Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?  Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:13-18).

Even if he does not deliver us, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

Background

This was a big event. There were likely thousands on the plain of Dura commemorating this new statue.  There were governors, treasurers, judges, magistrates.  There were also 3 Jewish young men. The instructions couldn’t be clearer.  When the music started either bow down and worship the statue or be thrown into a fiery furnace.

The three young men made a decision. They would not bow.  Now they had a date with the King.  A king that was not in a good spot.  A king that Daniel suggested was “furious with rage”.  The atmosphere must have been intense.  Their answer was the same.   But this time they added an exclamation point “King, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.”  They went on to tell the King they would not serve or worship the image of gold that was set up.

Reflections

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego by all accounts were young men. Some believe they could have been as young as 11-13.  And despite their youth, they couldn’t have been clearer on their priorities.  They knew the power of their God.  And they were playing for eternity.  And their bravery inspires me.

There are times where I wonder how heaven reacts to examples of courage that honor Him. There must be joy.  As the guys said “if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it” I can see the father break into a smile and then look over at an angel and wink and say “I’ve got an assignment for you”.  A very proud father.

If I’m honest, when I read this bible story I typically feel convicted. I can be cautious about sharing my faith.  Nervous that I may strain a relationship.  Fearful of what someone will think about me.   More concerned about how they think about me…than where they spend eternity.

There are other times I haven’t leaned in. Back in high school my brother and I were taking a walk.  A car braked hard and stopped on a neighborhood street.  A young girl and young man both jumped out screaming at each other and met at the front of the car.  She called him a name.  He smacked her.  It knocked her down.  They both ran back into the car.  My brother and I were stunned.  We were paralyzed.  We did nothing.  I told myself it happened so quick.  In my heart I know I could have done better.  I really wish I had that one back.

Lord, for many years I have played it safe. When danger closes in I have been cautious.  You can redeem my past.  Please give me Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s clarity of purpose.  A clearer sense of priority.  A willingness to lean in whatever the cost.  To play more for eternity.  To make you proud.  To make you smile.  Amen.

What if the Christian community became fearless in sharing their faith and the good news?

What if Christian’s stood more resolute than anyone in defending those who were the recipients of injustice? Or the orphaned?  Or the widows?  Would our actions reset the world’s view of the church?

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV)

Lay up treasure by doing good deeds, and be generous and willing to share.

Background

The letter of 1 Timothy was written by Paul and directed to Timothy to share with the church at Ephesus.  Ephesus was one of the largest and most prosperous cities in Asia Minor at the time of the writing.  It was a city with many affluent people.  It was a city that in Paul’s estimation required a warning.

Reflections

Few topics in the gospels generate more attention than money and possessions. Howard L. Dayton Jr. in his book entitled “Leadership” noted that:

• Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables were concerned with money or possessions
• In the Gospels, an amazing one out of ten verses (288 in all) deal directly with the subject of money
• The Bible offers nearly 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on money and possessions

The emphasis on money isn’t because God needs our resources.  Instead, the attention on money and possessions suggests there are few areas that compete more for our heart. The father wants nothing more or less than our heart…all of it.   The enemy’s goal is the same – to win our hearts.  But he introduces alternatives.  Very appealing counterfeits.  The enemy is a master marketer.  And one of his most powerful marketing messages in culture today is that the pursuit of financial gain for comfort and pleasure is a worthy goal.

The pursuit of prosperity is at the very ethos of the American dream…We need to have money to live in suburban houses that are in “safe” neighborhoods. We need to drive new vehicles.  We need to reserve massive amounts of our earnings and designate to 401K’s for the pursuit of many retirements that chase recreation as a priority.  We need to reserve significant amounts for our children’s future college education for the pursuit of their future comfortable lives…and the cycle often continues…

But, do our perceived “needs” and the cultural whispers line up with the biblical narrative?

My wife and I know a couple that early in their marriage decided to make a counter cultural decision. They decided to tithe and to prayerfully consider identifying alternative opportunities to give beyond the tithe.  They didn’t live in the biggest house or drive the newest cars or take the most exotic vacations…but over their marriage they have invested tens of thousands with various ministries and individuals in need.  And a peculiar thing happened…God provided amazing favor in their lives.  While this was never their goal, God blessed them beyond their generosity.

And this couple’s reality was supported through a biblical promise found in Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

Let’s take the Lord up on his challenge. Let’s test him.  Let’s push the boundaries of generosity.

