“Be Strong in the Lord and Passionate about Him”
by Bruce J. Johnson
After a rather long summer vacation, our Peter left to go back to college this morning. Before he pulled out of the driveway, he asked that we not make a visit too soon. We let him take one of our cars, telling him that he will be the coolest guy on campus with that 1994 ‘grocery getter’ of a Dodge Grand Caravan with 204,000 miles on it! He rolled his eyes a bit! Kids today just don’t have any imagination!
The years go by quickly, don’t they and change is a constant but one thing remains the same, our children are still our future and that truth is ever so evident this morning with adorable Makenzie’s baptism.
Yet, I guess that many of us who are older, who are, in a sense, done raising children, we’re kind of glad. The world seems scarier today or maybe we’re less confident?
The headline for the Hartford Courant on Friday was sadly:
“Road Map in Tatters” and it was, of course, referring to President Bush’s
“Road Map to Peace’ initiative and the rise of violence in the
At a time when California seems poised to elect “The Terminator” as its governor, when the front pages of our daily newspapers are filled with articles about the latest bombings in Baghdad or Gaza or in Liberia or Nigeria or some shooting on a street in Hartford--- violence seems to be having is say and its way!
Walter Wink, in his book, Engaging the Powers, makes the claim that violence has become our new ethic, a new spirituality of our age and we are not really aware of its grip on our lives. This is what he says:
“Violence is the ethos of our times. It is the spirituality of the modern world. It has been accorded the status of a religion, demanding from its devotees an absolute obedience to death. Its followers are not aware, however, that the devotion they pay to violence is a form of religious piety. Violence is so successful as a myth precisely because it does not seem to be mythic in the least. Violence simply appears to be the nature of things. It is what works. It is inevitable, the last and often, the first resort in conflicts. It is embraced with equal alacrity by people on the left and on the right, by religious liberals as well as religious conservatives. The threat of violence, it is believed, is alone able to deter aggressors…” (p.13)
Of course, we see this all the time--- that’s why we have a ’War’ on ‘Terror’ and Israel responded the other day to the bombing in Jerusalem with that helicopter and its 5 missiles launched at a VW Golf in Gaza!
In yesterday’s New York Times, there was even this article
about a
“STEP RIGHT UP, LIVE HUMAN TARGET”
It is a paintball shooting gallery called “Shoot the Freak”---in which a live human target is provided all the protective gear—from hockey, baseball and bicycling,—helmet, shield, protective breast pads and rubberized pants…
Up to 6 people at one time can shoot at the person while he or she darts from one form of cover to another--- 5 shots for $3 and 75 shots for $20. For sure, it’s causing a stir!
Of course, the bible itself is not without military metaphors
and imagery when referring to the Christian life. Today’s lesson from Paul’s
letter to the church at
“Be strong in the Lord … Put on the whole armor of God… taking the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.
Gird your loins in the truth and clamp on the breastplate of righteousness.
I prefer what Paul says to the people of Colossi when he requests that they put on the ‘garments of God’—compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness and patience, forbearing one another, forgiving each other and above all—put on love--- which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
(Colossians 3: 12-24)
But alas, Paul must have had his reasons and maybe they are good ones. Sometimes we do have to ‘fight’ for our lives and be strong in the Lord in order to be Christian in the world!
Interestingly, groups converged in
There are some who say---in this time of tame churches and toned-down preachers and timid prophets--- we have forgotten that there was a time when the church believed that there was something worth fighting for--- peace, civil rights, equal justice under the law, economic and educational opportunity. Consider the language that Paul uses: Put on the whole armor of God… for we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world which can be imperfect at best and evil at worst…
In some ways, I think that Paul is challenging us to ask anew:
Is there anything worth fighting for today?
Anything so contrary to the way of Christ that we need both shield and sword, anything that only the truth and faith and love have any hope of success. You know, Paul or whoever actually wrote to the Ephesians, did so from prison and he told the congregation, “If you plan to follow Jesus, get ready for a real fight…. Because the world won’t want to listen or change, or conform… but don’t lose heart… be strong in the Lord and passionate about his place and his relevance in your lives. You are holy and beloved!
The answer, of course, is that there most certainly is--- to be disciples of Christ and as disciples we need to do something about all the violence—in the heart, in the home, in our communities and in our world.
WE need to fight —to live lovingly in a world of hate,
to include in a world of discrimination,
to forgive others, not because they deserve it or have earned it but because we have been forgiven by Christ,
to work for justice because we know injustice anyway means that it’s everywhere.
This morning, we had the privilege of baptizing Mackenzie Elizabeth Grant, rejoicing in her life and the promise of that life which is enhanced because of her union with Christ and the walk she will take with Him. She will want to join the fight!
As many of you know, I’m not afraid to disclose that I’m a regular reader of “O” Magazine. This month’s theme is about ‘passion’ --- about feeling passionate about something, an idea, a cause, a mission or another person. In her section---“What I know for sure”--- she talks about something I know we all feel. Let me give you her own words:
“I know for
sure that every person in the world has a purpose for being here--- a calling.
The work of your life is to discover that purpose and get on with the business
of living it out. The only courage you need is the courage to find and follow
your passion.” (Sept. 2003, p. 286)
Our prayer is that she will discover ‘her calling’ in Christ and that He and His way will be her passion … that peace will have a chance.
Amen