God can do anything 2: What change looks like

The last post was for february's edition of Running Free and here is March's ... I’m writing this month following on from my last instalment what change may look like as a community that has faith in a God who can do anything. Have you ever found yourself getting angry at some wrong in the world? Ever found yourself watching the news and thinking this shouldn’t be happening in society? It has been said to me that you are asking for a hard life to care about the things in this world that you can’t change. As Christians is it ok to be apathetic about things we can do nothing about? I say bring on a hard life if it means that I recognise that I can’t do things in my own strength but also recognise that God can do anything and so I cry out to him. I don’t know if you’ve ever come across the serenity prayer? It asks God for a sense of peace about the things we can’t change and the courage to change the things we can. I’m not sure if that prayer doesn’t encourage us to get on with the things that we can’t change when I do think we should have a healthy discomfort especially for the things that don’t have a place in the kingdom of God.

Have you ever found yourself getting angry at some wrong in the world?

This half term the young people and I have been looking at the values of the kingdom of God as set out in the Sermon on the Mount. One of the sessions we did asked the young people to design an ideal city and then asked where do unemployed people fit in, what happens to poor people, how do lonely people find community? You may guess what we found, large houses, blocks of flats, shops, places of entertainment, and environmentally friendly modes of transport but no places of support for the unemployed, maybe a church for lonely people, expensive houses and shops excluding the poor. As Christians who ask as we were taught for the kingdom of God to come on earth what can we do as people called to be salt and light, labourers in God’s vineyard, as stewards of God’s creation? It may seem when we ask ourselves that question the answer is something insurmountable. When we look around the world and see the horrendous things happening it can be easy to think what could I possibly do to make even a slight difference? There is always hope. As Christians we have a secure hope; ‘being made right with God by his grace we could have the hope of receiving life that never ends’ (Titus 3.7). The writer of Lamentations says I have hope when I think that the love of God never ends and his mercies never stop and are new each morning. This hope we have puts a perspective on this life but does it mean that as we look forward to a day that there will be no hunger, thirst or tears so much that we ignore the fact those things are in abundance in the world now?

‘... You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.’ (Taken from the Message).

Christian Aid is a Christian organisation that insists that the world can and must be swiftly changed to one where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty...poverty; people made it people can end it.’ Christian Aid is aiming to tackle the causes of poverty, the structures that marginalise the poor, and relieve the effects of poverty, they believe in life before death. They work to improve people’s quality of life here and now as well as sharing with people the hope there is for an eternal life through Jesus where poverty will definitely have no place. Lent is upon us and is a time to reflect on the sacrifice Jesus was to make for us after he was tempted whilst fasting in the desert. This Lent what I will be doing and encouraging the young people to do is ‘count your blessings’. Christian Aid’s campaign asks us over Lent to donate small amounts of money for all the good things we have in our lives that others don’t. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount says ‘you are blessed when you’re content with who you are, no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourself the proud owners of everything that can’t be bought... you’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.’ (taken from the Message). What we can do to make a change is to donate our money to a charity that is working to bring hope to people living in poverty and there is always hope because of the loving and powerful God we have! It's coincidental that I publish this post when it is now Christian Aid Week!