People In Action

This past week my Facebook feed has been flooded with news of the new law in New York which I'm sure many of you, including myself, have been sickened by reading. BUT, the answer isn't posting memes and every opinion you have on the subject. Most of those posting are Christians or at least identify with Christianity in some way. God calls His people to be His hands and feet and to be a people of action. 

So, what and where are our actions? Because if all you do is share post after post and meme after meme and you call yourself a Christian, you make all of us look terrible to the world. God calls Christians to stand apart from the world we live in so that He is visible to those who do not know Him. If all we do is pass judgment, post hateful things, and do NOTHING at all, we don't stand out as different from the world at all. Use the gifts God has given you to be a light in a dark world.

What does that look like in a practical sense? Well, first I think you must ask if you are pro-life or just anti-abortion because those two, while used together often, are not the same. Pro-life means to value ALL life: the life of the unborn, the life of the orphan, the life of the poor, the life of the refugee, the life of every, single breathing human on the Earth. Is that you? Or do you only take up this one form of life as worthy of saving and fighting for? 

What about all the kids whose moms chose life for them and somehow ended up losing custody? Let me assure you there are PAGES of eligible kids up for adoption right now just in the state of Georgia who need a home. You can trust me on this one. They aren't snuggly babies. Some are 18. Who is there for them when the system says they are released? Who shows them how to have relationships that are loving - relationships that are stable - when all they have known is turmoil and abuse? Who is there to judge them when they end up pregnant by the first man to pay them positive attention? Is it you? People have questioned our decision to adopt a teenager from the beginning. Is it hard? Yes. Harder than we thought? Yes. God has used this to stretch me in most uncomfortable ways, and it isn't always easy. Ephesians 4:1 urges believers to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called". We felt called to adopt, and I certainly don't always feel like I am doing justice to the Lord's call. But we said Yes. What do you say? You can surely say that now is not a good time, maybe when the kids get older, maybe when we are more stable, etc. That is easy enough to do, but God calls us to jump into the mess and trust Him. And trust me, it is messy, but I have seen God show up and do some big things in the past few years that I couldn't have seen unless we said Yes.

I know that everyone isn't called to adopt. How about foster? Goodness knows, there needs to be more loving, godly foster families to step up. Once again, not easy and definitely scary. To come alongside a family in a time of need and give love and a safe space to vulnerable children is one of the greatest ways to show God's love to someone that I can imagine. Not called to personally foster? Not everyone is, but maybe you could bring dinner to a friend who fosters, give donations of clothes or gift cards to get new clothes for kids who often show up with nothing, provide an evening of babysitting so those foster parents get a break. ALL of that would be much appreciated and a way to be people of action. 

If you are medically trained, how about using your talents to volunteer at clinics that provide women's healthcare - specifically those that serve abortion-vulnerable patients. Maybe get to know the person and the story behind the decisions that should break our hearts? I have seen hearts change simply by seeing that ultrasound and knowing that there are people who would support them and help them. We, as Christians, should be THOSE people. 

The point in all of this is that we are all capable of DOING something. That something doesn't have to impact the world - maybe our impact is meant for one person. And more often that not, that impact has a ripple effect which we may never see this side of heaven. Each week, as our service ends on Sunday, our pastor charges us to "Go and BE the church." Pray about how you can BE the church to someone in need. But...for the love, just stop with all the nastiness, all the meme posting, all the article sharing, all the generalizing and just go love some people. ALL THE PEOPLE...