Run for Your Lives!

There's danger ahead...
Retreat! 

Instead of retreating to safety,
Jesus repeatedly stepped into the mess.

The disciples were asked: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” on multiple occasions, to which Jesus replied: 

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
But go and learn what this means:
   ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’
For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  MARK 2:17

What if we understood
"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
as Jesus calling us into the mess
instead of retreating to safety? 

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.  MARK 8:34-35

Ever since Baltimore erupted in late April, I have been trying to gain a greater perspective about the underlying issues.  I really believe we live in the land of equal opportunity, however, not everyone has equal advantage that provides equal access to the opportunities.  The disparity between the Haves and the Have-Nots is growing.  

Focusing on issues regarding children and families...

I just read some startling statistics from the National Center on Family Homelessness reporting

1 in every 30 U.S. children are homeless!  

The U.S. Census reports there are approximately 321 million people
45 million people living in poverty.
Over 146 million Americans (45%) are considered "poor" or "low income"
57% of America's children live in homes that are "poor" or "low income"

32% of all working families are considered "the working poor" 
and don't earn enough to make ends meet

Does this bother you?

The things Jesus did when he was walking this earth are the same things that he calls "his body" to do, not retreating to safety.

Learn to do right; seek justice.
     Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
     plead the case of the widow.  ISAIAH 1:17 

Upon reading from the book of Isaiah, Jesus says, Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." LUKE 4:21

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.  ISAIAH 61:-2

Jesus laid down for people
whom he calls to be the church!

The sacramental church gathers,
she receives nurturing that comes through the gathering and the Word,
she receives a tangible reminder of Jesus' restorative work in the Lord's Supper,

and she receives departing words to live out God's mission on earth.

Where has God called you to

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, 

back out into the world 

to do the work that 

God alone has prepared you to do?