As I have been reading Shane Clayborne's "The Irresistible Revolution" I have been very challenged by some of the things he says - yet challenged in a way I've been looking for. My friends call me compassionate. Today I was referred to as "mission- minded". Close friends have been worried about me because I care too much for others. Yet I struggle with what is God calling me to do?
I feel like I have found an answer in the role of a deacon in the church. A person to lead the church in mission and open their eyes to the needs of the world.
This book is calling me out to accept that I have been born to PRIVILEGE. It's not because of anything I have done or deserve that I happened to be born into the top 20% of the wealth in the world. I could have just as easily been born in Haiti, or South Africa, or Nepal, or Columbia. But I have been blessed to be born into a wonderful mid-western family, and privileged. Privileged to be white, to get an education, to be middle class, healthy, and to live in a house. All things which I have honestly just been given - advantages over those who have drawn a shorter straw.
To be born in the lower class, colored, sick, where there are no public schools, into a family without a house - these are all things that give a distinct disadvantage, but to no fault of the child born to ANY of these circumstances.
So what? So Jesus calls me to follow him and be a disciple. Not only to keep the law and learn to be righteous - which is quite a task - but also to care for the hurting, the poor, the oppressed, the orphans, the sick, the marginalized. To see them as PEOPLE and as a part of the church. (Not a building, but a body and as Paul described, needing ALL of it's parts)
I read in Matthew 26 today how the only real charge they could hold against Jesus was him saying "I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days" (something he said while teaching in the temple. Interestingly enough, in the context of my culture, their is a hint of a terrorist threat there. Sigh - oh my goodness. But I was reminded of Paul's reference to the church as PEOPLE and the emphasis on relationships. I want to serve those in need, not just those who are in my middle class church, not just helping in the kitchen and singing or reading at services, I want to help those who are oppressed and marginalized. I want to live among them - not separated. I want to share my privilege with my brothers and sisters who struggle for clean water and food. I want to challenge the church to stop pretending there aren't people hurting out there in the world and DO SOMETHING about it. And something relevant.
Jesus focuses on people not things. It's easy for me to give away my clothes or my TV. But it's not so easy to love people. When he said he could destroy the temple, he wasn't talking about a building - he was talking about God's temple, the church - US. Has it really been rebuilt? Or are some of us forgetting our roles?
I want to accept my privilege and then accept my Christian responsibility to my brothers and sisters. I want to give in every way I can to those hurting around me. I give of my time at my church, I help at the local food pantry, I am going to start helping with the free clinic in town, and try to find a regular time to volunteer at a local horse rescue I've started volunteering at.
This will be my life -
loving others,
serving those in need,
educating others on our RESPONSIBILITY to those in need.
I'm just looking for my Calcutta.
Your sister in Christ~Erin
1 comment:
First, I love the new look Erin! Nice work! :) Second, I want to tell you that you have courage in facing up to the reality of what you, and many people that I know are indeed blessed with. It take guts to stand up and admit although we may feel like we're poor and have nothing we have so much. So kudos!
While I was reading about what you want to do when you said, "I want to live among them - not separated." I immediately thought about Gandhi since that is exactly what he did. He taught by example that if you really want to help those in need you need to understand and speak to the hearts of the people. You can't do that from miles away or by sitting in an office somewhere. You have to be with the people, to be one of them yourself in order to truly understand those people and know how to help them. I think that this is exactly what you are talking about Erin. That it isn't enough to just send money but that in order for things to get better there needs to be a change.
I think the question that remains then is what does this change need to be? Erin, you talk about this change being in people and helping the people but is that enough? Is that the answer? I'm not sure it is enough. While I think that it is part of the answer I also think that the other part of the answer lies in what is doing the oppressing, the company or the system that is actually preventing those oppressed and marginalized from improving their situation.
I think that these are tough questions and even tougher to try and actually answer by doing. Much credit to you Erin on bringing it up!
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