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What Christ-Centered Leaders Need to Address Violence

The question regarding the violence we continue to experience is, “Why can’t we stop it?” We want to stop it.  We try, in our own ways, to stop it. But for some reason, we can’t stop the violence. Why can’t we have an impact on the violence in our country and in our communities?

Regarding the recent assassination attempt on former president Trump, we have pointed fingers at the Secret Service. We have politicized the situation and the victims. And as with much evil, there are no easy answers to the questions we are asking, partly because we are not asking the right questions.

So, how do Christ-centered leaders address violence? Let’s use our pattern of Read, Reflect, Respond, and Return to explore one response to “Why can’t we stop the violence?”

Read Matthew 17:14-21

14 When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, 15 and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has epilepsy and suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon,[a] and it[b] came out of him, and the boy was cured from that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a[c] mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Reflect

The main theme in Matthew’s gospel is that God sent Jesus to teach us how to live before God. As you read Matthew you soon discover that the life we live before God is a holy or righteous life, and that the holiness and righteousness, according to Matthew, is seen in our relationships with God and with one another (neighbor).

This story immediately follows the transfiguration. So, while Jesus is being confirmed as the Son of God his disciples are experiencing a lack of power. Matthew is teaching his community that their power rests in their relationship with Jesus.

The transfiguration story recalls Jesus’ baptism and the voice from heaven designating him both powerful as the Son of God and weak as the Suffering Servant. In this story, Jesus instructs his disciples on the meaning and cost of following him. Their power is in their relationship to him.

The Relationship of Power 

Although his disciples have been commissioned with his power and authority, they are frustrated with their lack of power.  When Jesus arrives to be with them, there is power to heal despite their failure. The primary focus of this story is the relationship of the power of Jesus, the anointed One (Christ), and the disciples’ ministry in the world. In other words, Jesus is with them at the bottom of the mountain in the midst of their service failure (mountain bottom experience) as well as on the top of the mountain in the midst of spiritual exhilaration (mountain top experience).

Jesus is forming a new community of faith against the “perverse generation” of Israel that rejects him. The struggle shown in this scene is between whether the disciples who have identified Jesus and made the correct confession, will become the authentic community Jesus seeks to build. Will they depend upon the power of Jesus, God’s power, or will they regress into “this generation?”

Authority and Power

Jesus had performed exorcisms and healing and had given them authority and power to continue his ministry. But they could not do it with their own power. They only have power when Jesus is with them. They have power when they are in a relationship with Jesus, when they trust God’s love for them and for all others.

So, the question remains, “Why could we not cast it out?”

One of my favorite Martin Luther King, Jr. sermons is, “The Answer to a Perplexing Question” based on Matthew 17:19, “Why couldn’t we cast him out?” In the sermon, King says the problem that has always hampered us is our inability to conquer evil by our own power.  Whether it be political power or value power or emotional power, we have been unable to conquer evil in our society. King then asks the question, “Why can I not cast it out?  Why can I not remove this evil from my life?”

Our Power & God’s Power

King says we have usually pursued two paths to eliminate evil and to save the world.  Using Dr. King’s example, I would say the same when we address ongoing violence.

The first is that we try to remove evil through our own power and ingenuity. It is a strange conviction that by thinking, inventing, and governing, we will conquer the “nagging forces of evil.”

The second idea for removing evil from the world stipulates that if we wait submissively upon the Lord, in God’s own good time, God alone will redeem the world.

King asks, “What then is the answer to life’s perplexing question? How can evil be cast out of our individual and collective lives? If the world is not to be purified by God alone nor by man (human beings) alone, who will do it?”

A Third Way

If we want to move beyond talking about the problem to living out the answer, maybe we need to pursue a third way.

King answers the question this way, “The answer is found in an idea which is distinctly different from the two we have discussed, for neither God nor man (humanity) will individually bring the world’s salvation.”  King says that it will take a partnership between God and humanity, a relationship with God through Jesus. So, what does a partnership between God and humanity look like?