Lord, help us to think more about what we can give than what we can spend our money on. Help us to have courage to accept your test.  To loosen the grip on our money.  To prioritize a kingdom mind-set over a consumer mind-set.  To model the love that you extended to us…with the resources you have entrusted to us.  Change our hearts.  Amen.

What if in the pursuit of generosity we learned in heaven someday that our kingdom investments enabled many to come to faith?

What if the Christian church modeled generosity to such a degree that the poor or needy in their community knew that the church could be fully counted on to take care of every one of them if disaster struck? How would that impact the poor community’s view of Christianity?  How would that impact the non-Christian’s view of Christianity?

Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. (Exodus 33:10-12)

And while Moses would return to the camp, Joshua did not. He soaked in God’s presence.  He lingered.

Background

This passage represents an amazing picture of God’s presence. It was like a pillar of cloud.  It was visible.  And it captured the attention of the Israelites.  For a people that were under captivity for hundreds of years it served as yet another example of God’s power.  The people would do more than just passively observe…they would worship.  God’s mysterious power begged for a response.  It begged to be glorified.

As the author of Exodus, Moses felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to add one small detail at the end of some very powerful pictures in the verses previous. The clause can get easily overlooked… “Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent”.

Reflections

Do you ever wonder what qualities God admires and values?

Moses was one of the most impressive characters in the bible. Few had his faith.  Few had his leadership skills.  And few had his courage.  As a protégé, it would have been understandable if Joshua followed Moses around closely and studied his every move.  Because that is what we frequently do right?  We most easily follow people.

And yet Joshua was different. It wasn’t Moses presence that Joshua was pursuing by staying in the tent.  Moses had returned to the camp.  It was the Lord’s presence.

The Lord knew that Moses wasn’t ultimately going to be leading the Israelites to take the promised land. The Lord needed to identify a successor.  Conventional wisdom would suggest that a fearless leader would be chosen.  Perhaps a great warrior.  And yet God’s selection criteria is different.  He chose a man who frequently preferred absorbing God’s presence by staying in the tent.

Lord, current culture continues to whisper to me truths that don’t line up to your priorities and selection criteria. Please pour out wisdom and revelation so I can more easily see the world through your lens.  Specifically, help me to prioritize time with you.  To slow down.  To make time.  To be someone who consistently lingers in your presence.  Use me Lord.  Amen.

What if we spent more time lingering in God’s presence?  Would it be possible that God would more clearly reveal his specific purpose for our lives?

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  At once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-22)

Background

Jesus had between 3 and 4 years to establish his ministry; set the course for history; and prepare his team for unprecedented individual challenges after his death. There has never been a bigger assignment.  So what would today’s “savvy” leader do if saddled with that type of assignment?  Probably, something along these lines:  1. Assemble the strongest team of high potential type A leaders you could find, real movers and shakers; 2.  Develop a version of a SWOT (strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats) business analysis and lay-out a strong strategic plan…plan the work and work the plan; 3. Ensure that massive amounts of time was spent in front of as many people as possible, make sure that high profile public interactions were absolutely maximized.  4. Work around the clock, there wasn’t much time.

If I’m honest, versions of the above have framed some of my own thinking on how to best expand the kingdom in my world. Applying the collective wisdom of today’s business world to maximize the kingdom must be a good thing right?

And yet…Jesus plan was different. It defied conventional wisdom.

Jesus assembled a rag-tag bunch of young guys with no classical training. He built in massive amounts of alone time with God…and his disciples.  He occasionally asked the recipients of the healings to keep it quiet.  He spoke indirectly in parables.  His formula was so different than what culture would offer as a wise approach to us today.  It frequently is.

Reflections

Using wise practices and applying them to expand Kingdom assignments isn’t necessarily a bad thing. These practices can be additive and helpful.

But…our world emphasizes self-sufficiency. Linear thought.  Getting it right ourselves.  It becomes very easy in our pursuit of kingdom assignment success to place a disproportionate amount of focus on our efforts. Our talents.  Our work. Our leadership. And in it all we can subtly delegate God’s engagement to an after-thought.

God many times appears to find great joy in executing a plan…in the most unusual ways.

Involving God through prayer needs to frame our priorities. We need to listen closely to His whispers…because maybe He once again has a non-conventional plan that will cause awe.  In the unusual.

Lord, you know my training and history. I spend an inordinate amount of time on the plan.  The conventional one.  Help me to seek your whispers directing to the unusual…and to listen. Help me to then have courage and faith to obediently take the path.  Amen.

