These are some complaints I have heard recently, some out of my own mouth, some out of my friends', and some out of strangers. They're normal day to day comments, that often hinge onto the mystery of what life was made of, and what our purpose here is... or so I thought, until I saw this:
Persecution in India: Francis' Response from Cornerstone Church on Vimeo.
Really?!
Do we really spend our lives sitting in the church, complaining about how cold the AC is this morning, and trying to live a mediocre life by fulfilling the norm of reading our Bible once a day and saying a prayer whenever we think of it? A prayer that we say in the same way as when we make a wish right before blowing out the candles. And we do this constantly, congregating in our Bible studies, while around us there are people being beaten to death because they actually live out their faith?
I am so sick of hypocrisy. I see it all around. In my friends, in my family members, and more evidently, in myself. Too often I am tempted to settle, to not rise up to challenges, and to be lazy... and by doing so, I am neglecting love and compassion.
How relevant are our lives to the Gospel? Would oppression cause us to analyze this? Would it cause us to fully surrender?
Seriously... honestly... where do our lives fit in into the big picture of the kingdom of God?
Why is it that people that go through tremendous trials are the ones that succeed and are better human beings in general? Why is it that when we have it too easy we become unaware of the harsh realities around us?
What can we do about it?
I dont know.
In sight of this everything else fades into a shade of unimportance. In sight of this, all I know is that I dont care if I graduate with a college degree, get married, buy a puppy, and a house... All I want in sight of this video is to be able to come to the end of my life and say that I lived with that much faith and passion for God. That whether I end up in a suburb in the States, in the jungles of Colombia, or in that very same village from the video... my life belongs completely and wholy to the one who created me.
I dont know exactly what that looks like, but a few words come into mind:
God & Me: Dependence. The Bible. Prayer. Love. Selflessness. Prayer. Compassion. Humbleness. Prayer. Tenacity. Boldness. Prayer. Courage. Peace. Prayer. Purpose. Sacrifice. Prayer. Risk. Fulfillment. Prayer.
I'll never forget when I met Mr. Elias - refugee from Congo. His words haunt me to this day - four years after I met him and spent no more than one hour with him. He said "I feel like my hands have been cut off. I cant do anything in this refugee camp... not even work, everything is handed to me. This is no life."
We live in the land of freedom, yet many are so much more trapped than this refugee. We dont have fences around us, or the UN bringing in food, or soldiers guarding the entrances. We have our identity. But we have stashed it away. We have surrendered our ability to dream, and our desire to see miracles. We run away from pain and challenges, when it is in these that beauty and lives are restored. Why God?