King writes that both God and humanity, made one in a marvelous unity of purpose through an overflowing love as the gift of God and by perfect obedience and receptivity on the part of humanity, can transform the old into the new and drive out the deadly cancer of sin. And yes, it is sin that is at the root of the evil of violence. Sin. The missing the point of God’s love toward all humanity. Sin. The missing the point of God’s power, as seen as strong in Jesus as the Son of God and weak as the Suffering Servant.

Faith Opens the Door

For Dr. King, faith opens the door for God to work through us. The disciples lacked faith when they desperately tried to remove the nagging evil from the body of the sick child (Matthew 17:14-23). Jesus points out what now appears obvious: they had been attempting to do by themselves what could only be done with God. When their lives are open receptacles for God’s strength, they enter a partnership that can move mountains.  

King points out that we cannot remove an evil habit by mere resolution nor by simply calling on God to do the job, but only as we surrender ourselves and become an instrument of God. We can and will find an answer to evil and violence only when we permit the love of God to come into our souls.

Here is where King notes we can find the answer to our perplexing question.  Evil can be cast out. We cannot do it alone and God is not going to do it for us. Evil will be cast out as we open the door and invite God through Christ to enter in. 

To the church of the twenty-first century, the invitation remains: “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

Respond

Throughout the day, be aware of your thoughts and emotions. What are the things, events, news stories that trigger anxiety and anger for you? Since you cannot “cast out evil” on your own and God is not going to do it for you, how will you grow in your relationship to God through Jesus today? Be intentional. 

Maybe this week is a good time to begin practicing the means of grace, of developing a pattern for growing inwardly and discovering ways you can live out your faith outwardly. Remember, God is with you. As you grow in your relationship with God, through Jesus, you will have the freedom and power to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves. You will become more who God has created you to be, and who you are is how you lead.

Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness. Joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

-Francis of Assisi

Return

Give God thanks for the people you encountered today. In whom did you see Jesus? How did you address negative thoughts and emotions you had regarding social media stories and reports? How did focusing upon God’s love in your life help you to love others? What did you learn about yourself? What will you do differently tomorrow? Give God thanks for the experiences that help you become who God created you to be. Keep in mind, who you are is how you lead.

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Responding to Violence as a Christ-Centered Leader

The reports from Butler, Pennsylvania, last Saturday were unbelievable and unspeakable. An event where an assassination attempt on former President Trump, the death of a father protecting his family, and the wounding of several others is unnecessary and unthinkable. 

Regardless of your political views, such events leave us with feelings of fear, disorientation, and anger. As a Christ-centered leader, how do you respond to such violence?

To begin answering that question, let’s look at one scripture that is foundational for all Christ-centered leaders and fundamental to our faith and actions as followers of Jesus.

Read John 13:34-35

Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.” 

Reflect

To daily live the love of God made known is Jesus, is the mark of true discipleship. It is also the strength of faith communities, the goal of spiritual formation, and the hope for which we live. The love of God made known in Jesus Christ can be embodied today and every day through what you think, say, and do.

Modern-day prophets, like Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded us of these truths. He wrote in A Testament of Hope, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Where do we find the courage and desire to love each other?

T. M. Anderson writes,

“The goal of spending time with Christ in prayer is to have His character become our character.  For our life to be hidden in His life, his nature to become our nature, and His habits our habits.  It is possible to become so intimately acquainted with a practice, a way of doing something that you can do it without thinking.  It becomes second nature, natural.  When we find the secret place of abiding in Christ, our ordinary, daily interactions with people will become oh such more than mundane.  They will be majestic opportunities to fulfill God’s purpose.  We will become fruitful Christians.  All fruitfulness of this kind flows out of intimacy with Him.”

Our hope is in Jesus, who gives us the ability to love each other as he loves us. By loving one another, we show the world that we belong to Jesus. Our courage to love comes from our willingness to engage in a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

Respond

Could becoming more like Jesus be a response to the violence in which our culture participates?

So as a Christ-centered leader, how do you respond to such violence?