What if we better balanced application of conventional wisdom with openness to non-conventional whispers?  Would some of our pursuits yield more fruit?

What if as a church we spent more time pursuing and prioritizing prayer and listening to His voice as we do with pursuing current popular management techniques such as leadership development?

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.  (Matthew 16: 15-20)

Background

The Father revealed this deep revelation to Peter.  Jesus then informed the disciples that Peter’s life would be a foundation for building the church.  So much confidence must have been breathed into Peter at that point.  Peter was a man of action.  Peter was a lion.

Reflections

I often think about what God saw in some of the unlikely characters he used to advance His kingdom. Moses.  David.  Paul.  And Peter.  All were massively flawed.  And yet they were chosen for some of the bigger kingdom-related assignments ever delegated.  With all the people options available to God, do you ever wonder why they specifically were recruited for “such as time as this”?

I do think there is one quality that connects them all. Each one of them had a bias towards action.  They leaned in…in many cases to a fault.  Moses leaned in to defend a Hebrew man that was being brutalized by an Egyptian.  He went too far.  He killed the soldier.  He was at it again the very next day, this time defending a Hebrew man in an argument against another.  He fled to Midian and watched some shepherds drive away some women from a well.  He intervened. The guy was always leaning in.  David smack-talked Goliath, volunteering for a confrontation as one of the biggest underdogs on record.  You can almost feel his energy as he was delivering meals to his brother’s on the front lines where Goliath was mocking the Israelites and God.  David just couldn’t let the status quo continue.  David wanted in.  You know the rest of the story.  Paul was whipped 5 times; three times beaten with stones; three times he was involved in shipwrecks.  The list goes on and on.  If God had a dangerous assignment, Paul was always willing.

And yet Peter is an enigma. Most focus on his inadequacies.  He took his eyes off Jesus while walking on the water.  He cut off the ear of a man trying to arrest Jesus.  He denied Jesus 3 times…and yet there is another side.  In Matthew 4:19-20 Jesus said to them,

“Follow Me. I will make you fish for men!” At once they left their nets and followed Him. 

Two words stand out.  At once.  Unlike me, Peter was not known to ponder.  While Peter did begin to sink after taking his eyes off Jesus, I think the bigger story is that when Jesus said “come” the guy literally stepped out of the boat in a large storm.  No questions asked.  Have you every been in a boat in a storm?  Amazing.  Jesus was being arrested by the mob after Judas betrayal.  Peter’s first instinct was to protect.  Out came the sword.  Even after most of the disciples fled after Jesus was arrested, notice that Peter continued to follow Jesus from a distance as he was taken away.

Yes, Peter was impetuous.  But he also had a bias towards action.  And Jesus and the Father determined to put their chips behind Peter.  “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…” (Matthew 16:18).  Is it possible that while our culture values perfection and cautiousness that God places a premium on those who demonstrate a bias towards action?

Many of us live in a western world that increasingly values safety and comfort, whose pursuit is fertile ground for sowing spiritual passivity.  Many pursue jobs that allow us to live very “comfortably”.  We encourage our kids to do the same.  I hear it in friend’s voices who proudly describe the future comfortable vocations of their children.  Many of us sign up for life insurance.  Many carefully plot out our retirements.  It permeates our culture.  And through it all we collectively model to our kids what is important to us.  Our kids see it.  My kids have seen it in me.  It doesn’t have to end this way though.

Actively leaning in to expand the kingdom or correct an injustice should be a value we model.  Practically speaking we can start small.  What do we do when volunteers are desperately needed at church?  What do we do when a neighbor experiences hard times?  What do we do when missions trips are organized?  What do we do to get outside of our suburbia bubble to be available to the hurting communities around us?

Lord, You uniquely created me with your own hands.   You know my pre-disposition towards cautiousness.  Continue to stir my heart towards action.  Just like Peter.  Please do the same in the hearts of my family…and my small group…and those guys that are close to me.  Help us to be people of massive action.  By your grace there is power to rewrite the final chapters of our lives.  Amen.

What if many in the church became predisposed to action versus passivity? What would happen to our extended friend and family groups?  What would the impact of that expressed value have downstream in the lives of our children?

 

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”. (Matthew 16:24)

Background

As a Christ follower we are called to be disciples. There is no other path.

Discipleship requires the immediate pursuit of Jesus. Immediate action.  The metaphor chosen by Jesus was the pinnacle for sacrifice – the cross.  Bonhoffer prophetically said it well, “Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life”.  Discipleship cost Bonhoffer his life.  Discipleship requires that our lives look radically different than what the world offers.

