04-06-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS 
April 6, 2025
I was at an event recently where most of the folks in attendance knew I was a minister. At the table where I sat, in the lunch line, and even when we had a break and I was headed into the restroom, I had some interesting conversations with people. It’s almost as if people think I’m only interested in talking about religion or church. At the time, the NCAA Tournament teams had just been announced. No one asked me who I thought might be the Final Four teams or even what I enjoyed doing in my free time. Instead, it felt like 20 Questions, and they almost all started with the phrase, “Don’t you think…” And the interesting part was that I had never, in my life, thought what they were suggesting. One of the questions proposed was, “Don’t you think it is time for us Christians to give up on being kind and compassionate, as it doesn’t seem to be getting us anywhere?” I was pretty honest, even a tad brutal, when I said that I had never pondered it because I had never really thought about giving up Christianity. It is hard to be Christian when you stop looking like Jesus. What followed was an interesting conversation with numerous others who were quick to agree that the way of gentleness and humility (my words) were no longer impactful. Christianity needed a new strategy. That’s when I asked, “Where exactly have you seen in recent years a radical and fearless expression of Jesus-like attributes?” Dr. King was the only one they could come up with. Could it be that our lack of confidence in such things is unrelated to their effectiveness and more related to the fact that we struggle to find anyone who has even tried? I believe there are more examples than we think, and much of the good that is happening in our community, country, and world is intrinsically tied to people who feel called to live in a way that often flies under the radar. But trust me, where acceptance, healing, inclusion, and transformation are touching the lives of individuals, behind it all are people who love God and refuse to second guess the ways of God, including kindness, mercy, humility, and love.

Give me eyes to see where the faithful are faithful. Let me take notice and learn from them, O God of the Incarnate One, Jesus. There has been and will forever be immeasurable power in ways of Jesus. Amen.