Remember Who You Are

You are a Christ-centered leader, so you lead as a follower of Jesus. You might think of it this way, in the Beatitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” At your baptism God claimed you as his “beloved child.” As a child of God, you are a peacemaker.

So, what does that mean? As a child of God, you represent God in the community where you live, work, and play. Your words and actions reveal who you are and that you are about God’s business. And what is God’s business? God’s business is the well-being of God’s creation, especially the well-being of each of us. God loves us and is working for our good. To be about God’s business is to love others the way God has loved you. That is who you are and how you live as a child of God. So, remember who are.

It Matters Where You Start

You are a Christ-centered leader. It matters where you start. It sounds simple enough, but there are several factors to consider. First, you start with Jesus, the Prince of Peace. In other words, you don’t start with your opinion or political position. Please hear me, you are entitled to your opinion, but as a Christ-centered leader, your opinion is second to God’s business. So, you start with Jesus.

Second, because you are about God’s business, you speak and act on behalf of God. That means that you are working on behalf of all people, whether you agree or disagree, God’s love is greater than your opinion or differences. This is an important factor in responding to violence.

We know things are not right in the world. It’s as if something or someone is organizing things against God. The act of assassination cannot be chalked up to differences in opinion. Nor can we write it off as poor communication.

We can’t know why someone would act with violence. It is called evil. And evil is large, cosmic, organized, subtle, pervasive, and real. The struggle in which we find ourselves is real and dangerous. The only way to address it is with the power of God’s love. So, start your response immersed in God’s love. It matters where you start.

Respond with Grace

You are a Christ-centered leader. It is your responsibility to respond and not react. When responding, keep in mind the differences of opinions and views you are addressing. In times of violence, we tend to react out of fear and anger. People receive what you say through their filters of fear and anger.

Responding with grace is not always easy or convenient. But by God’s grace you have been given the faith to respond. So, don’t abandon who you are as a follower of Jesus for the sake of convenience or to gain support for your point of view. To do so is to give into the evil you are addressing. Amid vulnerability, respond out of the strength provided by God’s grace. If you stand in fear and react out of emotion, you give power to the evil that is not real or true.  The people behind acts of violence embody the evil of hatred and bigotry.  At any given time, motivated by fear and emotion, you and I embody the same evil. Let’s not give into the intimidation. Respond with the grace that God has extended to you.

Remember You Are Not Alone

As a Christ-centered leader, God is with you. Because God is with you, you can be with and for others. You can assist others to be who God created them to be. So, join hands, if not hearts, with people you might not associate, agree, or understand. Model for the world God’s design for all creation. Evil can seem overpowering. Yet, God’s plan for creation is greater than any evil embodied in violence and terrorism.

When you come to the end of the day “having done everything,” you can stand firm knowing that you are not alone. You know that against all aggression, there is the presence of God. Against all attacks, there is the promise of God. Against all evidence, there is the power of God. And against all odds, there is the victory of God.

Decide to Act

You are a Christ-centered leader. Be aware of your emotions and claim your agency. Feelings, whether rooted in compassion or outrage, are not enough. How does standing firm get translated into positive action that brings about the redemption and transformation of our relationships, our communities, and the world?

Think of it this way: For too long, we have either tried to make our way on our own power or mistakenly decided to be silent and do nothing, thinking God will do something for us.

As a response to the events of last Saturday, remember, God is with us. You are not alone. Maybe you can think of it this way. God created you, claimed you, called you, commissioned you, and gifted you for such a time as this. If God has made that investment in you, God will not leave you alone to respond on your own.

As a Christ-centered leader, you stand on a firm foundation to help others know that they are not alone in the midst of violence. Because God is with us, we can stand together to be who God created us to be, and we can and will make this world a place where God’s love is greater than all the evil and violence we experience.

Pray

O God, show the world your love through me. New every morning is your love, great God of light and all day long you work for your children’s well-being.  Stir up within me the desire to serve you in trust and obedience; the desire to not only do good but to be good; the desire to live peaceably with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, strangers, enemies; the desire to surrender this day and every part of my life: family, friends; fears, failures; finances, fantasies; focus and future to your love in Jesus Christ. Make me aware of the people around me today so that I might be a blessing to someone somewhere today. I offer myself to you in and through Jesus Christ. So let it be!

