgiven servant. You are also a cherished child – He doesn’t just tolerate your presence, but actively welcomes and delights in it.
3. How would you describe your prayer life?
Best when walking the dog! I find it difficult to concentrate on prayer when I’m sitting indoors – my mind drifts to the next part of my day. Being out and about also encourages me to praise God for His creation. And since we often see the same people, it helps me pray for them regularly.
4. Which two or three Christian books apart from the Bible have most influenced your faith?
And the Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers. Every time I read it, it reminds me of how critical prayer is – and that the Lord’s “not yet” is not the same as His “no”! C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters for the reminder that God is way bigger than my idea of Him (“Not to what I think thou art but to what thou knowest thyself to be”).
5. Who or what have been your biggest Christian influences?
My husband Tom, for modelling Jesus by always having a ready arm and a sympathetic heart whenever arthritis bothered me – and by the same love that makes him determined to be woken or interrupted whenever my current health conditions are causing problems. My friend Anne, for us learning together to keep walking with Jesus through the days which involve trips to the zoo and the ones which involve trips to the hospital. My friend Helen, for a friendship which has spanned all the way from my childhood (which saw us having water fights and drawing cartoons of Amos) to the present (which includes weekly Bible studies, Lord of the Rings memes and, sadly, fewer water fights). And last, but definitely not least, Mike Ovey, both for helping me understand justification better and for all the time he made in his busy schedule to listen to my questions and share his wisdom.
6. What are the main challenges you believe Christians face today?
Tribalism has to be one of the biggest ones. Whether that’s because of our network or denomination, our socio-economic backgrounds, our politics or whatever else, we are very prone to falling into patterns of thinking that revolve around “us” and “them”. We – and to my shame I include myself in this – are very good at forgetting that we are all “fellow citizens” and “members of the household of God” (Eph.2v19).
7. What encourages and what discourages you?
I find it immensely discouraging when I see Christian leaders or organisations getting things badly wrong. Or when I mess up myself. But I am so encouraged when I see the Lord in the process of turning brokenness into holy wholeness.
8. What makes you laugh?
My husband, but don’t tell him that his bad jokes actually amuse me!
9. What would you want to say to the wider evangelical world?
We need each other. My MTh research focuses on understanding Philippians 4v19 by exploring what the rest of the Bible says about human need and divine supply – and the corporate theme has been present in every passage I’ve looked at so far. We aren’t made for a siloed existence. We are made to worship God in community, comforting each other with the comfort he has given us (2 Cor.1v4).
10. Which Biblical person (other than Jesus) do you most look forward to meeting in glory and why?
Any of the more minor female characters in the Gospels. The Syro-Phoenician woman. The woman who was bleeding. Jairus’ daughter. I’d love to hear how their stories continued after they met Jesus.
