When Jesus was raised from the dead the reality didn't
immediately impact the disciples. For
ten of the eleven it took an appearance of Jesus on Sunday evening to shock
them into a new normal of reality. For
the eleventh, Thomas, who wasn't present at the first gathering; it took
another week, another appearance, and a visible manifestation of Jesus' wounds.
I've always thought that a resurrection would so shake the
disciples that change would be immediate.
Not so, however. I suppose the
shock of it all could so overwhelm them that it would take time to
process. On the surface resurrection
from the dead is hard to believe after all; absurd might be the best word.
Perhaps that is why Jesus called His Church into a process
of being His witnesses in the world. Perhaps we ought to be patient with people
if they don't believe our witness as quickly as we might like. To be a witness requires that we be among
people, living out the ramifications of our own life-changing encounter with
Jesus. Hopefully, then, as we live with
them, Jesus will shine through us and they will be drawn to Christ as the Holy
Spirit works in their lives. It may
happen quickly. It may take time. Only God knows the ways of the human heart.
As Christians live in their world, seeking to be salt and
light, the most important prayer of our hearts ought to be, "Your
kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"
(Matt. 6:10). Our role, then, is to live like we so fully embrace the ways of
God's kingdom that our influence, energized by the Holy Spirit, will intrigue
people and perhaps help them come to Christ.
Regardless of what they do or not do concerning Christ Jesus, our role
is to offer people love, hospitality, and forgiveness.
This is a particularly important truth these days as our
world turns to violence more and more often.
How does the Church make Jesus known in this violent age? How do we Christians engage in the discussion
and live as faithful followers of the Prince of peace? What difference
does it even make for there to be Christians throughout the world?
On Thursday July 14, 2016 the attention of the world turned
to Nice France, where a man purposefully drove a truck into a crowded street
killing 84 people and injuring many others.
Many people, one more time, are seeking to name the event. Was it terrorism? Was it the act of a mad man? Was it ideologically based? Was it simply the act of a man with pint-up
anger issues? Name it what we will, it was murder. It was one more act of man's inhumanity to
man. One more time death won and life
lost. We'll go on, mind you. We always do; but at what cost?
How does the sanctity of life become a mindset in the human
condition? What will it take to end the violence and usher in a true day of
peace? I don't think the leaders of the
world know what to do. They know how to
give wonderful talks after horrific events but they don't seem to know how to
lead the world forward into a true civilization where violence is rare or
extinct. We ought not to be too hard on them, however, because violence exists
in our own neighborhoods and cities and homes.
What needs to happen so that peace can be realized
throughout the world? Where do we
begin? Is it even worth the effort to
try, knowing the broken condition of the human heart? Knowing the current disdain for Christians through
North America, will our voice be welcomed?
What can we do so as to reveal to the world the life of Jesus Christ and
His great love for the world?
I am only one voice, with very little influence, so I might
just be speaking to myself. Yet, maybe
the self is where the answers ultimately lie.
Maybe addressing issues like peace can't really be address at the macro
level. Maybe peace is always a micro
matter. The apostle Paul speaks to the
Church when he says, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live
at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18).
Let not anger be on the part of the church. Let not anger be on the part of followers of
Jesus. In 1927 Baylus Benjamin McKinney
wrote a poem-prayer we might need to make a part of our prayer life. He wrote,
Send a revival, O Christ, my
Lord,
Let it go over the land and
sea.
Send it according to Thy dear
Word,
And let it begin in
me.
"Let it begin in
me." Ah, there's the rub. The work of the Holy Spirit is done in the human heart; in my heart, and
yours.
What does that "revival" look like? It is very difficult for me to see God
bursting onto the scene like He did in Acts chapter two. At the same time who would have ever believed
at the time of the early Church that one Saul of Tarsus would come to
Christ? Maybe God has one more surprise
to lavish onto the world. I don't
know. I only know that God works in the
human heart and that if enough transformed human heart's merge into the
marvelous wonder called "Church," praying and living out the meaning
of, "Your kingdom come…Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,"
the possibility of peace will work its way into the human situation.
Maybe the peace we all seek will come one person at a
time. After all, the church is comprised
of persons as persons, persons living in the spirit of these holy words,
Do nothing from selfishness or
empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than
yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also
for the interests of others. Have this
attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed
in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be
grasped" (Phil. 2:3-4).
Do we really want peace?
Do we really want a safe world in which to raise our children? Do we
really want safe neighborhoods? Do we
really want wars to cease?
Maybe Mr. McKinney is on to something.
Send a revival, O Christ, my
Lord,
Let it go over the land and
sea.
Send it according to Thy dear
Word,
And let it begin in
me.
Let it begin in me. Isn't that a part of what Jesus meant when He
said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up
his cross and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24)?
