Contemplation: A Catalyst for Compassion

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Reaching deep within, observing the slow unfolding of  ego's heavy and awkward garbs that cling fast to Self's inner light, I burrow deeper beneath layers of my consciousness, towards the center. Flooding my sense of awareness is the realization that there is truly no beginning or ending to God. There is no place where He is not. No heart where the spark of His light does not dwell.  He is All. God is in everything and everything is in God. Acts 17:28  "For in him we move and have our being."

Meditation creates within me an increasing empathy for both humans and non humans.  Integrating it into my spiritual disciplines has brought out the light within me that allows the deepest recesses of my consciousness to unfold like a flower, opening up in a capacity of love, compassion and awe for all that is around me that I had never experienced before. I am starting to see God in everyone and feel I am beginning to relate to these words from spiritual leader and writer Eknath Easwaran:

"Whenever you look into another person's eyes, remember that you are looking into a city where the Lord dwells- and remember always that our arms and hands were given to us for others' rescue, not for their ruin."

In some of the dialogue I've had with others there have been individuals from the Christian perspective that bring up the criticism that meditation is a selfish pursuit. That it is focused too much on dwelling on one's self, on one's own personal encounter with God while leaving the rest of the world out of the equation. The argument is that meditation keeps us from actively manifesting the will of God out to others in the world.  I can't help but view this argument as a substantial misconception towards the practice of meditation and one in which history points very clearly to the contrary.  For some of the world's greatest contributors towards peace and the service of others have also been some of the world's greatest mystics. A mystic is one who seeks to encounter God experientially through means of contemplation and meditation.

 Thomas Merton, Mother Teresa, Teresa of Avila, St. Francis of Assissi...and the list goes on and on...all emphasized charity and acts of service to compliment contemplation. In fact, as I mentioned from my personal experience,  moments in meditation often spur on the sense of interconnectedness and a deep feeling of empathy and compassion for others. This is a common experience for one who meditates. From a Christian perspective,  we are "filled with God" to overflowing so that His love, His compassion, His Kingdom, might overflow through us into the world, through acts of service and love.

St. Teresa of Avila, one of the world's greatest Christian mystics, was also an active advocate of service towards others. She sought to inspire people to spread Christ's love and compassion throughout the world. She didn't see it as an option but a calling for all of those in the body of Christ.

You Are Christ's Hands

"Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which is to look out
Christ's compassion to the world;
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now."

St. Augustine of Hippo viewed both the spiritual discipline of meditation and service towards others as essential in the life of a Christian.  "No man has a right to lead such a life of contemplation as to forget in his own ease the service due his neighbor; nor has any man a right to be so immersed in active life as to neglect the contemplation of God."

        

If ever, in these modern times, one was to give proof of contemplation's role in being a catalyst for the involvement of  charitable pursuits and social justice, it would be through the Quakers, one of the most contemplative sects branching off from Christianity.  Quaker meetings, or services, are held in complete contemplative meditative silence. This relatively small religious organization has allowed the impressions of universal empathy and compassion that they have received deep within them through meditation to become catalysts for helping make this world a better place.

Quakers formed the backbone of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War,  risking life and limb to bring thousands of slaves to freedom. Quakers, like Susan B. Anthony, rose their voices against the oppression of women in the women's suffrage movement which lead to the confirmation of women's rights in this country. They have worked hard for prison reform and have time and time again stood as  conscientious objectors towards war, advocating peace,  realizing that violence only breeds more violence.  Far from hiding themselves from the world and being driven by a sense of narcissistic ego to dwell upon their individual selves and merely pursue states of spiritual ecstasy, Quakers have plunged boldly into some of the darkest corners of society unabashedly allowing light to blossom.

Eknath Easwaran, in his book Original Goodness, brings up the truth that we cannot bring effective change towards peace, social justice and the cessation of the suffering of others without bringing change within ourselves first. When we do begin, through the means of meditation, to lose our selfish desires and attachments towards superficial and earthly things we begin to put others first more and more, not because we feel we have to, but because we truly feel led to. And love begets love. When we experience more love within ourselves and express it outwards, others catch quite readily onto it, becoming inspired themselves. Love and positivity are contagious.

" As our desire to draw closer to the Lord within us deepens, it draws self-centered desires into it like tributaries into a great river. The power of that love swells until it becomes cataclysmic; we begin to inspire other people through the transformation we have wrought in ourselves." ~Eknath Easwaran

It is my belief that contrary to some of the criticisms towards contemplative prayer and meditation, in that they keep the believer from manifesting God's Kingdom out to the world, that these practices actually lead the believer into experiential contact with the Kingdom within, creating a reaction in which the impulses to love and perform acts of love are irresistible. Mystics from all traditions, like Gandhi and Mother Theresa have all mentioned that love and service begin at home. Easwaran furthers that in the quote above by pointing to the truth that it ultimately begins within ourselves and spreads outwards.  Meditation is a beautiful and transforming tool to help prepare and aid us in acts of charity and service.

