I’ve spent the last few days in New York City. I love this place. It’s full of life and energy, wealth and poverty, ancient and contemporary, art and culture. It’s a very cool place.While standing at The Top of the Rock, high above Rockefeller Plaza I was overwhelmed by the masses below me and the need for authentic believers to capture this city; not with a battle cry or a door to door Jesus sale, but with authentic lives of compassion and authentic hearts of joy.
I’ve seen shame and filth and sin in and around this great city, but I’ve also seen helplessness, hunger and desperation. These people don’t need to hear one more health and wealth prosperity gospel TV preacher. They don’t need another celebrity Christian to hold a press conference. These people need Christ-followers with a broken heart for real people with real problems.
I understand the rejection, disdain and judgment of others, and I’ve had to deal with my own self-condemnation because, yep, I’ve sinned. I have failed. I’m a hypocrite. My selfishness has hurt others, and that grieves me. But whether anybody out there likes it or not, Jesus doesn’t reject, disdain, or condemn me. He has forgiven me forever, as David said, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed my transgressions from me” (Psalm 103:12).
These people in New York must be as tired as I am of good Christians hammering them for their sins. Oh, don’t get me wrong. We don’t do it to their faces, we do it in the spiritual context of “prayer requests” or words of “concern” behind their back.
My sins aren’t worthy of guilt or shame, though, for I live in Christ and if I really cared about the people of New York, or Atlanta, or Orlando, I would love them enough to serve them into an eternal relationship with their Creator through His son Jesus Christ.
Frank Sinatra sang “I did it my way”, well how’s that workin for you America? Let’s try His way.
Peace,
Chuck
