That is the question of the hour, the day, and the reality of our present culture. Established contracts are killed, marriages are mutilated, and churches are crucified by the question of what I am going to get out of something, even at the expense of others. When I was a junior in High School, Janet Jackson quarreled with the question, “What have you done for me lately” and in a Presidential Town Hall debate, a college-aged woman rose to ask the then-candidate, George W Bush, what he would do for her if he were elected.
Suppose I were on stage that night and had been asked that question. In that case, I’d probably have responded with something along the lines of, “Well, I’m going to challenge you to take hold of every opportunity you have as an American citizen and get up and do something great.” I would have followed the call of JFK, who broadcasted in his Inaugural address, “Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country.”
That is what I would have said if I were on stage running for the Presidential gig that day. But honestly, who am I kidding? (more…)
I received a Jury Summons
in the mail the other day. My first
thought when I saw the envelope and purpose within was not a nice one. My angst was probably driven by a number of
reasons. I was spinning a dozen or more mental
and emotional plates all at the same time that day and the thought of driving
to downtown Houston in early morning traffic is a favorite of no one. This duty just added to my present
depletion. Finding a way out of it was
probably my second thought. Reschedule? Quickly
move out of state? Join the Marines?
Fake symptoms of the West Nile virus?
After all . . . I had been in Africa three years ago.
When the dust cleared
and after a couple of days of processing, I was able to reassess the situation
and reminded myself of how blessed I am to be an American citizen. I have often suggested that the best education
for American teenagers would be a requirement to live for a month or more in a
third world socialist country before graduation. That would sure reduce the
amount of complaining going on these days.
In addition though, I’m also thinking that this might be a good thing
for many Americans of every age.
Despite whatever
problem we might be dealing with, I can assure you there are other places on
the globe where your conditions and contextual expectations would be much
worse. I also thought about whoever the
poor souls might be who are facing legal trials over the next month and
possibly the ones I’d be expected to serve on a jury for. If I were in their shoes; would I want
someone doing everything they could to get out of this role, or someone being
still and compassionately listening to all sides of the case and truly working
to discern accurate justice? Honestly,
I’d probably want someone like me who is trying to follow Jesus as a juror
member of whom I knew would be praying for wisdom. Thus, that is what I needed to be.
This whole process
also caused me to look at the local church as well. Often times we look at the local body of
Christ as something which exists for us.
We ask questions of the church in regard to what we are going to get out
of it. What are the others going to do
for us? How are we going to get our
needs and desires met? However, when
there is a need for our attention or time, we suddenly become too busy with
other life pursuits to lend a hand.
Sometimes this is just a sad reality. I’ve seen it. I’ve done it.
Yet when we look at what the authentic church is and what Christ calls for, we have new reason to serve instead of firstly being served. In numerous places in the Bible we see illustrations of the true church being comprised of many different people who all fit together tightly being blessed by each other and blessing others. Then of course there is the pattern of Jesus who said that he did not come to “be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many” and “greater love has no one than this; that he lay down his life for his friends.” Truly, Jesus demonstrated the greatest act of service by dying for your sins and rising again. Jesus offered salvation and showed us a new way.
America, or any
country for that matter, would be a better place when its citizens were first
looking out for others rather than for number one. This application is obviously true for followers
of Christ who have tasted the grace of Jesus. The more we look for ways to
serve instead of expecting to receive, the more the love of Christ will expand
and in fact, we will all be blessed by this sacrificial fruit.
Yes, there will be
tough times when our schedules must be interrupted or our desires set aside for
others. But the end game will be much more beautiful for all concerned.
I had heard the story of Dave Roever before. But I listened a little closer this morning as he was being interviewed by Focus on the Family on the radio. I suppose part of the reason being that my second son, David, went off to Marine Boot Camp last month and is on the road to being a veteran himself. If you’ve not heard of Dave Roever, he is a veteran of the Vietnam War. Dave is also a personal testimony of how God can move in some very profound ways even today. Roever was wounded and almost died from a white phosphorus grenade but lived and demonstrated a life of profound power and help to others. (more…)
For the discussions this evening we’ll dive into the question of Christian influence in the public sector and culture? Is authentic Christianity something that should remain behind the church house steps or allowed to permeate society? Some would argue the famed “Separation of Church and State” philosophy while others suggest that Christian influence in culture is a good and needed practice. Join us this tonight at 8p as we examine this question.
Recent Comments