Reflections

What truly informs our view of discipleship?

A few years ago I spent some time honestly reading the gospels back to back a few times. I started getting nervous.  Maybe convicted is a better word.  I say honestly because it has been easy for me to dismiss the more radical call to discipleship as being a byproduct of cultural differences between Jesus time and now.    Gosh, Jesus wouldn’t ask for that same level of commitment for His followers now days?  Our lives in the western culture are loaded with so much really important stuff.  Important activities.  Important demands on our time.  We are so busy.  I’m sure the cultural requirements of time were so much less intrusive back then.  Much easier.  Must have been.  He wouldn’t really ask for the same level of commitment today…or…would He?

I started to feel like I was missing the point…big time. The call to be a Christ-following disciple isn’t an incremental commitment.  It was…and remains…a massive commitment.  He doesn’t have a separate commitment threshold for His followers in different eras.  He is looking for us to sell out.  To give him our full heart.  To follow him 100%.

The gospels I was reading were not politically correct. They were edgy.  Jesus words were frequently not diplomatic, but very direct.  Filled with “salt”.  Sometimes a bit too direct for my liking:

• Ignoring the poor, the sick, those in prison and those in need will result in “eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:31-46)…these are Jesus’ words, not mine. Now that’s not politically correct.
• The rich young ruler was challenged to “sell all you have and follow me”…and then a few verses later Jesus said “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:13-30)…Have you ever wondered why the Holy Spirit desired to include this same story in 3 of the gospels?   Maybe for emphasis? Sheez, let’s move on to the next passage really quick.
• A potential disciple whose father died was called to follow Jesus immediately and told by Jesus to “let the dead bury the dead” (Matthew 8:21-22; Luke 9:57-62). Yet another message referenced in multiple gospels.  Yet another example of a high standard.

Lord, please forgive me for minimizing your gospel. For sanitizing it.  For lowering the standard of discipleship to make it easy and convenient for me.  Help me to find truth and to be informed from your word.  Not through the prism of today’s culture. It is one thing to understand your message.  It is yet another to live it.  Give me wisdom and strength to do both.  Amen.

There should be no illusion that this path of discipleship was going to be easy…but you better believe it is going to be more than worth it.

What if Christians began truly following the version of discipleship outlined in the bible, not the easier more sanitized version lived by many in western culture?  How bright would God’s light shine through our lives?  What would then happen to our communities?

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you (Jeremiah 29:12)

In the verse above, “Me” is God talking to Jeremiah.

Background

God is busy. At any moment He is maintaining the order of the physical world.  He is whispering wisdom to world leaders.  He is activating hope through thousands of NGO’s.  He is sending peace to the inconsolable. He is pursuing the prodigal.  And the list goes on.  Given all the things on God’s plate I wonder if many of us feel like God is…well…distant.  That He has more important things to tend to than our current need. Or hurt. Or difficult day.  Or anxiety.

It is so easy for us to transpose our personal limitations on God. We have difficulty answering a text and listening to our child or spouse at the same time.   How on earth can we get our head around a God who isn’t distracted…or distant…or just has bigger things on the docket?

Reflections

A few years ago I had a personal experience that helped to reshape my view on this subject.

Sherri and I had adopted Hannah and Abby from China and for years were talking and occasionally praying about finding an orphanage in China that we could become involved with financially and with our time. Being the practical guy I am, I tried to convince Sherri that it would make more sense to identify an orphanage in the Western Hemisphere where it would be easier to visit and connect.   Sherri wasn’t buying it.  Her heart strings were attached to China.  So we waited.

For my birthday one year Drew got me a video entitled Father of Lights (available on Netflix). The video’s director traveled the globe looking for stories that would illustrate the heart of the Father.  Included in the video was the story of a couple from Florida that felt led to leave their upscale life behind and move to China to care for others.  They opened up an orphanage outside of Fuzhou that focused on special needs kiddos.  They lavished love on these children.  We were impacted.  Sherri and I wondered could this be the orphanage He wanted us to connect to?  I sent a note along to the orphanage’s US contact with a series of questions wanting to learn more.

