In high school when i had to fill out paperwork for my exit, the page listing my religion was the most complicated because under the “Christian” category, there were so many subcategories from which i had to choose!
I believe the “church” worldwide & collectively is bigger than practically all other groups…perhaps even put together… The issue is getting the church to be in one accord or actually consistently doing things collectively that would challenge and help the world today.
In the midst of a world crumbling with crises ranging from war against Israel, ISIS, poverty in parts of the world, police brutality, racism, water shortages, ridiculous national debt, recalcitrant children, psychopathic behaving youth, abuse of all kinds, you name it…there is a sleeping giant called the “church” of which i am a component. And because we have not been effectual in having certain unwavering standards, actively engaging ourselves in the world around us and being proactive about what is good rather than just speaking against what we disagree with, …because we have focused more on growing our buildings, and members rather than outreaching the world and actually meeting needs, thereby becoming a formidable force to be reckoned with and respected, the world around us is falling apart. We’ve focused on “having church”, rather than “being” church. Soon, if we’re not careful, the crumbling world will take parts of us with it in its falling momentum.
In the paraphrased words of Rick Warren, the church seems to have become more of a big mouth than a massive hand for God.
Imagine for a moment that every church in the world tomorrow stood up and said a huge “we will take up arms against all of you who fight against Israel, period.” And did… Imagine if all the churches collectively decided to combine their offerings on one Sunday a year and pay off part of the national debt… i daresay all of it could be paid off! (Let’s see separation of church and state or bibles out of school then, lol.) Imagine if we weren’t afraid of declaring our faith in Christ and spoke them as fearlessly as ISIS has the outrageous audacity to kill people for its warped ideas or superstars have the free-will to walk around half-naked in the name of fashion on the red carpet! Imagine churches in the world being A CHURCH. A collective, living, breathing, Body of Christ… It would be like Voltron or something… Like a bunch of power rangers that come together and form a huge undeniable force in this world which is in desperate need of an unmovable positive force when even government leaders seem incapable of adequately addressing the worldwide issues we face. A justice league even! (Sorry for the cartoon references, lol). We mustn’t look for one super leader to take charge…that will be the antichrist. Wrong move. And no no i’m not calling for a one-world religion either. God forbid. Sorry, Christ-ianity is about Jesus and that’s church; nothing else; (respectfully but quite frankly.) And we don’t just need a conglomerate of churches with more label-toting leaders who may just want to speak on behalf of everyone. What i hope we could pray for is the Body of Christ, (christians everywhere) to recognize the church’s strength; not only in numbers but as children of God. Anointed, commissioned, divinely authorized and spiritually equipped to be a light in all the gross darkness that is beginning to cover the people.
Why? Because that’s what Christ intended when he came and taught a few to become many… Just like God’s original plan after Genesis 1 for the one made in His image to replenish the earth and have dominion over it…to basically grow and inspire order, by our mere presence, to the chaos caused by a fallen serpent…
