Monday, November 24, 2008

What does Jesus do?

From a comment I wrote to a young Christian writer and video man…

Yes, that was a nicely assembled Christian parody of the election-illogical hype that we've been subjected to for the last many months. I completely get your point, I think, and your video was fun to watch. Problem is, even though what you're saying in it is true, it's only going to be true for the already saved, so that's your audience.
As for the others, they will only scoff.

America, no less than most of the "civilised" world, has had enough of Christianity. Either they're following it in a state that verges on apathy, boredom or worse, or they're not following it because they "know" all about it and/or about its "founder."


I think and I believe that the right approach for the time and place we find ourselves in is to follow Jesus as He walks in today's world, imitating Him, doing what we see Him doing.

He doesn't make use of technology, drama, music, tattoos, piercings (yes, that's right!), cultural relevance, inclusive language, or any contemporary evangelistic gimmicks. He doesn't pass out free bottles of spring water, or condoms, or tracts, or Chick comics. He doesn't set Himself up as this or that deliverance ministry. He doesn't take up collections or plead for offerings.

He is in the world today as He was two thousand years ago, simply as the Word of God. All He needs from us is our willingness to use our voices.

For what? To sing? To preach? No, not yet.

To witness, to give testimony? Well, maybe, but not at first, not before Him.

What, then? Simply to give our voices to the reading aloud of His Word out there in the world where people can hear it, without commenting on it, without preaching it, without prophesying it, without charging for it, without protecting it, without shortening it. Reading it just as it is, in a language that anyone who passes by can hear and understand, if they pause to listen.

And if they do, what is drawing them, or who? Is it us, the readers? No, it is the Word of God Himself who draws them. It is Jesus. They can't see Him, yet they can hear Him, and faith, as we know, comes by hearing. And hearing by the Word of God.

Brother, I understand you are a communicator, that you believe you have the gift of writing. I do not doubt it or dispute it. At this point, I only say, based on this short video, do not let the media you are using sculpt the shape of your call. Be sure that the gift God gives you in following Him depends on nothing and no one but Himself and you, without so much as a pencil and paper, let alone video equipment and software. The Word of God is the only sculptor of the Christian's call. Let your testimony be pure, unmixed wine that "runs on the lips of those who sleep" (Song of Solomon 7:10 JB) to awaken them to the Truth. Don’t let the world drag you into its net, while you, the willing fish, think you’re catching it. Instead, draw the world into His net, like the holy apostles did, who were fishers of men.

What is His net? It is the Word of God.
Who taught them to fish like that? It was the Holy Spirit.

Always give precedence to the Word, then your writing, following in its wake, will open doors to the Father. And He is faithful.

1 comment:

Jim Swindle said...

Again, brother, you've said what I needed to hear. It's so much easier to do "Christian" work or to create "Christian" writing than to follow Jesus. Yet the life,
the joy,
the miracle of his presence
only come in following him.