“Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:15
We, as the Church, have an opportunity. A glorious one.
As the world stumbles through its days, weariness sets in. Darkness looms. We live in unpredictable times. All that seemingly appeared to secure our feet in this earthly realm is falling away. Though everyone’s loss is different, we feel the weight of grief. We are in this together.
Recognizing our obligations to one another has been a characteristic of God’s people since the beginning. Sharing about my experience last year reading through the Old Testament, “… as I read the Old Testament again, so much stood out for me that didn’t in previous studies. The themes of welcoming the foreigner, and the counter-cultural ways in which we should treat each other, spoke to me in verses that I had previously glossed over. The more I come back to these passages, the more I see how much we, as the church, still have to learn about loving others. The question is: How will we respond?”(http://www.theartoftaleh.com/how-can-the-church-do-better-at-loving-others/)
In this crisis, we have an opportunity to not just wash our hands but other’s “feet.” To be the Church is to offer ourselves to serve others with the skin of Jesus. However that looks: sewing masks, working as medical personnel, calling on neighbors, acknowledging others’ fears and grief, advocating for the marginalized falling through systemic loops, and calming our children.
So as people prepare to celebrate Easter in a way that didn’t fit expectations, let us hold out the hope. Show others why we embrace a kingdom that seems upside down. As Ann Vos Kamp writes in The Broken Way, “A Christ-shaped life is not a comfortably shaped life, but a cross-shaped life.” May we all squint from the glory that radiates.
This post is written for the Five Minute Friday Writing Community! Come join us! https://fiveminutefriday.com/
Great post, Stephanie! You should know that the FMF link you gave actually goes to the FMF homepage.
The greatest life that we can give,
the valued message we might send
is that we choose to boldly live
the true Christ-life unto the end.
It matters not the storm and trial;
we are not made for ordinary,
and up the Dolorosa mile
of stony steps a cross we carry,
redolent of blood and sweat;
not death-smell of despairing doom,
but of the true God who will yet
bathe the world in His perfume
transfigured in His dying gasp
to all our hope, all we could ask
Stunning! Thanks for the heads up.
Hope, the gift that keeps on giving! We, the church are in the prime position to offer it too! Thanks for these encouraging words Stephanie!
Hi Stephanie, I listened to a webinar this morning that addressed this very thing, all of it in our midst God is moving, doing something new with His Church. I thank you for this post as it is continuing to stir my Spirit in ways that are not clear yet. Love in Christ, Julie
Thanks Julie!