Few people would disagree that we Live in times of true shaking and turmoil more than ever before in history.
For some in our communities it feels like going through a dark endless tunnel with little to hope for at its end.
Among all the people experiencing shaking in this time small businesses and business owners would come 1st to mind. As we talked to a couple of small business owners in the region, we realized the fear they are living under of breaking the safety laws and having to lose their licenses or close their business again. According to one of them as we tried to reassure him, he said ‘’ for some it might go well for some it might not …’’ due to the pandemic.
To open their businesses takes courage and carries a risk they face the challenge with external courage while trembling inside.
As Christians we certainly have something better to offer for those in times of turmoil.
It is worth spending few moments as you start your day to think how you can be a salt and light to those struggling in our communities.
Many are hungry and thirsty for a street conversation like never before. It is a time where Jesus can be part of our daily talk to our neighbors, grocers, people waiting in line in supermarkets , and those wait time can be long today, the pandemic is creating endless opportunities to share for people to come to know the source and reason of our hope.
Loneliness and depression are hitting hard our communities and some are willing to even risk their lives to break those walls of isolation.
And there is no better place than warm Christian welcoming hearts and openness to embrace those feeling estranged and disconnected.
We certainly need to do something better than preaching to one another on the Internet we need to embody the ‘’unseen Jesus’’ to an unbelieving society so people can see Him touch Him and trust in His Love.
I would even dare to say that it’s impossible to convince people that God loves them without us being the 1st demonstrators of that Love ! They need to have a taste of that love before they can believe that a loving God ever exists.
No wonder Jesus summed it all up that we will be known as His Disciples by our love in John 13:35
‘’ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
And there nothing that speaks louder then acts of love to our thirsty communities.
If there is anything our churches need to be busy talking about planning for and discussing it’s how to create venues to touch our communities in a practical way that reflects who Jesus is in our current challenging times.
I believe many people would agree with me that we are not lacking internet preaching these days!
But we are lacking the hands and feet of Christ in our communities daring to break the walls of fear and isolation and moving with courage to do the works :of Christ in the market place.
Needless to say, that we need to be supporting one another in the body in those times of uncertainties; We are God’s visual Gospel and hiding in times of crisis when our brothers are in need defeats all what we have been preaching for decades. These are the days where we need to live Christ so people can see the way and walk in it.
It is easy to talk like a witness but certainly harder to live like one! It’s more costly to become the message we preach and the call is to live.
I strongly believe if 99 % of our daily activities is spent revolving around ourselves and families then, our Christianity needs a review. It is a fruitless Christianity that needs amendment. The word says clearly that faith without works is dead and that we will know true followers of Christ by their fruits.The bible speaks of an active kind of faith that transforms and regenerates not a mental passive one.
Jesus was again radically expressing that in Matt 13:35 ‘’A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.’’
The simplicity of the gospel appeals to the pure in heart. Ironically, I would say while the simple followers of Jesus listen and apply the truths of the kingdom, the intellectuals are busy accumulating knowledge trying to find secrets behind the words ending up with endless debates and arguments about theology !!
The world needs to see the purpose of our existence as a Church on earth embodied.
Our mission fails if the totality of our activities is reduced to preach to and warm one another and the church pews. Our living active faith must touch someone each day.
The more Spirit filled we are the more natural it becomes and simpler it comes to pass;
It flows as a natural expression of the Holy spirit living in us.
It is not hard to preach Jesus and touch souls if we allow Him to love people through us.
Christ’s love in action flowing through us is far more able to reach out to others then our own limited words.
Brothers and sisters, this is the time where outreach needs to be part of each monthly if not weekly calendar and where not only the mission department is involved but the whole Community of believers in Church gets involved.
The great Commission starts with a call to go and we could find no greater times to respond to that call than the times we live in today.
