Now What?
November 15, 2020
Two weeks ago we talked about the upcoming election. The election is over. All along as I listened to the candidates from various parties and races, I was not sure who to believe. I’m not sure when it will end? Not every one of my candidates won, that’s probably true for most of us.
Part of the beauty of our country is we have the freedom to vote. That’s part of what we were celebrating last week on Veteran’s Day! We appreciate those who have defended our freedoms and we honor them! We don’t want those freedoms taken away or to have the perception they will be taken away. For those who have served or are serving, we thank you.
Most of us would say we love our country, yet our allegiance, must start with Jesus Christ!
Two weeks ago, we looked at the words of Jesus from the gospel of John. Remember these words from Jesus, when He said - -
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Then in John 17, in His final prayer, Jesus prayed --
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
So, why am I repeating myself? Because this really needs to be repeated over and over and over. It’s that important - and it must start with you and I.
People will take notice when they see you and I loving one another in a sacrificial manner. They will realize, slowly, that when we are ONE, the world will come to know that the Father sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world would be saved through Him. Jesus tells us in John 3:17
This must start with those who call themselves Christ followers.
BUT - - - there always has to be a but! Here’s the issue, as I see it.
How can I expect a non believer in Jesus to act like they are a believer in Jesus?
I can’t expect that! It’s hard enough for Christ followers to behave like they believe in Jesus. That’s why the call for us to follow Jesus, especially in the world we live in is so difficult and filled with hatred. People are not only angry, they are filled with hate.
This is a FB post from a relative of mine. This is what she wrote - “Don’t take this personally or do. There are 4900+ “friends” on my page. If you voted Biden say so. If not unfriend me. Love you all!”
I really wanted to respond privately, that no matter who I voted for, especially, if I didn’t vote for your candidate, don’t you want a conversation so that we can better understand one another? Don’t you want to be challenged and don’t you want to challenge me? Help me to better understand what and why you believe as you do? I’ve seen posts like that from nonbelievers and believers.
But nope! We don’t want that! We are filled with rage, anger, and malice. We tell people to boycott stores if they don’t vote our way.
I’ve seen people tell others to stop defending their choice because they don’t want to hear it. I truly believe we need to hear both sides so we can learn and grow.
I’ve seen some pretty ugly comments by Christians! People who have said things that shock me! All because they see the world differently. Do we really believe you’re going to change their mind with sarcasm and anger?!
The struggle is that not everyone abides by the golden rule -
DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU
It’s pretty simple, but we don’t abide by that. I’ve said it before, and it’s a pretty silly pet peeve of mine. If I let you go in front of me, either while driving or walking, acknowledge that I’ve done it. Wave your hand, say thanks - - whatever it is, show a little kindness back! Am I the only one that bugs!? I just had to get that off my chest. I do feel better!! :)
OK, now as we move forward, we can see that Jesus was asked what’s the greatest commandment - In Mark 12, Jesus said –
29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.
And that’s it. That’s all we are called to do. And we would say our neighbor is all of humanity. As we love our neighbors we are loving God and as we love God we are loving our neighbors. We can’t separate them according to religion, race, politics, age or anything. We are called to love! That’s the bottom line. Even to love those who are different and difficult and don’t agree with you.
That’s where we’re at as a country. I believe it’s up to the church - not to protest, but to have a conversation. Even to repent for the mistakes and sinfulness. I can only repent and ask for forgiveness for what I’ve done against God and humanity.
The church, through Jesus Christ is the last and only hope for this world.
Now, if you voted in Madison County, you experienced . . . really long lines. I thought I did well to get in line at 6:15. But that took me 2 1/4 hours. For others it was upwards of 5-6 hours. This wasn’t good and not what anyone, including the elected officials. I don’t believe this was to subvert votes.
I believe there were some catastrophic mistakes made. End of the story. I’m not blaming anyone, it happened, but what didn’t happen is of more concern to me. Instead of lots of apologies, pleas for forgiveness, there was more blaming and shifting of responsibility and accountability to others. Frankly, I don’t care who’s fault it was. Just say “we blew it, and we promise to fix it!” That’s it.
I believe that’s part of what’s missing in our world, especially in the Christian part of the world. In a world filled with so much anger, in a culture that wants to blame others, maybe what society needs is a confessing and repentant church.
Instead of casting blame and condemning others when we see a problem, especially when we don’t agree with them, can we help be part of the solution? When we blame, defenses go up and progress doesn’t happen. When we refuse to engage in conversations, we will never find hope and resolution.
