A WITNESS TO
THE WORLD - The value of Christian community reaches even further than bringing
the Body of Christ to strength and maturity. Such communities, by their
character and their action, witness to the power and presence of God in the
world. They are models of what God wants for all of humankind. Jesus' disciples
are to be the light of the world (Mt. 5:13-16), shining like bright stars
(Phil. 2:15), reflecting the brightness [the glory] of God (2 Cor. 3:18). Often
the Hebrews' experiences of deliverance were sent, God said, so that they and
the nations "will know that I am the Lord." In a similar way, the unity
and mutual love that distinguish Jesus' disciples will demonstrate that Jesus was,
in fact, sent by the Father (Jn. 17:23).
Too often,
unfortunately, this beacon of witness has fallen far short in candlepower,
especially where Christians have accommodated darkness rather than penetrating
it. But though the Church in general may fail and though we may be embarrassed
by the antics of some Christians in the public eye, Christian communities
everywhere can radiate the good news of God’s loving intentions for all of
creation. In these clusters of Christians, people should be able to see what they
hope for but hardly expect: people serving rather than using each other. People
of widely different social statuses and professions honoring each other rather
than putting each other down (Gal. 3:28). People who tell each other (and everyone
else) the truth, rather than lying out of convenience or cussedness (Eph. 4:25,
Col. 3:9). They can see a people who are no longer captive to the spirit of the
times. They will see love and acceptance, compassion and kindness, commodities
that are in short supply in any age. And where they see this, the stark
contrast of these communities compared with the world around them is itself a
very compelling witness.
AMBASSADORS
OF GOD'S LOVE - But such communities go further still. They not only
demonstrate God’s love; they also mediate it. They carry "the ministry of
reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18) to those around them, bringing God’s compassion
and healing power into a broken world.
That work
goes forward visibly in many ways. One Christian community spends enormous
energy trying to meet the plight of the homeless. Another works to rehabilitate
homes of the poor and the elderly. Yet another quietly yet actively pursues a
ministry of prayer and healing. And still others focus directly on evangelism,
on feeding the hungry, on getting justice for the oppressed, and on much more.
Each community with its particular mission is a guerrilla unit establishing a
beachhead for God’s peaceable Kingdom in a hostile world. And from those outposts
God’s love flows freely.
Howard Macy is a Professor Emeritus at George
Fox University. He is the author of Rhythms
of the Inner Life.