Thoughts? I'd love to hear them! Please leave them in the Comments section. Thank you!

The American Church : A Hypocrisy?

"The American Church, simply stated, is the wealthiest community of Christians in the history of Christendom. The total income of church goers is 5.2 trillion. It would take a little over 1% of the income of American Christians to lift the poorest one billion people in the world out of extreme poverty. 

...The bottom line is that the commitment that American Christians, the wealthiest Christians in all history, are making to the world is just about 2 percent of 2 percent ... actually about 5 ten-thousandths of our income."

                             ~  (Richard Stearns, President of World Vision)

When I read these startling statistics I couldn't help but be saddened. A small part of me, however,  wasn't too surprised. This just shows a major flaw in the organized churches spread across our nation. Something is horribly wrong about our focus that we have lost sight of one of the main points of the gospel. God calls us to be compassionate towards the poor, the suffering, the broken hearted. Jesus preached love and compassion towards the margins of society not only through his words but by his actions.

One of the words that are flung towards Christians a lot is the word hypocrisy. Wikepedia defines "hypocrisy" as follows: Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities, or standards that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie.

Let's see what Jesus tells us, as Christians, how we should follow him:

"Jesus answered, If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" Matthew 19:21

"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." Luke 14:13

"When Jesus heard this, he said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" Luke 18:22

Here are some other verses in the Scripture that reveal to us what our attitudes should be towards those who are less fortunate than ourselves:

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18

"Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and becomes judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?" James 2:2-6

Deuteronomy 15:7 "If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother." 

"He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing." Deuteronomy 10:18

"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land." Deuteronomy 15:11

Given the statistics shared by the President of World Vision, the verses in scripture above and the definition of "hypocrite", how do our churches  measure up?  Are we living by the standards God has places on us? To have an emphasis on compassion, for our hearts (and wallets) to serve the poor, not only through our prayers, but with our hands as well? Does our given state reveal us to be hypocrites? Well, I'll let you answer that question for yourself...

I am the last person to say that I have everything figured out and that I'm walking the straight and narrow path. Could I give more? Yes! Should I give more? Yes! Should we all give more? Yes! Most of us...

There are some in our country that are giving their all. They live in intentional communities infested with crime that are designed specifically to aid the poor, sharing all they make with the homeless...those people should serve as our inspiration! Below is a short clip about a book that helped open my eyes and readjust my focus on what it means to follow Christ. It's by Shane Claiborne: Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical.  Since reading this book I've made some personal changes-I began volunteering and donating at a local soup kitchen and am looking into more opportunities to get involved. It has truly inspired me to look more in depth into how Jesus taught us to live. I still have a long way to go...but I guess the point is in just starting to make a change...we all can start, in little ways, to help advance the Kingdom of God!

It's funny what reading the New Testament and coming along with Jesus as he ministered to people can do when, by reading such accounts, the Spirit whispers to our hearts, prompting us to walk on that same path! Can you imagine what the world would look like if all of us Christians across our nation had the desire and actually applied that desire to live like Jesus? To follow the standards our God places on us? It would be a revolution...a turning point away from suffering and towards healing for the world.

When we've finally inhaled our last breath and our heart ceases to beat no more we will not only be held accountable for the actions we did but also by the actions we didn't do.


Matthew 25:31-40

  ³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
   ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
   ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
   ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

What are your thoughts on the statistics and verses shared in this post? Why do you think America's churches are failing so miserably in the area of giving to and serving the poor? Can you think of any possible solutions? What can you do, personally, to live more like Christ in this area?

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for the abundant spiritual and physical blessings you've rained down on us. May you help our hearts open up to the gospel and may your Spirit guide us, urge us, draw us towards being more and more like Jesus. Help give us the courage to be bold and fearlessly go into the world's darkest corners so that we may shine the light that you've given us in our hearts and vanguish darkness, giving hope to the hopeless, peace to the troubled and tormented. We aren't perfect, that's for sure, but help us begin, step by step, to walk more and more like Jesus. May we be a people of prayer and action as we seek to bring you glory and manifest your Kingdom here on earth.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Freedom in the New Year

"Established in African-American communities on December 31, 1862, Watch Night is a gathering to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation becoming law. When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 1863, all slaves in the Confederate States were proclaimed free. Since that date 146 years ago, African Americans have celebrated the good news of freedom in local churches on New Year's Eve. Like the slaves who first gathered while the Civil War rated on, we proclaim freedom for all captives in Jesus' name, knowing that for millions, freedom is not a reality. Our celebration is a commitment to join modern-day slaves and undocumented workers in their struggle for justice."
               ~ Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

                               

The illustration is from an original 1863 Harper's Weekly newspaper depicting slaves being freed from a plantation.