Return

Give God thanks for the people you encountered today. In whom did you see Jesus? What emotions have you had regarding the recent acts of violence? How have you been addressing them? How has focusing upon God’s love in your life helped you to love others? What did you learn about yourself? What will you will do differently tomorrow? Give God thanks for the experiences that help you become who God created you to be. Keep in mind, who you are is how you lead.

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Refocusing on God’s Mission

God is doing a new thing in my life. I officially retired June 30 with 50 years under appointment as a United Methodist minister. As I have shared with you before, I was a 20-year-old college student when I was appointed to two small churches in West Virginia.  Now, 50 years later, God is doing a new thing in my life.

I confess I struggled a little with the idea of retirement. What was I going to do? I had been a pastor/preacher all my adult life. I confess I do not hunt, fish, golf, woodworking, or garden. In other words, I have no hobbies. So, retirement was not going to give me more time to do what I really wanted to do. And besides, being a pastor/preacher is what I wanted to continue to do. I might be old, but I’m not quite over the hill.

Refocusing

My struggle within was about refocusing my life upon something that would bring meaning and purpose. So, God and I had a conversation. I tried to put it off on God. I asked “What am I going to do now? You created me, called me, and gifted me to do what I have been doing. That is coming to an end with retirement. What am I going to do now?”

What I heard (discerned) God say, “Set the past 50 years aside. I have something new for you.”

I laughed, “Okay. Are you going to teach this “old” dog some new tricks?”

So when the phone rang, God’s voice sounded like the Bishop in West Virginia, “I have a place for you in West Virginia. I want you to come and be the pastor of Christ Church in Charleston.”

In the back of mind I heard God laughing, “Tim, how many times over your short 50 years of ministry have you experienced, I always get the last laugh?”

“But God. I’m retired. How can I be the pastor of a church like Christ Church when I am retired?”

And God said, “If I can make paths in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, I can still make a pastor/preacher out of you.”

God is Doing a New Thing

Okay, thanks for being my therapist for a moment. God is doing a new thing in my life. The new thing is the opportunity to refocus upon God’s love for me in Jesus and to share that love with a new community of people. At Christ Church we seek to connect one another and you with Christ and with the community.

The refocus is always upon the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. I now have the opportunity to put into practice what I have been sharing with you over the past eight years as a district superintendent. With 50 years of experience as a United Methodist minister, I am still in the ministry of resourcing Christ-centered leaders.

Through Transforming Mission, Sara Thomas and I are still providing the resources you need to lead a movement of Jesus followers.

Okay, with that said, it is time to refocus. Read Isaiah’s words to the Hebrew people. He is challenging them to refocus.

Read Isaiah 43:18-21

Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.

Reflect

These words were written while Israel was in exile. The people were separated from what was meaningful. Their lives were disrupted, and they felt hopeless.

God, through Isaiah, calls them to refocus. Isaiah reminds them who created them, who formed them, and who redeemed them.  He reminds them they have nothing to fear because God has been with them through all the trials, disruptions, and disconnections.

God has been good to them. God led them out of Egypt and out of slavery. God led them through the Red Sea and protected them in the wilderness. God provided manna when they were hungry, quail when they wanted meat, and water out of rock when they were thirsty. God had led them to the promised land, a land of milk and honey. God had been good to them. 

God Makes A Way

I am projecting here, but my guess is, Israel had grown accustomed to God’s goodness and lost focus of who God was for them and who they were in relationship to God. And even though they might have lost focus; God did not condemn them. Amid their disconnections and lack of focus, God offered hope. God makes a way for them.

So, Isaiah challenges them to set aside the past. God is doing a new thing, a new work in their midst.  They are reassured that they can trust God because God is able to make a way in the wilderness and a river in the desert.

Now, here is what is interesting to me. The new thing is refocusing on God. Why? God wants the people to declare God’s praise.

They are asked to set aside all God had done for them in the past, the things that had gotten them to this point, and to focus on the present. “Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?

