So, as a shout out to all of our local churches who are stepping up to the plate and helping folks in need, thank you! Your service is greatly needed and appreciated. But to those of us belonging to the corporation of the church, beyond the checks our church offices write and and the service projects our youth groups complete, what are WE doing individually? When the community hears the word 'Christian' what picture is in their mind? The one of the church up the road with the pretty landscaping or the mini-park behind their facility, or of the neighbor or co-worker or Facebook friend who managed to tritely ignore their need yesterday?
From the folks I have spoken to recently before writing this, I found that a lot of folks in need think of the church that has helped them as a 'charity' which they categorize with other assistance programs. They do not typically link the actions committed by those charities as 'Christian'. So what is a 'Christian'?
In the words of an old hymn, “To whom much has been given, much more shall be required. You have given gold and silver, will you give to Him your lives? Will you labor with the Savior? Will you do as He requires? For to whom much has been given, much more shall be required.” How many of us are willing to be inconvenienced with the labor of our faith? It is easy to give our money, and maybe an hour or two of service for this or that “ministry” at our church. But when we know of someone who's car is broke down and needs a ride somewhere, do we offer to help them? When we know of someone who's utilities have been disconnected because of a job lost, do we offer to help with the reconnection, or offer them the use of our shower or washing machine? If we know of someone who is just having a bad day or year, do we offer to take them out to coffee or lunch or dinner? Do we ever offer more than trite little answers like “God will provide.”? Do we ever do more than promise to pray for them and walk away leaving them feeling just as alone? Do we ever allow ourselves to not have the answers but choose to walk with them so that they do not have to walk alone? Can we get past the stench of their lives to love them? And by stench I mean that both figuratively and literally. Can we overcome the desire to point out the obvious in their lives? Do people really need us to tell them that them living with that person, or getting drunk or shooting drugs into their veins is wrong? Do people really need us to tell them that we see them as the unwashed, unreformed, needy, screwed up people that they are? Can we get past the temptation to want to present ourselves to those who need as 'the pulled together, perfect, pretty people'? The people who would love to make them into the same if they would only follow our program.
Most people don't want to be mentored, or fixed. Most simply need and want to be loved and accepted. As a 'little Christ' we need to commit to being that to others, Christian and non.
What our world needs is not another charity, however nice they may be. What our world, or better yet, what our community needs is a Savior. And if we are the only version of Jesus Christ they will ever encounter, shouldn't we consider more closely how we represent Him?
As an exercise: Put yourself in the shoes of a single mom, what do you think your needs would be and how would you want people to interact with you?
Imagine that you are someone who just lost their job. What would your needs be? How would you want people to treat you?
Assume for a moment you had lost your partner, husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend, what ways or things would really encourage you? Where would you need people?
Think for a moment what someone coming from an abusive past might feel like walking into church and how they might perceive actions around them. In what ways could you show Christ's Love?
Our responsibility is not just to be 'Christ' for the ones we deem unsaved but for everyone. We need to live without judgment. Speak without condescension. Live outside of condemnation. See the needs that Christ sees. When we arrive in heaven and God asks if WE, not the (insert name of church corporation here), met the needs of those around us what will we say? When God looks at me, I hope He sees a life devoted to giving above and beyond the offering plate and nebulous ministries that have no weight in eternity. I hope He always finds me reaching out, listening, loving, doing.
