I don't like the
tsunami of emotion and help that pours out when tragedy happens, but slowly and
surely ebbs after a few weeks.
Columbine, 9/11, Virginia, and now Aurora have left scars on the pages
of our history. We are a nation who is
heartbroken for families who are now missing people they love and angry that
someone would dare take lives in that way.
There are stories of heroism, visits from the President and celebrities,
and articles from all the news corporations.
People will freak out about gun control vs. the right to bear arms. Theaters might not have the same magic for a
while.
But what about in a
year or two? Will anyone have shut down
this theater of horror playing out in our country? I don't know.
Things don't change by themselves.
But what if people got tired of hearing about these stories on the
news? What if someone decided to make
sure the people around them didn't feel alone and helpless. What if two people did that, or five, or a
thousand? What if someone decided that
mentoring young people was really important, so important that it deserved some
time out of their week?
What if sports and
the arts were seen as a way out of gang culture and vandalism? Kids could learn how to win and lose
graciously, and work in a team. They
could learn to funnel their frustrations into punting a football or sketching
sky scrapers instead of smashing windows and throwing up graffiti. We might have a generation of renaissance men
and women who could strive together for a more beautiful tomorrow.
What if we started
urban community gardens? San Franciscans
aren't the only people who ought to eat vegetables. Kids in Kansas City and Detroit and Miami
need veggies too. Maybe if grandmas and
grandpas and aunties and uncles and cousins all came out to grow some fresh
food, we'd see a nutritional revolution clearing out hospitals better than the
best prescriptions. Dinner would become
a family event again, and communities could be built around the land bearing
fruit.
What if we valued
the land more highly? Cleaning up our
creeks and rivers, planting native flowers and doing some recycling could be
merely aesthetic, but maybe it would be easier to live a beautiful life if we
lived in a beautiful place. Parks would
be a place to play frisbee and have family picnics, not deal drugs and get into
trouble. Runners wouldn't have to
grimace when they ingested smog on their daily jog around the block. By living responsibly, we could be better
stewards of the beautiful land we have.
Wow. I've wound myself up into an inspired
frenzy. Let's do it! Let's change the world! Let's start a non-profit! Let's start a babysitting service for single
parents! If we just got a few people on
board, we could be change agents in the world.
They would definitely include us in the 2100 editions of history
books. Before you gather all your
besties for a brainstorming coffee date, stop.
All these things - art clubs, community gardens, mentoring programs,
reducing pollution - are great things.
They might alleviate the symptoms of our dysfunctional culture. They might convince us that we're really
making a dent in things. They might even
win some awards. But we are dead wrong
if we ever think that these things alone will solve our problems of family
disintegration, violence, and brokenness.
There is one
solution, and His name is Jesus. His
love cracks open the most tightly locked hearts. His peace comforts the shaken and
distraught. His strength gives courage
to do what is good. He died so that we
could live. He said Himself:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy. I came that they may have life
and have it abundantly.
John
10:10
He is the life
giver. There is no program, no mission
statement, no organization that can do that.
Whoever
has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1
John 5:12
So, what if we cared
about people because they are made in the image of God? If we showed them the love of Jesus in
whatever we do - youth orchestras or mentoring programs or running clubs -
maybe they would come to know Him and begin to truly live. If we taught people how to take care of their
bodies and take care of the natural resources around them because we've been
entrusted with God's very special creation, maybe we 'd see less obesity and
more people out walking and riding their bikes.
We all have
gifts! We all have passions for areas
that we can make a difference. That's
not just a coincidence. God has given us
tools to use to make His name known in the world. We tell people about Jesus, and we love
people like Jesus did, and we spend our lives so that people can know Him and
follow Him. That's exciting! I don't mean to squelch your love for
recycling. By all means, recycle. Start community gardens. Volunteer.
Do what it is God has gifted you to do here and around the world. My caution is to make sure your foundation is
built on the Rock, Jesus. He is the one
who makes deep, lasting change.
We want communities
that are whole, dynamic and healthy.
Sometimes that requires programs and budgets and committees, but may we
never forget that the true trouble with people is not that they need a program,
but a Life giver.
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