I’m writing this on Monday, June 23 and according to The Weather Channel, we should be hovering around the mid-80s, low-90s by the time this article appears in the paper. And for me, it really doesn’t matter where you grew up, this is hot, end of discussion.
Of course, that’s not the only heat we’re feeling nowadays, not with protests all over the country and folks being rounded up for deportation and American bombs being dropped on Iran and vice versa. Now that’s heat of an entirely different kind. And even though I know what to do when the physical temperature is high, as a minister of Jesus Christ, I’m frustrated that I don’t exactly know how to help the people I serve come to grips with the chaos that’s breaking out all around us. And even though it’s tempting and would be easy just to ignore it and talk about things that sound more spiritual, I really don’t feel comfortable avoiding a topic just because it might get me into trouble.
And it’s interesting, right before I started writing this article, I read one of the daily readings on the PCUSA web page. It was from the Book of Acts and dealt with what was happening within the infant church. Now this was what the Evangelist Luke wrote:
The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. All of the Lord's followers often met in the part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch. No one outside their group dared join them, even though everyone liked them very much.
Many men and women started having faith in the Lord. Then sick people were brought out to the road and placed on mats. It was hoped that Peter would walk by, and his shadow would fall on them and heal them. A lot of people living in the towns near Jerusalem brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
The high priest and all the other Sadducees who were with him became jealous. They arrested the apostles and put them in the city jail. [Acts 5:12-18, CEV]
Now that’s what Luke wrote, and after reading it, I was reminded of two realities that I’d forgotten. You see, first, right here and now, the church, the Body of Christ has untapped power. As a matter of fact, we have more power than we may have ever imagined. I mean, just like Peter was able to heal people with his shadow, God has empowered us to deal with the chaos and the hatred that seems to be all around us. You see, we can stand up and affirm that, in spite of the confusion, there’s order to creation and that we’ve been called to love both our God and our neighbor, and it doesn’t matter whether our neighbor is next door or on the other side of the world. You see, this passage reminds me that we have power.
And second, it also reminds me that, when we serve Christ, we’re going to face opposition. Of course, their motives may vary but their goals don’t. You see, when we’re standing up and speaking out for what’s right, they’re going to do their best to force us to sit down and shut up. And for this reason, I think it’s important for us to claim the power we’ve already been given and like those early disciples, to come together so we might do what Christ has called us to do and to become the people we’ve been empowered to be. Together, we can face the opposition.
And so, even though the temperature may continue to be high and from time-to-time, we’re going to feel frustration, I think we need to remember that, just as it was in the early church, we have untapped power that we can claim as we face those who oppose us. And if we do, we just might see miraculous things happen.
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