When they lost focus on God, they began to focus on themselves. So, the challenge is to focus on what God is doing for them now. It is like God is saying, “If I can make a path in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, you can trust me for this moment in time.”

And speaking through Isaiah, God continues to say, “for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.” In other words (Bias translation), “I am providing water for you, because I love you and I created you to love. All I want is for you to live the way I created you to live.”

To declare God’s praise was to focus upon God and God’s goodness, and to not only receive God’s goodness but extend God’s goodness to others.

Respond

Today, look for the situations and circumstances where you are being challenged to refocus. Where you are being challenged to receive God’s love and to extend God’s love to others. Look for the “new thing” God is doing in the lives of the people you encounter today? Be aware of how you are responding and how you might respond differently. When you are uncomfortable or are feeling especially challenged to refocus, remember if God can make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, God and certainly love you into becoming the person you have been created to be.

Today, set aside the past and experience what God is doing now in your midst.

Prayer

O God, I do believe you are doing something new in my life and in the lives of the people around me. Give me the eyes to see it and the heart to embrace it, so that I may become the person you have created me to be.  I offer myself to you in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Return

Give God thanks for the people you encountered today. In whom did you see Jesus? What new thing did you experience? How did it help you see a way to refocus? Give God thanks for the experience. What did you learn that you will do differently tomorrow?

Pray for the faith to continue to step into the unknown with courage and hope. Give God thanks for the opportunities you had to become more who God has created you to be. Keep in mind, who you are is how you lead.

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Engaging in Mission: What Do We Do That No One Else Is Doing? Part 4

Engaging the mission is about following Jesus into the community and being about God’s business. It is a way of relating to and loving others within the community in which you are located.

To help resource you in Engaging the Community, we have explored The Seven Missional Questions (Engaging in Mission: Engaging the Community), have done an overview of koinonia, the New Testament understanding of community (Engaging in Mission: Engaging the Community Part 2), and explored the components of mission (Engaging in Mission: Engaging the Community Part 3).  

What do we need to do that no one else is doing?

As you focus on God’s business, one way to discover your particular focus is to ask God, “What do we need to be doing that no one else is doing?” God will answer your prayer by opening opportunities you may not have considered. By broadening your perspective on the community, you will begin to recognize where God is working.

God might lead you to a partnership with a local elementary or middle school. As simple as it sounds, few churches are in partnership with the schools in the community they serve.

So, let me say it this way: One tangible way to be about God’s business is to partner with a school in your community. In partnership with children, you can grow personally as a follower of Jesus as you share the love of God unselfishly. In conversation with school administrators and teachers, you learn ways to develop relationships of love and care.

God might lead you to a feeding or housing ministry. Most churches find participating in these ministries relatively easy. Whether it be a food pantry, serving meals, or participating in building a Habitat for Humanity home, you have the opportunity to grow as a follower of Jesus as you actively respond to meeting immediate needs in the community.

So, responding to basic human needs such as food and housing is another tangible way to be a part of God’s business of loving people as God has loved you.

Praying for Your Community

God might lead you to pray for the first responders in your community. What better ministry is there than to hold before God the well-being, safety, and families of the people who serve the community in which you live. Praying for police officers, firefighters, and other first responders keeps you focused on the community and helps you develop a pattern of prayer for your own life and well-being.

So, as you seek to engage in mission in the community, it is only natural to pray. Prayer is another tangible way to be about God’s business in the community. The fact is, you will be blessed by God as you respond to the invitation to be a part of something that no one else is doing.

In one church I had the opportunity to lead, we prayed, “What do we need to do no one else is doing?” God led us to a local HIV/AIDS Clinic. As we developed a partnership with the clinic, we developed a ministry of love, care, prayer, and compassion for people who were pushed to the margins of the community. We provided what the clinic said they needed to serve their clients. As we partnered with the clinic, God provided a place for us to develop relationships and to grow as followers of Jesus as we gave ourselves in love and care to God’s children in the community.

