Do you ever sit in class and wonder if you are ever going to use this stuff? I know I labored through an algebra test once and wrote on the bottom a personal note of aggravation to my teacher. I informed her that algebra was a waste of my time, and I obviously wasn’t good at it. I resented having to even waste my time and risk my GPA on a course of study which I knew would provide me no benefits in life.
I was right. Not about being a disrespectful jerk to my teacher, mind you, but I have yet to even need an ounce of algebraic skill since leaving school. Was it worth the time? In terms of my career path, it really did me little good. But that is because I made choices to work in areas where math skills weren’t required.
So today, I am dealing with some deep theology. With my Sunday School class we talked about Social Principles. We discussed John Wesley’s famous quote, “There is no holiness but social holiness.” At “big church” we heard a powerful sermon on the importance of living out our faith through every evangelistic avenue possible. We faced the reality that being a Christian isn’t about forcing our faith and values onto others, but living in such a way that our faith is exposed. I also addressed the congregation about the Souled Out concert, and the desire for Revival in our city to be a grassroots campaign led by the youth on fire for Christ. Tonight at FOCUS, we discussed St. Clare of Assisi. This woman gave up the life of pleasure and safety to become a penniless servant of the poor. Then Saint Will discussed living beyond the imaginary chains that hold us back, and doing incredible things for God.
Where am I going with all this? Simple, Christ ain’t Copernicus, and theology isn’t a difficult course of study only beneficial to those one day seeking to wear a robe and be called Reverend.
Everything that we are hearing is a call to action: to start living NOW in such a way that Christ is magnified, that we are diminishing, and others are brought into the hope of redemption. This is not about our personal, private walk with Christ. This is about how walking with Christ means I follow Him, and where He leads is always to the hurting, hopeless, lost, angry, prideful, and religious.
Today, I’m overwhelmed with so much theology, but tomorrow I walk into a new light. I am not so concerned with the intricacies of our faith, but in the call to action Christ establishes. We are meant to walk, to serve, to lift, to bring one, to be…His.
