Dear Mr. President

I realize that there are many out there who might be concerned about Obama's push for universal healthcare. While I am not fully educated about this issue (but will be seeking to know more about it) I believe that I have found a solution that makes everybody happy. What if every individual who claimed to be a follower of Christ wrote a letter to the president asking him to not continue to push for this government controlled healthcare but instead asked him to let the churches do their job and care for those who are sick. Think about it, most of the people I know are not really too sure of the whole free healthcare for everyone thing, so, maybe we can become the solution. We can take a place in society that we might possibly have been meant to take all along. I know that this probably sounds ridiculous, but, I'm mostly serious. What if as the body of Christ we rose up and sought to become the solution to the problem of the sick that need a doctor. Instead of criticizing the current solution that is being proposed offering another solution and actually being willing to be that solution. I don't know, I realize this post sounds a little ranty and I apologize for that. But this is one of those things that I feel like we could actually do something about if we all become of one mind and decided that we wanted to do something other than just sit around and criticize.

Also, I do realize that there are probably plenty of people out there who are offering their services to the sick that need them for free and that is absolutely great. But maybe the Church's "stance" on this issue should be, "We will take responsibility for those who are in need, it is not the government's job, it is Our job and we would gladly accept this responsibility if you would only give it to us." (or something like that.)

Yet, I fear that the church is not ready for that responsibility, is not wanting that responsibility, or would rather not attempt what seems to be impossible. For any of you who might take this line of thinking I offer to you the fact that we serve a great God, a God who is capable of providing and doing more than any of us could ever imagine if we would only follow and trust Him to do what He is capable of.

Maybe we are called to take care of the sick, maybe we are not, but, I believe that it is a calling that has been placed on our lives as a part of the redemption of all things and the coming of the Kingdom to earth. That is all.

Culture Making

Here is a quote for your reading pleasure from I book I am finishing up called Culture Making by Andy Crouch.

"The lesson of both exodus and resurrection is that the powerless are never as powerless as they seem. Perhaps that is the truest sense of the 'good news to the poor' that Jesus came to proclaim: the poor are not as poor as they, and we, think they are. The creative God of history has made his resurrection power available to them. He has made his power available to us if we will become poor in spirit- no longer simply accumulating power but freely sharing it."

Relate

This past week I began my internship in Downtown Atlanta. It was a week filled with lots of walking. My first days were spent leading groups of students around the city taking them to different homeless shelters and things of that nature. During this time I was reminded of a very simple thing that I often forget. This thing was in relation to those who are homeless but I think can apply to all kinds of people.

The thing was this: it is dumb to look at the problem of homelessness and think that there is one solution that will solve homelessness. (Other than homes.) The problem is, those who are found to be homeless are people and people are individuals, and every individual has their own story and their own problems and struggles. What helps one man may do absolutely nothing for another. It is foolish to stereotype every homeless person as having the same struggles and think that one solution will fix everything. While there may be similarities between some homeless people this does not mean that they are all the same.

Now, here is the larger scale application. Not only is it foolish to stereotype homeless people as all the same, but I find myself being just as guilty of doing this with all types of people. Or, thinking that there will be one grand plan to help all naturalists understand the truth of the world around them or some scheme to transform the Christian culture into what it is really meant to be, or a great argument that will stump all atheists in all parts of the world and cause them to immediately convert to Christianity.

While there may be large scale steps that can be taken to help in any of these areas we must always be mindful that there are people involved and wherever people are involved there are variables to be found. Therefore as followers of Christ we must not neglect our duty to build relationships with others on an individual basis. Not only those we are seeking to help and bring into the Kingdom, but also those who are already a part of the Kingdom. If we neglect to preach the Gospel to each other then it is possible that we may drift away from the truths found in the Bible. Basically my point is this, the Gospel, the good news, is relational. The relation of Jesus Christ to those He seeks to save and those he has saved. The relationships of edification found in the Body of Christ. And the relationship of those in the Body to those who are not found in the Body. Relationships on an individual basis take time, work, and may not always be easy, but, since when were easy things any fun to do.

Good News

So I realize that it has been seemingly ages since I last posted on here and for that I apologize. Currently I am thinking about the calling that has been placed on my life to live not as the world sees me or what the world tells me I am but as I am in the eyes of my heavenly Father. Honestly, what else matters. Granted, I do not want to be disliked by those around me for being a jerk or just plain annoying, but, if I am doing what God has truly called me to do it is my job to stick in that no matter what trials might come my way. It is often difficult to live in the truth that God loves me, that he desires to have a relationship with me no matter if I have everything figured out or not. For some reason lately I have been caught in the idea that God wants me to be perfect and have everything in my life figured out before I come to Him or before I start serving Him. Because, truth be told, I feel like this is what the world at large is telling me. Forget the Gospel of come as you are, no matter what you are. Give me the Gospel of we only want you if you are already doing things right. This is so wrong! While I was still a sinner Christ died for me. Not while I was trying to figure things out. Not while I was already perfect because if that was the case there would be no reason for His death. This is a portion of the Gospel, not the entire good news but oh how good this part is. Let us not forget that God is willing to take us just as we are, nothing more, nothing less. It is only by His power, love, grace, and mercy that we are able to be in relationship with Him and this is the only way that we can truly glorify Him. By living every day based on the truth of who God is and the truth of who we are in His eyes.