Tuesday, October 04, 2016
I am going to make the United States better...
I am really concerned about a number of things happening in the United States recently.
Election season with the overwhelming majority of campaigning done on both sides consists of character assassination and lies.
Living in a culture where everyone is encouraged to make their own decisions about what is right and/or what is wrong. And should you disagree with someone, you are reviled and attacked.
It is time I did something about it.
But here is what I am not going to do.
I am not going to lament the good old days in our country. Because there were no good old days. Injustice, greed, hatred, racism, and evil have been around since our country started. Civil war, slavery, abortions, robber barons, These are just a few of the ways evil is -- or has been -- demonstrated in our country.
I am not going to lobby for moral laws so we can legislate Christian behavior.
I am not going to huddle in fear of what this world is coming to. This world is coming to the same thing it came to with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Satan is powerful and evil abounds.
I am not going to hope somehow the Church will become relevant in our society. Not going to put my faith in bigger and better buildings. Or in devising more relevant programs.
Not going to write a few checks to local charities to ease my conscience.
No... it is too easy to moan and groan and complain. Too easy to put trust in politics. Too simplistic to hope the corporate Church can do something. Too easy to write a check for someone else to do something.
I believe it is time to be courageous.
So here is what I am going to do. Come to think about it... what I have been doing. What I was called to do when I decided to follow Jesus.
Live the way Jesus did. I am going to try every day to follow him. To do what he would do. To not do what he would not do. I will live counter to my culture. Loving God with everything I have.
I am going to radically love the people I connect to in my life orbit. I am going to serve. Helping my neighbors. Being a friend to the lonely and the friendless.
And I am going to talk about Jesus. I am going to tell people about the one who died for our sins and was raised back to life. And I going to invite people to join me on the Jesus journey. Helping them learn to love God and love their neighbors.
And when I do that, my corner of the world changes. And when the people who follow Jesus make other followers, the world changes a little more.
That is how to change a family, a neighborhood, a city, a nation, and a world.
And I can do that. Not elections, not programs, not other people.
Me. I can make a difference. I have. And I will.
You can too.
So Father, give us the courage to live in our world. To serve in our world. To speak good news into our world. Help us to live as your followers. Forgive us when we think elections and programs are better than our getting into the lives of those you put in our world. Help us to love you radically and to love others radically. Use us -- use me -- to change the world forever.
Election season with the overwhelming majority of campaigning done on both sides consists of character assassination and lies.
Living in a culture where everyone is encouraged to make their own decisions about what is right and/or what is wrong. And should you disagree with someone, you are reviled and attacked.
It is time I did something about it.
But here is what I am not going to do.
I am not going to lament the good old days in our country. Because there were no good old days. Injustice, greed, hatred, racism, and evil have been around since our country started. Civil war, slavery, abortions, robber barons, These are just a few of the ways evil is -- or has been -- demonstrated in our country.
I am not going to lobby for moral laws so we can legislate Christian behavior.
I am not going to huddle in fear of what this world is coming to. This world is coming to the same thing it came to with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Satan is powerful and evil abounds.
I am not going to hope somehow the Church will become relevant in our society. Not going to put my faith in bigger and better buildings. Or in devising more relevant programs.
Not going to write a few checks to local charities to ease my conscience.
No... it is too easy to moan and groan and complain. Too easy to put trust in politics. Too simplistic to hope the corporate Church can do something. Too easy to write a check for someone else to do something.
I believe it is time to be courageous.
So here is what I am going to do. Come to think about it... what I have been doing. What I was called to do when I decided to follow Jesus.
Live the way Jesus did. I am going to try every day to follow him. To do what he would do. To not do what he would not do. I will live counter to my culture. Loving God with everything I have.
I am going to radically love the people I connect to in my life orbit. I am going to serve. Helping my neighbors. Being a friend to the lonely and the friendless.
And I am going to talk about Jesus. I am going to tell people about the one who died for our sins and was raised back to life. And I going to invite people to join me on the Jesus journey. Helping them learn to love God and love their neighbors.
And when I do that, my corner of the world changes. And when the people who follow Jesus make other followers, the world changes a little more.
That is how to change a family, a neighborhood, a city, a nation, and a world.
And I can do that. Not elections, not programs, not other people.
Me. I can make a difference. I have. And I will.
You can too.
So Father, give us the courage to live in our world. To serve in our world. To speak good news into our world. Help us to live as your followers. Forgive us when we think elections and programs are better than our getting into the lives of those you put in our world. Help us to love you radically and to love others radically. Use us -- use me -- to change the world forever.
