"My office is located in one of the poorer areas in the city of Birmingham, Alabama. Even as I am writing this, outside my window I can see two prostitutes standing across the street outside a hotel and a homeless man pushing a grocery cart full of cans. Confronted with scenes like this on a daily basis has made me think a lot about Jesus’ call to serve the least of these. What should this look like in my life? Over the years, I have far more failures than successes when it comes reaching out to these people."
As soon as I read Joel's introduction, I was hit by internal tension. To give you context, I work for Calvary Baptist Church which is - how can I say this diplomatically - a large, mostly middle to upper class, well resourced church that sits on three different campuses across Forsyth and Davie County. The 19 acre "central" campus houses such amenities as a gym (2 actually), a racquetball court (2 of those too), a dining room (and wouldn't you know, two of those also!), a soccer field, a scout hut, among others. I don't say this for any other reason than to give you context for how I responded to Joel's post. I absolutely adore Calvary, as imperfect as we are. I am deeply grateful for how God has used the church to shape my life and am truly honored to work for and with such a special church family.
With the above mentioned context, let me tell you that my office is located on central campus. When I look out of my window I see what some would consider a picture of heaven. In referencing God's presence being with the exiled Israel, the prophet Zechariah writes in his 8th chapter: "This is what the LORD Almighty says, 'Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.'" These verses come to mind when I look out my window and see the senior aerobics class speed walking around our "campus" - sweat band on head and walking stick in hand. They are serious! At the same time I see children from our day school or church families playing on one of our two playgrounds (I wonder if there's something to having two of everything?). Together these images conjure up the prophetic vision of God's presence with Israel in Jerusalem that Zechariah references.
As I compared my office window view to Joel's view, I couldn't help but think of the "window" out of which Christians (church staff or not) view life. While the physical location of one's office is of lesser important, what is of utmost importance is the degree to which we, as Christians, allow ourselves to view our community and world. It hurts my heart to hear Christians make statements to the effect of, "I just can't go and see poverty and pain, suffering and oppression. It's just too hard for me. Or it makes me feel too bad. Or I'd be too scared to go to that part of town or the world." I would argue that is it our responsibility to gaze upon poverty and pain, suffering and oppression whether it's in East Winston-Salem and the slums of Calcutta. Awareness is the first step to action and if we are choosing to be ignorant of the realities that exist in our city and around the world, then we can do nothing in offering a redemptive hope. It was Christ, after all, who "being in very nature God did not consider equality with God (by implication: the beauty and perfection of heaven) something to which to cling, but opened his hand loosely in order to make himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross." (Philippians 2: 6 - 8) It is that kind of attitude and example that we should try to emulate. Christ intentionally crossed the widest tracks from the glories of heaven to the sin-tainted bleakness of this world in order that he might sacrificially give of himself to offer redemption to creation. Why is it that we are so hesitant to cross the narrow tracks between our neighborhood and one of poverty? This takes me back to frequent hesitations that I hear. "I just can't go and see poverty and pain, suffering and oppression. It's just too hard for me. Or it makes me feel too bad. Or I'd be too scared to go to that part of town or the world." What is driving one's distance from pain and suffering? Is it an unwillingness to be troubled? Will seeing the disparity that exists between you and your neighbor bring a tide of guilt? Is it fear for physical safety? Do we ever stop to think about neighbors who have no choice about where they live? The reality is that because of sin, disparity exists. In Generous Justice, Tim Keller says, "There is an inequitable distribution of both goods and opportunities in this world. Therefore, if you have been assigned goods of this world by God and you don't share them with other, it isn't just stinginess, it is injustice."
Interestingly enough, the chapter prior to Zechariah's vision of God's presence with Israel is a condemnation to God's people who - while enjoying God's rest and prosperity - failed to show mercy and pursue justice. "This is what the LORD Almighty says, 'Administer true justice, show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'" This rings with a similar judgement found in Isaiah 58 where the religious acts of God's people were discarded by God because of their ignorance and lack of action towards the most vulnerable of society. This ignorance and lack of action showed that the Israelites did not grasp God's compassion and mercy to them in rescuing them from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land. To quote Keller again, "If a person has grasped the meaning of God's grace in his heart, he will do justice (serving the needs and guarding the rights of those around us). Grace should make you just." This was Joel's point in the original article I referenced. In talking about Sodom and Gomorrah, Joel says:
"Almost everyone is familiar with this story of God raining down judgment on these cities because of their wickedness. And most people assume that the sin for which Sodom was judged was sexual immorality. This is certainly how I heard this passage taught when I was younger. But the prophet Ezekiel tells us otherwise. Ezekiel 16:49 says, “This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” Sodom was judged for pride, living a life of ease, and neglecting the poor and needy—not simply for sexual sin. I don’t know about you, but suddenly this story just became a little uncomfortable for me. Instead of casting judgment on the people of Sodom, I began to identify with them."
And so the question remains, "What's out your window?" What are you allowing yourself to gaze upon and how does that affect the way you live your life? How do you spend your time and use your resources? It's great to gaze upon the beauty of heaven, but the reality is that the fulfillment of God's Kingdom comes when Christ returns. Until then we wrestle with the effects of sin and the resulting disparities and injustice. We have two options. We can pretend like we are in heaven now and isolate ourselves from pain and suffering. OR we can follow the example of Christ, look intently at disparities and injustice, and seek to have a redemptive presence in areas where we can have influence. One day all things will be made new. We are not there yet.
What's out your window?
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