What Has Happened to Community?

I know, I know! I said that my next post would be about missions and my mission trip experiences, but....................................

I got distracted!

It happens a lot....maybe I have ADD.....see there it goes again!

Oh boy...

Okay, well, I have been thinking about this lately with the Baltimore Riots happening and all that.

I asked myself..."Why did this happen? What started this?" Yes I know...

Ferguson happened

and then

Freddie Gray happened

but I'm trying to think deeper! What is the underlying problem here?

Now....I was hesitant to write this post due to the controversy of this particular subject, but I just shrugged my shoulders and said "Ehhh, who cares?" I'm a rebel like that!

Anyway, the underlying problem....what is it?

I had a discussion with some of my family members recently and kinda answered my question.

The underlying problem is (I think, in my limited 17 years of observation)

The church.

I know! A shock! We Christians are supposed to be the ones who promote peace and help people!

We are the GODLY people! We don't start these kind of things!

Or do we?

Jesus talks a lot about community and loving each other.

For example:

Hebrews 10:24-25
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Mark 12:31
"The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Last one;

Romans 13:10
"Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

But honestly...

We as a church body are pretty bad at this.

We are not in our community like we should be! We focus so much on the structure of the building, the 'ministries', the various activities that are provided for church people and their 'friends', but you don't see people outside of the church in their community! Sure, you do sometimes, but it isn't common.

Maybe the actual 'church' building is a hindrance for us...maybe we go there on Sundays, and for that one activity that you do weekly, etc.

Maybe we shouldn't even have a building! Okay that might be taking it a little far, but the point is that I think we get so wrapped up in the building and the various ministries that we forget the people outside of those walls! 

I work for a secular nonprofit that does almost exactly what we should be doing!

They are out there providing for people's needs and truly loving on people. People feel safe as soon as they walk through those doors! There are workers that go out into the community just helping out a family that lost a loved one, or a family that just had a baby, or even just a listening ear!

Why don't we do that?

It is the church's job to be providing for people's needs, both physical and spiritual, but why is that not happening?

Why are these secular programs and the government having to step up and do that?

I mean, the government is setting up all this welfare stuff to 'help' people with poverty.

But isn't that our job? To help people, build relationships, and share the gospel?

Why don't we start doing what Christ told us to do! Stop being SO singly focused on what is happening INSIDE the building and start focusing on the people OUTSIDE of the building.


Well guys, this was kind of a harder post, a little less carefree! I just had that conversation and just felt like I needed to share!

Hope you guys enjoyed it! Love you all!!

~ Cait

Taking in The World Through New Eyes

The grocery store was busy for a Wednesday afternoon. People buzzed in and out of the aisles. As I stood there, waiting for my mom to hurry up her shopping, I watched these busy people. I looked at their clothing, and their external features. I watched how they walked, how they priced each article of food to make the large amount of things they wanted fit into their shrinking budget.

 Suddenly a light bulb went off in my head, not a dim one, but a bright white light.

             

 God spoke to me right then and there

             

 Guess what He told me;

He told me to look deeper than just the outside. He told me to look at their heart not their external features. I saw these people with hearts as black as coal. Just like mine was until Jesus Christ changed it and made it sparkle like snow.

He showed me that these people, who didn’t have Jesus, were going to go to Hell, unless someone told them about the love of Jesus.

As Christians that is our call.

Matthew 28:19 says “Go therefore and make disciple of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

This time when I looked around I saw people who needed Jesus desperately just like I still do.

My eyes didn’t change, but my view and the way I looked at the world did.

My question for you is, how do you see people? When you look at someone ask yourself “This person could be destined to hell and I could, through the power of the Holy Spirit, stop this, but will I make the move to do it?”

Brandon Heath- Give Me Your Eyes