Pro - Life?

There is an inner struggle that has been building in me over the past few years that is anchored in the pro-life movement among evangelicals. The struggle is not about the message. My wrestling started with how the message is communicated. A number of years ago while reading and meditating on Isaiah 58 I was struck by a phrase. When I read it a picture formed in my mind that I have not been able to shake since - "If you do away with...the pointing finger and malicious talk...." (Isaiah 58:9). At that time the picture was of the pro-life movement and how venomous the messengers can be. The nature of political presence can be so intensely angry and spew hatred that espouses inner-tones that indicate hypocrisy. How can one hate another and say "I am a lover of life?"

Years after those first strokes upon a developing canvas, the painting has taken on new dimensions for me. If I am pro-life, I must be pro-all-of-life. Do senseless killings in the inner cities grieve me each time I hear a story? As I drive or walk down the street and see a dirty, drugged-out, lonely, homeless woman...do I weep? When I consider the level of child abuse - verbal, physical, et al - does it eat my lunch? Does war bother me? Do I really love and pray for my "enemies?" Does hunger and disease across the globe move me to wish I could just speak and remove it all!? Do I love as Jesus loved and gave himself? (Note: Jesus didn't just die on a cross, he also lived a life.) To these we may say, "Yes! Yes! Yes! A thousand times, YES!!"

Soooo...what are followers of Jesus doing about what are just some of the present, life-destroying realities mentioned above? What are you doing? How are you proving that you are a lover of life by being a restorer of life? God does include "...and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, THEN your light will rise in the darkness...." (Isaiah 58:10)

Oh, that we as followers of Jesus would be people who ooze his gracious and merciful power and presence! That we would be overwhelmed by the loss of life as it was when God in His triune expressions at the beginning of time spoke a vision into reality!

Are you really pro-life?

Who Do You See?

In the Ovidian version of the Greek myth of Narcissus, beauty was made ugly with pride. At first, his pride had nothing to do with his looks. It was just a general self-love. Then, he caught a glimpse of himself and liked what he saw. In fact beyond liking, he was mesmerized by the image reflected back to him in the waters from which he sought to quench his thirst. From that place, he would never know satisfaction. His deep love of the image of himself led to his wasting away unto death.

Who a person sees determines what a person does. If one looks into the face of another and sees her own reflection, the response will probably be based on self and not the other person. A person who rarely gets beyond the implications of his actions upon himself will rarely connect with the true and full realities of another person’s life.

Narcissus-like behavior has been the problem from the beginning – love of self over love of God and others. It is not that love of self is wrong or unimportant. Jesus said that his followers must love neighbors as one’s self. But, self-love must be in its proper place. Self-love can be debilitating. As the apostle Paul put it, the Christian should not consider himself more important than others. The way of Jesus is one of humility - where the attitude of self to others is servant, instead of master; an open hand that gives with graciousness, instead of a tight grasp upon power, position and possessions.

So, who do you see?

Just Ask

Our family is home on Sunday mornings for a restful time. We worship with the Body on Sunday nights. As I was making breakfast I prayed for God to lead me in the search for a construction ministry coordinator for Charleston Outreach. Our current coordinator is retiring in August. My prayer was for a godly contractor who has a heart for people, who could work some with Jimmie in the upcoming months to learn some things from him and could work part time. After praying I sat down to read "A Godward Life," by John Piper, to read the Scriptures and to journal. The Piper devotion was based on Psalm 121:3 and spoke of God being up all night - He never sleeps, he is always at work.

Then, about an hour later, my wife walked up. No, she wasn't the answer, but she potentially had the answer. She handed me a card and said, "You want to meet with this guy." She went on to tell me that he was a contractor that loves to hire guys to work for him who have lost a job or are just trying to get back on their feet. He is a visionary and an entrepreneur. As she described him, my mouth had to be wide open. I said, "Anita, you are not going to believe what I just prayed no more than an hour ago."

I don't know that this guy is the answer, but I'm sure going to make a phone call today! God never sleeps. He is always way ahead of us and can give us huge levels of direction and insight...if we would just ask.

As Walking Along

Matthew 4:18

"As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers...."

It is interesting that Jesus connected with people throughout his days on earth "as he was walking along." He was always on the move, interacting with and influencing people along the way of life's normal pathways. So should it be for Jesus followers. We should be "along the way" people. Our greatest opportunity for influence is where we invest most of our time. Jesus always made sure that he was in places of influence.
- Limited time with the pious
- Extended time with the broken
- Focused time with a handful of multipliers

Always "along the way."