Praise God for all the slaves in the past who have been set physically and spiritually free and all of those being set free at the present moment. But may we never forget the more than 25 million people, mostly women and children, who are still in physical bondage today, suffering unimaginable realities at the hands of cruel and callous hearts who have fallen prey to the darkness in this world.

May we also remember and rise up to help the countless more  who experience harsh bondage to realities that are far beyond many of our grasps. Where everyday they work for hardly any pay, under conditions that are abominable. There are also people in all corners of the world suffering from the bondage of poverty, everyday making choices of whether to keep their houses warm or feed their children. Of whether to put gas in their cars or pay the electric company.

Many others still are those in spiritual bondage, maybe even some of us reading this blog. Where the pressures, circumstances, trials and sufferings of life have choked out the light from reaching our hearts and instead of feeling the love and reality of God we feel nothing but numbness or just blinding pain.

In this New Year, it is my hope that all of us as individuals turn to God in new ways, seeking new connections with our risen Lord and grow in our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. May we make strong the body of Christ here on earth so that we may manifest God's Kingdom in our lifetime in our communities. May we see the light of God in those who are falling under the boot of tyranny and may we try in all our capacities to extend our hand to those reaching out in desparation and lift them out of bondage and into freedom, both physically and spiritually.

It is written in our holy Scriptures:

Isaiah 61:1
 ¹ The Spirit of the
Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
   and release from darkness for the prisoners.

To help others who are still in slavery today, here is a great website you can go to. They have a section entitled "What you can do" helpful tips on how to start: http://www.nomoreslaveryct.com/

May we lift the banner of light and truth and justice and overcome the slavery and persecution that so many face on this earth. May we be active participants of liberating our brothers and sisters in bondage in the capacity that God wills us to. Heaven help all of us if we sink into the moral depravity of apathy and mediocrity. We will be held accountable for our actions and our inactions. (Matthew 25:31-45) Let us be the servants Christ calls us to be and the servant who Christ, himself, was when he was here on earth ministering to the suffering, to the poor, to the sick and dying. Let this New Year be a year of growth where we become more and more like Jesus! And bring glory to our Father in Heaven by doing so.

For those that might be suffering from spiritual bondage, here are some verses that might minister to you. The best advice I can give might seem oversimplified right now to you, as it did to me once, but it was advice that led to the transformation of my heart and my perspective. Read the New Testament, have an open heart, and even if you have no words to say to God, in your grief, in your pain, be silent before your God and He will fill you with the peace you desire. With a repentant, obedient and seeking heart, it won't take long to find the spiritual freedom and peace you desire.

I pray everyone has a happy and fruitful New Year!

John 8:31-32

³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Acts 13:38-39
³⁸ "Therefore, my brothers and sisters, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. ³⁹ Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.

Romans 8:1-2
¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you^[a] free from the law of sin and death.

2 Corinthians 2:13
¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Galations 5:1
¹ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galations 5:13-14
¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Christ in the Eyes of the Enslaved

On this day in 1865, the 13th ammendment to the Constitution was passed and slavery was abolished. Slavery still exists all over the world. Currently there is an estimated 250 million people who are slaves today. May we all find a moment today to lift up those in prayer who are still oppressed and enslaved.

Each year 50,000 women and children are brought into the United States illegally and sold as slaves.

This has got to stop! And you can help, we all can.

Below is a link that will take you to a site that is filled with ideas in which every one of us can help combat this awful reality.

http://nomoreslaveryct.com/what-you-can-do/

Christ came and taught us all about peace, love and compassion. To help bring God's Kingdom here on earth we need to actively raise our voices against the atrocities around us and help free our brothers and sisters who are in captivity. May God open the hearts of His children so that they see in every enslaved woman and child's eyes, Christ, and be filled with a holy anger which brings about action and liberation.

^{Matthew 25:37} “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Heavenly Father,

We pray for those in the world that have only known pain and suffering. Who have been just a number to those around them, a number to be sold, exchanged, used and abused. Every life is precious, every person is in the image of you. Every woman and child who is sold into slavery is a manifestation of your glory and love. May you open up the eyes of those of us who are free and may we see the harsh reality which surrounds us. May we see the suffering and pain and may we be filled with a holy anger to act out in ways to oppose and combat such cruelty and oppression in ways that would bring you glory.

