My Facebook page serves as a sample of the global community in which I live. I have carefully maintained a broad spectrum of “friends”- those that I associate with on a regular basis as well as, some I have come to know through others. It is intentionally geographically global, as well as politically ideological.
Ideology is an interesting word, a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy. In today’s world of diversity and plurality, it is ample to describe spiritual beliefs as well. In fact, it now seems that our spiritual beliefs are shaped as much by various ideologies as our relationship with the Creator? For those reading who may be atheistic or non-creationists I trust you will continue.
My reason for writing this morning is the growing disturbance felt as I read the propensity of sarcasm and hatred among the religious. Nothing is worth that. “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”1
This morning I listened to a young man who since being born, had fled from city to city in a war torn area of our world. His life was surrounded by religion, in fact his objective was to fight against the enemies of God. However, in his zeal to please God he found no peace, until he responded to a compelling voice, much like Cornelius in the Book of Acts, to seek out an individual whom he did not know on the streets of a very large city in the Middle East. He walked up to the man, who was dressed in military fatigues, ask him if he were a Christian (highly unlikely and very risky)? The man was in fact the pastor of a small underground church! The rest of his testimony was phenomenal.
I have to wonder how much we have lost in terms of the presence of God in our lives, as we continue to practice a religion now so seized upon with fear, politics and the need to prosper, while so many suffer such great hardship. Interesting that so long ago the bracelets in demand by so many Americans asked the Question, “What would Jesus do?”
Maybe a better statement is, “Watch what Jesus does!”
1 Corinthians 13:1