It often happens that we forget who we are. We begin to live a life that is incongruous, not just with deeply held values, but with who we fundamentally are. Who we were made to be. Strangely we often actively fight against being the person who brings us the most peace and fulfillment. It’s not just that we are self destructive, but we become lost, and in our lostness we flail around and become both distracted and enamored with lesser things. Ok, not just lesser things. Sometimes with seemingly good and admirable things…but not our things. Not the things that we, being who we are, should be paying attention to.
This happens not just to us individually, but corporately. I once heard the Christian Church described as Cinderella with amnesia. I think that is appropriate. Especially now in this hour when tempers are flaring and the bonds of friendship are being strained throughout our world. We have forgotten our royal heritage and our noble calling and in so doing have diminished our God, ourselves and our brethren.
Within the Church itself we are seeing a separation of the strangest sort. Taking political sides in what we should all recognize is a spiritual battle. And by “spiritual” I do not mean “make believe”. The unseen battle that goes on around us is more real that what we call “real”. That which is spiritual is more…not less. Yet, we’ve been so sucked into the world with its politics and entertainment and philosophy and we’ve become so entranced by it all that Jesus has long since been forgotten, left behind as some sort of ancient mascot or spiritual phycologist. We have forgotten the real Jesus. The alive Jesus. The “show up unexpectedly and insert Himself in your life in the most comforting and scary of ways” Jesus. In other words, the Jesus who is and not the Jesus we imagine. Having forgotten Him, is it any wonder that we have forgotten ourselves? The moon has no hope of illuminating itself.
That isn’t what I wanted to write about, but I guess it is necessary ground work that needs to be put down to talk about what I really want to. We do need to remember who we are…in Christ. We need to remember our holy calling. We need to remember the horrible fate we’ve been saved from. We need to meditate on the great salvation that we’ve been given. We need to reckon with the God who is. The alive and active God. We need to remember Who. We. Are. This is for a purpose and a reason.
So, what is my point? Well, in the blockbuster superhero movie, The Avengers, the heroes end up scattered by their enemy. Their story arc has reached its nadir. They are beaten and broken and left to regroup. Thor has ended up back on the ground, cast down by his evil brother, Loki. Scarred and dirty, he walks across a field where he has just crashed and approaches his hammer. Before stooping to pick it up–he pauses. You can see the anguish and defeat in his face. He bunches his had into a mighty fist, then slowly and deliberately makes the decision to grasp the hammer and step back into the battle.
This is us. Many of us. This is the moment we are in. First, we need to remember who we are. Then, we need to pick up our hammer and get back in the game. Your hammer is the gift that God placed in you to do His work and bless the world. Do you even know what your “hammer” is? Do you know where it is? Is it buried at the back of the closet? If you think about it, it is likely sitting there right in front of you. For me it is music and writing, maybe for you it is preaching or teaching, maybe practical service in your community, helping the poor or the addicted, maybe it’s your ability to minister to other mom’s in your community, maybe business is your thing…or maybe even politics. What tool do you have at your disposal that you’ve been gifted in the use of that you can go and have an effect for the Kingdom Of God right now?
If you are like many of us you have been avoiding doing this. It probably comes at a cost and with risk. Maybe you’ve been hiding your gift because of the cost or responsibility involved. Maybe you’re just underutilizing it, spending time on entertainments and distractions instead. Maybe you’ve bought the lie that your gift isn’t that great or useful and “what does it matter anyway?”.
Let me encourage you…find your courage and pick up the hammer. We need you. The world needs you. It may not love you or even like you. It’s guaranteed that if you are following Jesus, many will hate you. You can’t help that. Oh…and you’ll make mistakes…plenty. But what you can do is be faithful. In this specific hour it is time for many of us who have been on the sidelines to once again jump into the fray and see what God might do through our meager offering. There is a certain genius in boldness. Go for it.
The Problem Of Being Alive 