The Shutdown – What’s a Christian to Do?

October 10, 2013October 10, 2013 / Erin Kirk / 3 Comments

The other day, my South African colleague Pieter asked what I thought about the US Government shutdown.

“I’m so mad, I can’t even talk about it,” I said, prior to talking about it and ruining my own morning.

Like many, I’m frustrated by my helplessness. So my standard response is to roll my eyes, turn off the news and go vacuum algae from my pool. And maybe that’s a dodge of my responsibility to the Republic, but what else can I do?

Excoriate President Obama on Facebook?
Pray that God will smite House Republicans?
Holler “they’re all crooks in Washington” and pour another drink?

Really? Does any of that help? Or does it exhibit the same spirit of division, selfishness and spite that’s got Washington balled up? If our default response is boorish and ugly and our legislators are plucked from our pool, why are we surprised when they are boorish and ugly? If the average American has $15,000 in credit card debt why are we surprised Congress can’t balance the budget? They are us, just with more money and better hair.

Later that morning, Stefan, one of our fiercest Mercy Ship warriors, was teaching on prayer. He had us look up Ezekiel 22:28-30

The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. And I (The Lord) sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land that I should not destroy it, but I found none.

Wait, is Ezekiel suggesting I stand before God on behalf of the ringmasters in Washington? Does he mean I should pray for people I won’t even vote for? Worse, do I have to obey Jesus, and love and pray for my “enemies” even when we’re talking about the debt ceiling and Obamacare? (insert scream here)

All as a protective measure over my nation? Hmmm.

Sometimes I wonder if the shutdown will chasten us as a people, convince us that we’re not as clever as we think. Better yet, will it spark a revolution whereby Americans finally snap out of it and reject this corporate-sponsored demagoguery. Whoever can teach this nation to cooperate again?

Yesterday, Pieter reminded us that former South African President Nelson Mandela, after 27 years in prison, not only refused to exact revenge on his enemies, but halted negotiations until all 11 South African tribes were seated at the table. It was reconciliation, not revenge, that made Mandela a hero. Oh but how quaint, who thinks like that anymore?

Um, Jesus does.

Jesus is in the reconciliation business (IICor 5:18-19, Romans 5:10, Colo 1:20-21) and since many of our legislators call themselves Christians, where are the attempts at reconciliation? Or are US problems just more complicated than Mandela’s were in South Africa?

I have paid attention and listened but they have not spoken rightly: no man relents of his evil saying, What have I done? Everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle. Jeremiah 8:6

So far this plunge has led the nation into a tar pit of acrimony and revenge. Maybe we ought to try something different, like dropping to our knees to acknowledge the one called Alpha and Omega, and shutting our smart mouths except to say,

“Lord. We don’t know what we’re doing. Please help. Thank You.”

Dig Up Your Talents

September 30, 2013September 30, 2013 / Erin Kirk / 2 Comments

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. – George Bernard Shaw

Around here, we are fairly obsessed with figuring out how to make our lives matter, how to surrender our plans in favor of God’s and living those plans in practical ways.

Mercy Ships, for obvious reasons, is intent on that process too. Today, one of our leaders, Dr. Andrew Clark, showed us this clip of Pastor/Author/Jesus Freak Francis Chan, explaining, in less than four minutes, why we feel destined for purpose, but wind up feverish, selfish, little clods.

In my opinion, Francis Chan has a legal right to be angry at God, but instead he devoted his life to falling deeper in love with him and helping people like you and me do the same. His terrific bestselling book Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God saw an estimated $2 million in royalties, and Chan gave most of it away.

This kind of life is possible, but it’s risky and requires the omniscience we don’t have. We can live ok lives without God, (I think) but if we can live like holy daredevils with him, why wouldn’t we?

Jesus talked a lot about using our gifts, but he’s gets pretty hard-core in the parable of the talents. Remember, the two servants who doubled the master’s money (the talents) and the third hid his in the ground because he was too afraid to use it. Here’s what Jesus said about that:

The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? … And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness. Matthew 25:26,30 The Message.

Yah, Jesus said that. So perhaps we should get busy.

How? Remember the three questions we keep asking:

Who are we?
What do we want?
What’s the first step?

If you’re stuck on the first part because you don’t know who you are, don’t worry. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you don’t have to figure it out because he did it for you. It’s amazing how a singular focus on who Jesus says you are, answers the other two questions.

So, what talent have you buried? What’s the smallest first step you can take to dig it up?

What Are You Doing With Your Life?

September 18, 2013September 21, 2013 / Erin Kirk / 2 Comments

In 1977, a seminary student named Don Stephens was invited to a meeting in Calcutta with Mother Teresa. Given the gravity of the event, Stephens carefully wrote out his questions for her on a note card and placed it in his pocket.

When it came his time to speak, Mother Teresa kindly but directly told him to put the note card down because she had some questions. According to Stephens, what she asked him changed his life.

1. What’s your purpose?

2. What is your greatest pain?

3. What are you going to do about it?

Out of the pain Stephens described to Mother, Mercy Ships* was born. Thirty five years later, it operates the largest, non-governmental hospital ship in the world, and is busy building a second. Working with a $54 million budget, the non-profit organization has visited 578 different ports, providing surgical, ophthalmic, medical and dental care to the world’s poorest people.

One guy. Three questions. Millions of lives.

So, what are you doing with your life?

And I say that carefully, because stories like this used to frustrate me. I too wanted to build something with my life, something significant, but I couldn’t figure out how. My problem, as it turns out, was a simple one:

I had fired my architect.

Because I was mad at the Christians who carry signs and smear gay people on Facebook, I refused to even consider the gospel of Jesus Christ as infrastructure for my life. So, I erected a bunch of buildings on my own. With a few breathtaking exceptions, those structures were up to code and functional; however they were kind of lame and uninspired. I wanted Frank Lloyd Wright and I got mini-storage.

What I think Mother Teresa, Don Stephens and thousands of Mercy Shippers understand is this:

It is a tremendous privilege to collaborate on your life with the creator of the universe; to coax something magnificent from the ether and watch it consume thousands of people like fire, conscripting them into the army Jesus had planned all along,

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:1-3

Whether you know it or not, God’s hovering over you too, right now, brimming with thoughts and plans for your life, with an imagination too wild for you to grasp. However, your humble assent and obedience are required, and nobody can tell you just how it will go.

If you struggle to believe that, I understand but what do you have to lose by trying? Why not let God define who you are and what you’re doing here? (Right, First City Church?)

So go ahead and bring him the tatters of your faith. Bring him your doubts about creation, religion, gay marriage and abortion. Bring your sad heart and your dirty face and lay all of it at his feet. Then pick up the gospel of John.

I promise he will lay you waste and love you whole at the exact same time.

And that’s when the building begins.

*As I’m sure you know, the views expressed herein are my own and not that of Mercy Ships.