Follow God’s Lead

I am sure you have gotten my point. When you ask the question, God will lead you into your community, into your ministry context, and provide opportunities for you to love and care for others as God has loved and cared for you.

As you seek to engage in mission in your community, God will lead you to places you might not have considered. Just ask God the question, “What do we need to do that no one else is doing.”

To help with your engagement in the community, read the following story from Matthew:

Read: Matthew 25:31-46

When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep in his right hand and the goats at the left.

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’

Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,  for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’  And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”

Reflect: What are you doing? 

Matthew uses a parable of Jesus to help his readers to understand holy or righteous living. He is not telling them what they should be doing but is showing them what they are doing.

Parables are not mirrors of morality but are reflections of reality. In teaching us how to live a holy and righteous life before God, Jesus tells a parable to help us understand how we live in a relationship with God and our neighbors.

The Reality of Our Living

The parable is often used out of context to tell people or to encourage people to respond to human need. It is used out of context when it is used to say “we should” feed people, or care for people, or work for the good of others.  Feeding, caring, and working for the good of others is good and needed work, but that is not the point of parable.

The parable reflects how we are living our lives in feeding, caring, and working for the good of other ways. In other words, it reveals the reality of our living.

So, what does this parable have to do with “What do we need to do that no one else is doing?” 

Recognize Jesus

To engage in mission in the community, you must be able to recognize Jesus in the people you are being called and led to serve. Jesus offers the invitation to follow him into the community. It is following Jesus so closely, that you can recognize and respond to God’s call and invitation to “do what no one else is doing.”

Tom Long, retired Bandy Professor of preaching at Candler School of Theology, attended a Presbyterian Church in downtown Atlanta. Like many downtown churches, it had a ministry with people living on the streets. During the winter, when the church opened its gymnasium to provide shelter, people from the congregation would serve as hosts and hostesses.

On one occasion, Long volunteered to be a host for the night. When his night came to serve, he invited a friend to come and serve with him for the evening. His friend was not a church member but enjoyed engaging in conversation about faith and religious matters. He would often say, “Tom, I’m not a theologian, but it seems to me…,” and then he would express his opinion.

On the night Long was hosting the shelter, the two greeted the men as they arrived. They ensured each man had something to eat and a place to sleep. Both Tom and his friend hung out with the men for a while before they began to retire for the night. Tom’s friend said, “Tom, you get some sleep. I will stay with them the first watch, then I’ll wake you up, and you can come and stay with them for the rest of the night.”

So, the friend stayed up and mingled with the guests, listened to them, and asked questions about who they were, what had happened to them in their lives that they were now homeless. At 2:00 AM he went in to awaken Tom. He said, “Wake up! Wake up! I want you to come and see this. I am no theologian, but I think that Jesus is down there.”

As Tom Long tells the story, he says quoting Jesus, “Those who show hospitality to the least of these have done it to me.”

By asking the question, “What do we need to do that no one else is doing?” God is reflecting back to you the love you are offering to Jesus in and through the people you meet, care for, and serve. So, what is it that we need to be doing that no one else is doing?

Respond 

Where are you seeing Jesus in your community and in the ministry of your congregation? What are you doing that no one else is doing in the community? How are you responding to the needs and assists of your community? How are you bringing needs and assists together to engage the people of your church in mission in the community? As Jesus invites you into the community, where will you start? What assistance do you need to get started?

Prayer

O God I am grateful for your call upon my life and for the opportunity to be a leader centered upon your love in Jesus. By your grace, give me eyes to recognize you in the people I meet each day. Give me ears to hear your voice above all other voices. Give me faith to assist people in growing in their faith. Give me the courage to lead people into the community to love others as you have loved me. Thank you for your love, which will never let me go, and that enables me to love and trust you more. Amen.  

Return 

Give God thanks for the people you encountered today. In whom did you see Jesus? With whom did you experience something new? Who did you encounter who needed special love and care? What do you need to be doing that no one else is doing? What did you learn that you will do differently tomorrow? Give God thanks for the opportunities you had to become more who God has created you to be. Keep in mind, who you are is how you lead.