Barack Obama has won the race for White house. In his campaign he has consistently promised change and in his victory speech, he proclaimed “Change has come to America.” Of course, the test for him will now begin in earnest to deliver this promised change – to make things better for the USA and in the world.
But he is also proclaiming the fact that change has already happened. The USA has changed a lot in the last 40yrs. In the crowd listening to Barack was a man with tears in his eyes: Jesse Jackson. It was obviously an emotional moment for him to see a black president. Perhaps in the 1960’s he would not have believed it possible, even in his wildest dreams. Jackson was a Baptist minister and a civil rights activist who was with Martin Luther King when he was assassinated in 1968 and was one of thousands of people who were stirred by Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech in 1963. The civil rights movement worked to get equal rights for black people in America where segregation of black people and white people was practiced and rigidly enforced.
America has changed. The world has changed. Change continues to happen at an incredible rate and as Christ-followers, we need to be engaged in this change. Generally speaking, churches are not good at this. Unfortunately, we can get locked into doing things that may have worked half a century ago, but do so no longer. Many Christians like their traditions and their religion and their rituals. We have churches looking to their own wisdom and understanding of what works instead of stepping out in faith and trusting God and doing something less comfortable.
We need to be ready to meet the new challenges that arise. We need to be involved in “change we can believe in.” Not slavishly following what is happening in the world – but to see what God is doing and follow his lead. We need to hold to gospel truths, but we need to proclaim them in a way which is relevant to the times in which we live. We need to be salt and light and live out our Christian lives amongst our family, our friends, our neighbours, our work colleagues and in our community in a way which evidently demonstrates the love of Christ.
The other day, my wife read to me some verses in Isaiah 43. They included these: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”
We worship a God who does new things!
But he is also proclaiming the fact that change has already happened. The USA has changed a lot in the last 40yrs. In the crowd listening to Barack was a man with tears in his eyes: Jesse Jackson. It was obviously an emotional moment for him to see a black president. Perhaps in the 1960’s he would not have believed it possible, even in his wildest dreams. Jackson was a Baptist minister and a civil rights activist who was with Martin Luther King when he was assassinated in 1968 and was one of thousands of people who were stirred by Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech in 1963. The civil rights movement worked to get equal rights for black people in America where segregation of black people and white people was practiced and rigidly enforced.
America has changed. The world has changed. Change continues to happen at an incredible rate and as Christ-followers, we need to be engaged in this change. Generally speaking, churches are not good at this. Unfortunately, we can get locked into doing things that may have worked half a century ago, but do so no longer. Many Christians like their traditions and their religion and their rituals. We have churches looking to their own wisdom and understanding of what works instead of stepping out in faith and trusting God and doing something less comfortable.
We need to be ready to meet the new challenges that arise. We need to be involved in “change we can believe in.” Not slavishly following what is happening in the world – but to see what God is doing and follow his lead. We need to hold to gospel truths, but we need to proclaim them in a way which is relevant to the times in which we live. We need to be salt and light and live out our Christian lives amongst our family, our friends, our neighbours, our work colleagues and in our community in a way which evidently demonstrates the love of Christ.
The other day, my wife read to me some verses in Isaiah 43. They included these: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”
We worship a God who does new things!
1 comment:
Good stuff Les
The verse Jenny read to you was an inspiration to me this summer as we focused on the way ahead at CCC
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