Confession and repentance helps bridge the chasm between blame, authority, responsibility and accountability. You see, as the church, we are called to be different. As Paul reminds us — we are not to be of the world, we can’t act like the world does. We need to be the difference makers, the people who help others to see Christ!
When we think about ourselves personally - - What can you confess today? What part of this do you own? Who have you hurt? Who do you hate? Have you mistreated anyone?
If you have kids, don’t think for a moment that they are not watching, learning and will imitate you more than anyone. They’re watching how you react. And don’t be fooled to think those at work who know you are a Christian are watching how you react and what you say. When’s the last time you confessed to your spouse or children for saying something out of line or doing something which was hurtful? How about to a sibling, a friend, even a social media friend? How about at work or at the store?
Confess! Repent! Change the world!
When I confess my sins, even the ones in which I unintentionally hurt you - - we’ve all done it, when we’ve said something we didn’t mean, or it didn’t come out right / or for the things we didn’t do, which we should have. Now, we can start the healing process. It should never be our intent to hurt someone.
Imagine if that happened today in families, churches, and communities. Imagine how much healing could take place if we were sincere and committed about loving our neighbors. It doesn’t mean you have to hang out with the person who hurt you. Yet, kindness and compassion needs to be extended.
In talking to someone last week they told me they felt like a hypocrite for being nice to people who’ve hurt them and are simply not nice. I said, you’re not being a hypocrite, you’re being a Christian, you’re loving your neighbor. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Maybe they’ll recognize God’s love is being given to them.
Right now, everything is lined up for us to hate, not to have wholeness or healing. The media plays off of it. Good news stories don’t sell, hate and violence does.
A healthy society does not just happen, it takes me and you to be the start.
Our nation is so divided. Just like that relatives FB post. If you don’t see life my way, then away with you! That prayer from Jesus in John 17 is all about unity. His final prayer is a call for me and you and the entire church to be one unified body of believers.
When the early church was at its best, it was totally a counter-cultural revolutionary church, marked by unity.
A divided nation needs a united church.
That’s why we don’t talk politics. You can vote as you believe God is calling you to vote. I’ll always respect that - - and the larger body of believers should as well.
The church is losing out on the younger generations because they’ve seen the church at its worst. They’ve seen the inauthentic church at work, they experienced the hypocritical church and divided church. They don’t want that. Why would they. I don’t want that. The world is tough enough. The church should be a place of refuge where we experience the power and glory of God.
The world around us as far as I can see is tired. It’s been a long and trying year. Dealing with the virus, work stoppages, social injustices, sickness, uncertainty, the economics of it all, then the election. We’re all running on fumes. But I don’t think any of us knows how to stop the chaos and running and tiredness.
And now, honestly, we have Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up. How do we shop? What about Black Friday shopping? Will our families meet? Will we miss out on great family traditions? More to make us tired and weary.
Yet, we have One who proclaimed to us and encourages us to come to Him -
He calls the weary and heavy burdened - - come to me, come to me, come to me . . . I am the One - the only One who can give you rest.
So, how can we, the church help? I think the call for the church is to simply and most profoundly be the church Jesus Christ created. We need to be an alternative to what’s happening out there.
We need to have authenticity, grace, and hope, which comes from the power of Jesus Christ in our lives. We can admit it when we don’t have the answers. Because we don’t! I have my thoughts, but do I know the future? NOPE! But I know the One who holds the future in the palm of His hands. And I trust in Him. And hopefully, I pray, I can make Jesus known by my words and actions.
Right now I see our society filled with so much self-centered anger that they can’t see the forest through the trees. There needs to be an alternative.
Hope counters hate better than hate counters hate. Isn’t that true? Hate begets hate!! But hope can start to break down the walls of hate. It doesn’t happen overnight, because it takes trust. But it is possible! And hope is what the church, when we’re at our best can offer the world.
It’s not hope in Trump or Biden or anyone else. It’s not hope in a political party. It’s hope in Jesus Christ. The One who defeated death.
If we echo the culture, we get more of the culture.
Imagine if in the next few months in our church and our homes and in our work and at school - -
Love surged.
Hope exploded.
Grace erupted
God’s power was unleashed and people experience Jesus through us.
We could disagree but not be disagreeable.
We focus on what unites, not on what divides.
Just imagine what would happen.