I pray for those brutal souls that have been numbed by the world and are filled with greed, lust, selfishness, hate and evil...may you bring upon them an awakening which shatters their egos and brings them crashing to their knees. May their heads bow low and may their hearts come to repentence and may they willingly set those they have enslaved free and bring your name glory.
May you transform the world's Sauls into Pauls and may your praises be sung from one end of the earth to the other. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Amos 5:24

In Jesus' holy name we pray,

Amen

Note: There were images I found that I almost put on this blog in hopes to raise more awareness towards this issue, but found them too disturbing. I wasn't sure if I should or shouldn't. I think it's important to see what is happening, but yet, sometimes people need a bit of a disclaimer before exposed to certain things. I know I could have used a warning!...If you want to see for yourself the cruelty that is happening, simply google "human slavery images"...and you will have all you need to light a fire within you to act. I know I am going to start getting more involved in this movement, I can't see not, after discovering what I've discovered.

A Holy Rage Against Complacency: Passage by Kaj Munk

"What is therefore our task today? Shall I answer: "Faith, hope, and love"? That sounds beautiful. But I would say -courage. No, even that is not challenging enough to be the whole truth. Our task today is recklessness. For what we Christians lack is not psychology or literature...we lack a holy rage-the recklessness which comes from the knowledge of God and humanity. The ability to rage when justice lies prostrate on the streets, and when the lie rages across the face of the earth...a holy anger about the things that are wrong in the world. To rage against the ravaging of God's earth, and the destruction of God's world. To rage when little children must die of hunger, when the tables of the rich are sagging with food. To rage at the senseless killing of so many, and against the madness of militaries. To rage at the lie that calls the threat of death and the strategy of destruction peace. To rage against complacency. To restlessly seek that recklessness that will challenge and seek to change human history until it conforms to the norms of the Kingdom of God. And remember the signs of theChristian Church have been the Lion, the Lamb, the Dove, and the Fish...but never the chamelon."
            ~ Kaj Munk


During Kaj Munk's lifetime he had much to lament about as the world around him was in obvious turmoil. He was a prominent Danish playright and Lutheran priest living through one of the most bloodiest times in our world's history. Hatred, intolerance, fear, injustice, suffering and death were woven into the tapestry of his daily existence. He lived during the second world war and was eventually killed, his Bible beside him, by the Gestapo in 1944 who would not tolerate his open critisicms towards Hitler's cruelty.

Kaj Munk illuminates the importance, as Christians, of taking  inventory on the state of our heart and its reactions and awareness to the cruelty that permeates our world. How do we respond to the social and environmental injustices we witness in these modern days? Are we filled with apathy when we come across the troubles and sufferings others are experiencing? Do we feel saddened yet feel we can't do anything? Do we feel troubled and just want to look away from the images on tv, displaying starving and dying children, figuring that someone else will take care of it, or the problem is much greater than we could comprehend, for sure we, alone, couldn't make a difference.

...Or do we feel angry...that someone would dare treat a child of God that way? That while other's tables are overflowing with food, yet many more are empty. That while precious children are dying because they don't get the simple vaccinations and medicine they need there's medicine that expires everyday on shelves across the globe? Let's stand up and resist complacency! Let's stand up and resist being apathatic, or turning sad eyes away. We can help others...we have the Spirit of God inside us after all!

The Bible tells us: Through God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

Jesus stood up for what was right and against what was wrong. He went against the current that most let guide them through the culture of that day. But when he saw something wrong or injust happening, or felt like people were being hypocritical, he called them out on it, holding them accountable. Look at the account of when an adulteress was about to be stoned. Jesus was not complacent. He called into question the purity of those about to cast stones on the woman who had sinned. He stepped forward and spoke up, asking him that has not sinned to cast the first stone. (John 8:4-11). When we see someone being treated or judged unfairly, do we speak up? Or are we complacent?

Let's look at when Jesus entered Jersualem and saw people misusing the temple. "Turning a house of prayer into a den of robbers". What did he do when he saw that? Did he walk away, head bowed, feeling nothing could be done among such defilement towards the sacred? No...with a holy rage he overturned the tables and rebuked them. (Matthew 21:12-13) Jesus was not complacent.