A few weeks later after dinner I went downstairs to pray. I still hadn’t heard back from the orphanage.  I very seldom pray fleeces but on this evening felt compelled to pray “Lord, if you want us to connect to this orphanage have them return communication within the next 24 hours…otherwise I will assume that you have plans for us to connect to another orphanage”.  I came out of the closet and spent the next half an hour talking with Abby.  As we started walking upstairs Sherri yelled “Hey, Ron, we just received an email message from the orphanage in China”.  She did not know what I just prayed.  I went upstairs and looked closely at when the email was sent.  The message was sent moments after I prayed earlier.  I felt overwhelmed and humbled with the realization that a God who was overseeing billions of events over the previous 30 minute was present.  He heard my prayer.  And he acted.

Since that evening God has affirmed and marked our connection to the Hidden Treasures orphanage. We have visited the orphanage as a family and have become available to help on various administrative projects.  But more importantly, God felt compelled to use this connection to supernaturally signal to me that He is present and active…and listening…just as He promised that He would listen in the bible verse found in Jeremiah.

And the same promise holds true for you.

Don’t be lulled into believing that He is distant. He isn’t.  He looks forward to spending time with you.

What if people truly caught hold of the picture that the God of this universe yearns to connect and listen to us? And is active?  And wants to be part of our lives?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1)

Background

The image in the above verse is powerful…and challenging. This verse paints a picture that our spiritual life race is being watched by a great cloud of witnesses.  Think about this.  The picture that comes to mind is us running around a track and the stands are packed with Christians who have passed on before us cheering us on each step of the way.  The saints of the past.  Our grandparents.  Our mother or father.  Our brothers or sisters.  Our friends.  Maybe even our children.  They want us to race well.

But to race well requires careful consideration for what we are carrying. We want to be vigilant only to carry what is absolutely necessary.  We want to be light. The weight we carry directly correlates to both our speed and our endurance level.  Paul is saying that the same applies to our spiritual walk.  Those racing with additional weight are at a distinct disadvantage to race as far or as quick as those who are vigilant to race with minimal baggage.

What weight is slowing you down?

Reflections

Just as the deer in the picture above, it is so easy for us to chase the shiny and find ourselves entangled.

During this past week I heard a statistic that broke me. A recent study reported that over 50% of Christian men regularly view porn on-line.  Many Christian guys entangled in a shiny counterfeit.  Often fighting by themselves.  In anonymity.  In shame.  And I’m afraid in many cases having lost hope.  Trying to run the most important race of their lives with chains.

God created each of us with a crazy plan for our lives…beyond what we can imagine. Christian men were created to wage spiritual battle.  To be on the offensive.  To love recklessly.  To be available in a moment’s notice to step into a gap.  To always be looking for ways to take spiritual ground for His kingdom.  To wage spiritual battle effectively requires fighting and racing with little weight.

I’m nervous that few tools today are being used by satan more effectively to separate men from God, their wives and our spiritual potential than pornography.

Guys, let’s be incredibly vigilant in this area. So much is at stake.  We owe it to our wives.  To our children.  Our savior.  The depth and breadth of our spiritual legacy is at stake.  Let’s have the courage to become part of an accountability group.  To battle with others.  To be authentic.  To not delay.  To have hope.  To make ourselves vulnerable.

I can imagine Peter yelling from the stands for our personal race “Throw off the chains!!!  Don’t lose hope!  God birthed you into history to run your race at a critical time.  This isn’t an accident.   With God’s strength you can do this!”

For those looking for specific help, please check out the Conquer Series at https://conquerseries.com/

What if millions of Christian men began throwing off the chains of lust and became fixated on expanding His kingdom? Not with a defensive mind-set of just barely trying to get into heaven themselves…but with an offensive mind-set to share the good news and extend God’s radical love to as many as possible?

What if the pornography industry began to weaken because millions of Christian men began throwing off the chains?

 

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:14-16)

Last Sunday night I was walking home from dinner on the street in the picture above and silently praying that God would give me His eyes and heart. About 300 meters down the road I was walking in an underground subway walkway and saw a frantic young couple with a handwritten sign “Had an accident and have no money to get to airport”.  I walked past.  And then I turned around.  I opened my wallet and approached them with money in my hand.  The couple couldn’t speak English but appeared relieved and ecstatic and thankful at the same time. It looked to me like a young European couple on vacation to Hong Kong.  I smiled and quickly left.

I continued my walk back to the apartment and was thinking about what just happened. I felt that it was more than coincidence that their need came into my line of sight 5 minutes after I prayed.  I also felt that God in this instance was pleased I stopped and acted.  Many times in the past I hadn’t…and yet as I continued my walk back I felt that God was additionally nudging me to go further next time.  To connect.  To introduce myself.  To make myself available to understand the need.  To offer my time.  To encourage.   Frankly, the stuff that takes me out of my comfort zone.  The reality is that dispensing money or writing a check for me is easier than getting up front and personal, which can get messy.  It is time to take another step.  It is time to get messy.

