One thing positive that I see happening now is that many Christians, including myself, are giving some serious thought and taking part in conversations about what it means to be a Christian. There is always the temptation to coast along, taking our faith for granted. That is, until we find ourselves at odd with those in power. Then again we ask, "What does it mean for me to be a Christian?"
This morning I have been struggling with that very question because the news about the direction our nation seems to be going is troubling. However, the news in Jesus' time was not promising either. That is, until he himself became the good news. Here is where we are being led in.
The following quote is from Henri Nouwen in his book, In the Name of Jesus:
My movement from Harvard to L'Arch made me aware in a new way how much my own thinking about Christian leadership had been affected by the desire to be relevant, the desire for popularity, and the desire for power. Too often I looked at being relevant, popular, and powerful as ingredients of an effective ministry.
The truth, however, is that these are not vocations but temptations. Jesus asks, "Do you love me?" Jesus sends us out to be shepherds, and Jesus promises a life which we increasingly have to stretch out our hands and be led to places where we would rather not go. He asks us to move from a concern for relevance to a life of prayer, from worries about popularity to communal and mutual ministry, and from a leadership built on power to a leadership in which we critically discern where God is leading us and our people.
The work of Jean Vanier and Henri Nouwen at L'Arch, communities dedicated to living with and serving those with developmental difficulties, has certainly influenced my ministry. Today I am reminded of just how radically Jesus, Jean Vanier, Henri Nouwen, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, and countless other Christians loved and still love today. Lives have been dedicated and sacrificed not to amassing strength and power, but to learning how to surrender to the love of God and those they served. Jesus is still asking the question, "Do you love me?" If we can honestly even whimper a yes, then we reach out our hands, pick up our crosses and go. Especially in these difficult days.
Go and be the good news your own community so needs to experience. Know that you go in love.
In the Name of Jesus, Reflections on Christian Leadership, Henri J.M. Nouwen, Crossroad Publishing Company, 1989, page 91-92.
Biblical passages: John 21:15-19 and Matthew 16:24
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