Faith is often hot, uncomfortably so. Like walking across sand at the beach in the middle of summer, we jump and hop around, trying to avoid faith's scorching demands, but there is no way around it. Faith burns.
Jesus reminds us of this in powerful terms. "The harvest if abundant, (but) the laborers are few." Reluctant to step into the hot water of today's social debates as God's laborer, we too often are numbered among those who avoid controversy at all cost. Not only must we respond to the so called hot button issues in the church of North America: abortion, same sex marriage and divorce, we must also acknowledge that the heat of faith is much more than these controversial issues.
Faith is hot because it demands that we listen when we are ready to explode with anger at those who disagree with us. Faith burns when it requires us to love our enemies and do good to those who harm us. Faith stings when it challenges us to let go of power that dominates others economically, militarily and socially. Unfortunately, when the demands of faith threaten our comfortableness, we too often look the other way.
Today, ask the Lord to make you a laborer in his vineyard.
What inhibits your full response to controversial issues and those most in need?
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