Over a year ago I was at Compassion International headquarters in Colorado Springs. Compassion was describing their sponsorship model which allows sponsors to give money and to invest in an on-going relationship with a child by writing letters.  Compassion emphasized that the letter writing was as important (if not more) than the money contributions.  Money certainly helps the kid’s physical needs.  But the letters offered an opportunity to develop a relationship.  The letters were often a catalyst for providing hope.  And hope was a critical ingredient in breaking the cycle of poverty.  Providing money and writing letters.  Guess which piece I have struggled with?  Yes.  I was convicted.  Over the last year I have tried to become more disciplined in writing our sponsored kiddos myself.  Aster, our 13 year sponsored child from Ethiopia who wants to be a teacher, recently wrote, “I believe I will do something great in my life”.  Yes, you will Aster.

Lord, thank you for opening my eyes to the need in the subway station. So many times I missed the need.  This was all You.  Thank you for choosing me to help here.  Please allow these opportunities to continue. Next time help me to take another step though.  Help me to go beyond only meeting a financial need.  But to become more personal.  To be available to listen or to share your good news.  To be willing to get messy.  Also, please give Aster hope for an amazing future.

What if God multiplied our one act of kindness and initiated a spiritual spark that later became a raging fire? What if Aster becomes a laser of light in her community and country?

What if the Christian church became as available to develop relationships with the hurting as some are with offering exclusive financial assistance (e.g. me)?

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10: 36-37)

And this is the conclusion of the story of the good Samaritan…a parable on how to be a good neighbor.

Background

Just this past week my work took me to Bangladesh, a country in desperate need of Christ-like neighbors. A little about Bangladesh from the CIA World Factbook:

• The country has over 157M people in a size close to that of the state of Iowa, making it one of the world’s densest countries
• The population is estimated to be 89% Muslim and nearly 10% Hindu
• Dhaka, the largest city, has over 14M people

The GlobalPost in a Sept 28^th, 2017 article reported that, “There are more than 800,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh. About 480,000 have fled Rakhine since Aug. 25, when Myanmar’s army began an operation against the Muslim minority group in retaliation for an attack by an armed Rohingya faction called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.  The operation has emptied dozens of villages and forced people to flee the violence across Myanmar’s borders.”

Sixty percent of these new refugees are children below the age of 18, according to UNICEF. And many of them …are making the journey alone as orphans.

Here is an excerpt about a young person whose name is Mohammad, written in the same GlobalPost article:

Mohammad Sohail is unusually quiet. Mohammad does not remember the date he left home or the name of the village in Rakhine he is from. All he remembers is that one morning, soldiers from Myanmar’s military stormed into his village while he was brushing his teeth.

“They shot mummy, daddy, my grandmother, and my friend, Shamshu, and his grandmother,” he said quietly, before turning away with tears in his eyes.

Mohammad ran as fast as he could. He does not remember for how long he was running before he fell into a river. “There was a very big leaf in the river, and I caught it, held onto it and floated for a little while,” he recalled.

Mohammad is 7 years old. He has been making this journey alone.  I try to make sense of it.  I just can’t…7 years old.

Reflections

Before this trip I thought very little about Bangladesh. I had no idea there was a Myanmar refugee crisis.  I had no idea that tens of thousands of orphans were trying to escape.  I had no idea that over 14M lived in really tough conditions in Dhaka Bangladesh.  Sheez, I didn’t even know there was a city called Dhaka.

I live in my bubble. I have spent massive amounts of time following my sports teams; tracking college football recruiting; planning vacations; scheduling entertainment and consuming media.  And while none of these activities perhaps by themselves are wrong, my heart’s focus was not even close to being aligned with His.

Before the good Samaritan intervened in the parable above, there were many people who walked right on by. I suspect there have been way too many times in my life where I just walked by…in many cases not because I was outright rejecting the need but because I just didn’t see it.  I was thinking about tomorrow.  I was thinking about my team or my hobby…or in many cases my “big” problem.  I wasn’t present.

Lord, forgive me for being lukewarm. Change my heart.  Help me to see and feel what You do.  Help me to “go and do likewise”.

What if we ask and allow the Holy Spirit to change our hearts and to give us His eyes? What will we see?

What if the Christian church on a whole demonstrated in crisis after crisis a reckless love that looked so different than what the world offers? That looked Christ-like?