I wonder what the world would look like if christians like Martin Luther King Jr. or Mother Teresa gave up and did not pursue the stirrings the Spirit caused in their heart towards combatting suffering in this world, figuring they, alone, could not make a difference. Both, beautiful individuals, pursued different paths-one, an open and loud voice towards reform, rallying others that shared his visions...the other, a quiet gentle soul, by her very service to humanity sparking a fire inside the hearts of many to follow in her vision. Neither were complacent. There are many ways to contribute towards peace and love in this world, to combat evil and darkness...but to do nothing...perhaps that's the greatest of all crimes against humanity.

So during this season of Advent I'm going to suggest being introspective and looking at our role as Christians in this world. Do we walk the walk like Jesus did? Or do we talk the talk and let the sufferings and pain of our neighbors go unnoticed or ignored. I'd suggest, and this is only my layperson suggestion...but let's get angry. Let's feel anger towards the groanings of the world under the yoke of darkness and oppression. Let's get angry enough to be stirred towards casting our light into the darkness. Towards lifting our hands to help, our voices to speak against wrongs, our feet to walk the path that Jesus did.

Let's cultivate a holy rage against complacency and a holy love towards our neighbor. In the eyes of the homeless, of the sick and the dying, of the depressed and diseased, of the murderer and the robber...let's see Jesus. And let's battle against complacency by extending ourselves beyond our comfort zones and lifting others up, encouraging them, giving them hope in Jesus.

I'll conclude with these verses that apply to this message and are worthy of consideration. (As is everything in our holy scriptures)

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.    ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
   ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
   ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Let's Be Laborers (Includes quotes from Shane Claiborne/Mother Teresa)

I remember hearing about an old comic strip back in the days of St. Ed's. Two guys are talking to eachother, and one of them says he has a question for God. He wants to ask why God allows all of this poverty and war and suffering to exist in the world. And his friend asks, " Well, why don't you ask?". The fellow shakes his head and says that he is scared. When his friend asks why, he mutters, "I'm scared God will ask me the same question." Over and over, when I ask God how all these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I can feel the Spirit whisper to me, "You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet."    ~ Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical, p. 64-65

When I read that passage from Shane Claiborne I was instantly reminded of Luke:2 where it says:

² He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.





Are you a laborer for God? Do you help spread His light and love throughout your home, throughout your community, perhaps even throughout the world? Lifting up those that you are able to lift up? Encouraging? Helping to build the Kingdom right here on earth? Or do you grumble instead at the injustices that surround you...the pain, the suffering? Instead of lifting up your spade to turn over the earth and plant seeds of Spirit, you watch others, or perhaps don't even watch at all, consumed in your own existence and not concerned about the broader picture?

I have to admit, I've been less of a laborer and more of a bench warmer. But I've felt God stirring my heart considerably lately, and books like Shane's as well as through prayer and just reading through the Bible, have led me to acknowledge that if I am to have a genuine faith, things have got to change.

I'd encourage us all to pray for the Spirit to direct us towards new ways of serving God and helping work against the suffering and pain in this world. Let's become laborers for Christ. Let's lift up our hoes and rakes and turn over the soils of injustice and sow seeds that will bear great fruit for His Kingdom. Let's walk the walk of faith and approach this world with love and compassion and interest like Christ did. He went among the most marginalized and came with healing and love.

Sometimes it doesn't seem like my current circumstances allow me to serve God effectively and that can be discouraging. I don't feel like I have the money, the means, the way to go out and do the things I'd like to do to help others. But to do nothing is the goal of the enemy and the lie that because of our circumstances, whether they be circumstances of limited time, limited income or limited ability, that we can't labor for God and help others, is nothing but a false illusion. Sometimes, even from a little, a lot can spring up and be born. Look at the mustard seed...one of the smallest seeds out there...when watered and nourished and allowed to grow, it grows to a tremendous size.

Some encouraging and inspiring words from Mother Teresa about this quandary some of us find ourselves in:

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action.

So even if you aren't at the point where you can go out and volunteer, engaging yourself in the ministries that seem to draw you to them, you can still start laboring for God right now. There's no better time then the present moment.

Let's be laborers!

Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for your son Jesus, who you sent to us to become a living example of purity, of compassion, of love. Without Jesus, there would be no redemption, there would be no hope. Thank you for your great mercy and love for our Savior.

May the Spirit usher us forward to a new understanding of what it means to serve you. May you draw us closer inward as we express the character of Christ more and more outward. May we get off our spiritual benches which have collected dust, and pick up our spades, rakes and hoes which have become rusty and get back in the field and labor for you. May we help turn pain into healing, suffering into relief, despair into hope. May our lives glorify you while we bring your message of redemption and hope into this dark and fallen world. We praise you, we glorify you and we seek you always with humble hearts always lifted towards your throne. Direct us in ways we can serve you and give us the ways and means so that we can bear fruit for your Kingdom.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen