Some of the Challenges of Changing Times!
During a morning walk earlier this week I found myself reflecting upon a time back in February of 1991 when my running mentor and friend, Ted Root, and I decided on a Sunday after church, that we would meet together later that afternoon and go for a run. It was one of those February days up north when the weather takes a break from the winter freeze. The temperature had risen into the mid 50s with northern Ohio gray, but it was the nicest day we had experienced in since early December. For the first time in at least two months we were running in just our shorts and our tee-shirts. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and as Ted described - it felt like we were young colts experiencing the joy of being released into the pasture for the first time and frolicking around in our new freedom. A cherished memory with a good friend.
Fast forward to a February day here in Florida this past winter with the temperature in the mid-50s. This time I am going for a walk. I’m wearing sweatpants, a sweatshirt, a windbreaker, gloves, a ski hat and I must talk myself into venturing into the frigid winter elements. The entire time I’m walking I find myself thinking maybe the summer 90-degree heat and humidity wasn’t so bad after all. When I get home, I triumphantly announce (at least to myself) how I have braved the frigid winter elements and brutal cold and survived! Quite a difference nearly 30 years can make!
Perhaps you chuckled as you read this. I know I have in recalling these moments. But there are changes that have been taking place in our society that are no laughing matter. How are we, as followers of Jesus Christ, to deal with these changes and the challenges they present.
I am thinking of the news reports late this week that white supremacist terrorists sought to kidnap the governor of Michigan. I applaud the Republican Legislature Leader who quickly and forcefully denounced these people and their alleged and foiled criminal actions. Like all they are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Having said that, it is also worth noting, the FBI seldom expends the efforts and resources it did on cases like this because they are dealing with innocent people. I also find it sickening that an elected county sheriff would seek to excuse their actions along the grounds of perhaps intending to make a citizens’ arrest of the sitting governor. Hopefully, the days of vigilantly justice such he was suggesting are behind us forever.
The question remains, what do we as Christians do?
1. The first thing is to expect and demand our elected officials, at every level from local to national, to stand up to and condemn violence and hatred wherever it occurs and whoever commits it. Nothing less is acceptable – ever.
2. The second thing is to expect and demand of ourselves the exact same thing. If we are not condemning violence and hatred everywhere then we are complicit – period, stop!
3. When it comes to our own hearts it means opening that dark side to the healing light of grace and forgiveness. In our faith heritage, the process for this is called repentance and confession. I find it helpful to think of confession and repentance not in linear terms but as a spiral process. By that I mean, the more I confess the more I come to understand my need to repent (turn my heart and life to God). Likewise, the more I repent, the greater my awareness of my need to confess becomes. Through this process we experience healing and new life.
4. Lastly, I believe we are called to commit our lives to making the words of the prophet Micah a foundational and guiding force everyday: “to do justice, and love kindness and to walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).
The biblical term justice means to actively seek the well-being of others. You could also say doing justice is making sure others get nothing less than they deserve because they too are precious children of God. To love kindness is to be passionate about kindness, which is best understood as the natural result of doing justice. It is my observation that the deficit of kindness in our society as a whole today is far more extensive than our National Debt! It can and must begin to be erased by people like you and me being kind. To borrow from the saying of the late Senator Everitt Dirksen of Illinois, an act of kindness here and an act of kindness there and before you know it you have a lot of kindness. When we are doing justice and loving kindness the result can only be discovering we are walking humbly with our God.
I can hear somebody saying, sounds good but way too idealistic. Our world is too nasty for this kind of love to prevail. My response is our world is too nasty for anything but this kind of love to prevail. The love Micah is pointing to is the same love that the entire witness of the Bible is pointing to. It is the greatest power in our universe, and it beats at the center of God’s heart.
Grace and Peace, John
Our Sweatshirt Outreach Ministry is Just Around the Corner!
We are fast approaching the time of year when we make sure every child at Manatee Elementary School has a sweatshirt for the colder winter months. I will be calling the school to get numbers this week. My guess is the number will be like in the past around 450. I will know more specifically after talking with my staff contact person. I will also expect to have a firm cost of sweatshirts from Hanes. Look for these in next week’s edition of Notes and News. I am excited as we prepare for this outreach ministry because I know of your faithful and generous support through the past years.