a waste

In 1974 over two thousand people from 150 nations representing all branches of the Christian church came together and adopted a document that included the idea that Christians needed to engage  the issues of social justice and begin to reconcile the extreme positions that existed in the body.  Section 5 of the Covenant, entitled "Christian Social Responsibility, " declared the following:


We affirm that God is both the Creator and the Judge of all men.  We therefore should share his concern for justice and reconciliation throughout human society and for the liberations of men and women from every kind of oppression.  Because men and women and are made in the image of God, every person, regardless of race, religion, colour, culture, class, sex or age, has an intrinsic dignity because of which he or she should be respected and served, not exploited.  


(love this part:)


Here too we express penitence both for our neglect and for having sometimes regarded evangelism and social concern as mutually exclusive.  Although reconciliation with other people is not reconciliation with God, nor is social action evangelism, nor is political liberation salvation, nevertheless we affirm that evangelism and soci-political involvement are both a part of our Christian duty.  For both are necessary expressions of our doctrines of God and man, our love for our neighbor and our obedience to Jesus Christ.


(ooo, and this part too:)


The message of salvation implies also a message of judgment upon every form of alienation, oppression and discrimination, and we should not be afraid to denounce evil and injustice wherever they exist.  When people receive Christ they are born again into his kingdom and must seek not only to exhibit but also to spread it righteousness in the midst of an unrighteous world.  The salvation we claim should be transforming us in the totality of our personal and social responsibilities.  Faith without works is dead.


There has been a battle raging in my heart lately.
The battle between the gospel's salvation message and the gospel's social message.
I've had conversation after conversation with God and with some of you about it.
I'm reading, Humanitarian Jesus by R. Dobson & C. Buckley and I LOVE IT.
It is pouring water on the fire/battle in my heart.

I have this thought that you can't feed a man actual bread but not give Him the message of the Bread of Life because although you kept him alive today, tomorrow you're sending him to hell.  It's a waste.
But, you can not feed a man the Bread of life if he's physically dead or dying because no one gave him a piece of bread to eat, this also, sending him to hell.  It's a waste.

I know I am not responsible for sending anyone to hell, please do not misread.
But I refuse to ignore what I am responsible for.

There are two parts to the Great Commandment.
#1 LOVE your neighbor as your self
#2 LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART SOUL AND MIND

(and not in that order!)

Seems to me (and this can only ever be 'seemed' because I can not see into the hearts of everyone) that #1 is trendy right now.
A trend I am all over and proud to be all over....but evangelizing has taken a back seat and it makes me incredibly remorseful.  A trend I refuse to be a part of.

There is a marrying of the Eternal life saving proponents of the gospel and the Physically life saving proponents of the gospel that has to happen.

Other wise, you waste the bread....or the Bread.

And so I say, let our efforts of social justice not be wasted let's give the man both kinds of bread...one in one hand and One in the other, using BOTH of our hands.

Let's not waste anything, or anybody, or anytime, or any Glory.

Lamen's terms:
Go tell people about why Jesus died (for THEM) and make them a PB&J while you're telling them.
mkay?

(or buy coal, or provide clean water, or sponsor a child, or rescue slaves....ya know...whatever 'PB&J' is to you!)