If I Wrote the Lord a Letter
I spent some time yesterday thinking about Christmas, and all of the things that we spend time doing over the Holidays... many people say that they enjoy Christmas because it helps them to prepare or refocus their life in Christ. Some people also hold the view that it is a good time to prepare for the return of the Christ, because the cross was the ultimate reason for the birth we are celebrating... I have been feeling the need to break away from the "twice a year church high" that comes from being Christian.. I love the Holidays, and Easter will always be my favorite of all Holidays.. but I want more than just two little bursts of enthusiasm in preparing for the Christ.. It sounds harsh, but that enables laziness in my Christian life..all around us people are in need of hope in their lives.. they are weary and broken.. and every Sunday is a great Sunday to introduce them to my church family. Everyday is a good day for prayer with those I love, and those I do not know. We often wait for disasters or Holidays to share with people about the Christ.
I also realized that I can spend my life "preparing" for Christ, or I can realize that He is truly here already in the faces of those I love.. I thought about the ways that people try to obtain personal salvation by trying to live a "spotless life".... they work so hard trying to cover their own backsides and maintaining an appearance of perfection, that the mission of Jesus suffers around them. All that preparing and no results of major change for the preparers who worked so hard to be "perfect", because our relationships with each other produce so much of what we feel through Christ.
I thought for a while what a letter to God would sound like.. pleaing for the Christ to be sent back for us for just one day of my life time. I also realized through it, how much His presence is taken for granted in the "writing" of the letter. It would be something like this.
" Dear God,
You know that the world is a mess, for you created it, and can see that Creation has been abused. People do not treat each other right. We have poverty, we have injustice.. Can you please send Jesus back in human form to fix this for the day?? You know in the case of poverty we have many people with out food and clothing. If He could come back and take care of that everything would be much better.. Oh wait, we have Abolish Poverty and End Suffering missions. Oh Yes and Out Reach International, sustainable good... Even when Jesus walked the earth all poverty was not abolished, because it is on going process that requires constant work as we go together, that is right . I guess people meet Him already when we share. Maybe we need to focus on something else that has need. We only have one day... Hmm.
Okay Lord, we have sin. so many bad choices. People hurt each other out of anger and hate. Can we have Jesus with us for one day so that this will all end. Oh wait. One day, 365 days a year, even when Jesus was here, people treated each other badly, because they could not all be taught at once.. I guess He is already helping us in persuing peace and the caring ministries we provide. If it was only for one day, how many people would suffer the rest of the year??? What focus shall I choose Lord?, if this one day Jesus would come something would have to be perfect.
I think I have it now.. We need to equip people to serve You, to teach them all and to experience congregations in mission in such a way the world changes. How about this. Jesus can be our congregations pastor for one day? If he can teach us to serve, and to do so out of our giftedness, our congregation would be perfect. Hey wait.. what if Jesus doesn't play the piano? What if he doesn't really know how to make a powerpoint?? What would we do? What if we don't really do well at the project he wants us to do in the community?? Oh my, I guess we need to talk openly with our pastors about our congregations hopes and dreams, and let them know what we are good at. I guess we need to spend time growing closer to Jesus in classes and training programs so we can expand our options to serve.
Okay Lord, I have it! What if Jesus comes back for the day and invites everyone to be with him! It solves it all.. they would see him in the flesh and know how wonderful being a follwer of Christ can be.Oh hey wait.. I seem to remember that being mocked and ran out of town happened the first time He was here. I also remember that many people took years to become truly aquainted with Jesus.. Thomas, Peter, even James his own brother had to have time to accept him.. so I guess that means that what we are going to have to take up the work together and keep at it if we are ever going to get anywhere. Rather than waiting for Jesus to come back and fix things for me, I have to help Him with the work being done...
Yours in His Name,
Josie Dalton de Carvalho
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