This past Sunday a small group of Evangelical Christians gathered in Washington, DC for a state-sponsored revival. Although there weren’t a lot of people on the lawn, a lot of big-name TV preachers, military leaders, politicians – and a rabbi – were there. It was, I am told, quite the spectacle, and while it isn’t my cup of tea, I would never begrudge people their right to practice the religion of their choice. There are a lot of aspects of different faith traditions that I agree with, and a lot I do not. As I will often remind people, other people’s religious leanings are not about me, so as long as nobody gets hurt, you do you and I will do me.
The real question for me, however, is in the title of this thought – what’s next? I have known a lot of people who have had religious conversions, and those journeys tend to follow a general path. They connect with God on a personal level after learning about the faith. That connection then branches out to being with people who have similar leanings. That faith community teaches certain tenets and practices, like worship and prayer and the study of scripture. This is often where it ends – the believer gets wrapped in their own little bubble, focused on self, saying things like “Jesus is my personal Savior.” Sure – that’s what the Apostle Paul called being an infant in the faith and being sustained by milk. Next, though, is the hard part – if you follow Jesus, there is also that question – what’s next?
Will the people present at this revival – leaders and participants – work harder to care for the poor? Will they feed the hungry, house the homeless, and work to end war? Will they do all they can to provide adequate, affordable healthcare for everyone? Will they give up a significant portion of their wealth – let’s say 10% or more – so that those who have nothing will have a little bit more? Will they turn the other cheek – will they love their neighbors? Will they be careful about what they say to and about others – will they treat everyone as an equal? After all, following Jesus isn’t just about that warm, fuzzy feeling we get when we realize that He loves us – it is about loving others who aren’t so warm and fuzzy towards us. If this revival last Sunday was the real thing, I expect some big changes in the lives and words of those in attendance. If it wasn’t, I guess we will get the same old same old. We will see, won’t we?
Prayer – Holy God, may our faith find real application in caring for the world. Amen.
Today’s art is “The Hands that Feed” by Otis Porritt.