Wednesday, August 27, 2014

From My Heart - Tired of Talking and Writing - Committed and Engaged to Love In Action

A dear friend shared links to a blog that collected a number of perspectives regarding the troubles related to Ferguson, MO. I couldn't read them. Reading the offerings of that blog was emotionally akin to what the D-Day veterans of Normandy experienced who attempted to watch the intro to saving Private Ryan. Luz and I have been engaged in what was called "Racial Reconciliation Ministry" when we first began our vocational Christian Service as a couple - a movement that now has morphed into various titles. Whatever you call it, we have pursued it since the beginning of our ministry largely by way of necessity as an ethnically and culturally blended family united by faith in Jesus Christ. We are on the journey still, but it is excruciatingly exhausting at times. We experience the pain on a personal level that we also must address in ministry at a professional ministerial level. We have to process our personal pain while the on-going strife of our nation rages on. We must engage in personal dialogue while being called upon to offer opinions or insights on Landmark Incidents that will either stir up guilt, or satisfy perspective. It is tiring to "wash, rinse and repeat" this cycle of "dialog and opinion" with few practical, take away results and little dynamic change. The arguments are nauseatingly familiar and deja vu sets in with such ferocity that one feels as if permanent residency in the Twilight Zone has been established. I am weary of the talk, weary of rhetoric, weary of explanations, weary of excuses and perspectives whether I agree with them or not. I long for a day when Jesus' people love each other and others period! I yearn for a time when people who call themselves Christians treat each other with dignity, respect and equity and love neighbors who aren't Christians as themselves! I ache for the day when the Christian community in the United States is so characterized by love across all barriers that those who don't follow Jesus will long to be part of that community too. Why is that SUCH a difficult undertaking for Jesus' people? Why is love and equality so tough to realize for people who are filled with the Spirit of the Living God? Though a big part of us is weary from the battle, Luz and I are committed and resolved to die trying to demonstrate this love for the rest of our lives. I only pray we'll experience even a taste of this community truly enjoined and realized before the Lord calls us Home. Nevertheless, even should we not see it and the remainder of our lives is punctuated with seemingly never-ending Ferguson-like scenarios, hear me: We are commmitted to love everyone that crosses our paths across racial barriers and any other barriers, in spirit and in truth in our everyday lives, for the rest of our lives, every day of our lives - to the death! With all the love within me, Your Brother and Friend, Sam

7 comments:

Sister Robin said...

I LOVE YOU!

Denise said...

Amen, brother. And they will know we are Christians by our love.....

Rick Duncan said...

Thank you, brother. Amen.

Terri Strom said...

Thank you, Pastor Jackson.
Love ya and appreciate all you do in God's name.

Anonymous said...

The fruit of the Spirit is Love , Gal 5:22 . This is number one on the list. However this Agape love cannot be produced by my willing it so. I cannot live the christian life , I cannot Love my neighbor or my enemy without knowing Him . This Agape Love has to be given to me by the Holy Spirit which lives Christ Life thru me.
Agape is a verb, God so loved He gave not what the one loved desired but what he needed. A Savior.
This Love can be given only by knowing Him.
Do I hear His heart beat as I lean on His breast . Do I hear Him as I sit at His feet . Do I know this one who with joyed was crucified for me.
It will be His Love folks see in us . Will I allow Him to love others thru me? It is only then that it will not be burdensome because it will not be me but Him.

Brother Sam I love you dearly pray for you and yours daily
Joe Jenkins

Unknown said...

Amen and amen! Tears are rolling down my cheeks... You have spoken my heart. In my shock over the recurring discovery that some people who call themselves Christians do not necessarily believe or feel called to live out the mandates of Jesus, I pray daily that I won't become bitter, jaded or hard-hearted towards my brothers and sisters in Christ. When I became a Christian at age 27, I naively believed that all who called themselves Christians wholeheartedly followed Christ. I'm thankful I didn't know then what I know now, and I ache for the Church. Jesus is coming back for a spotless Bride. We need to get cleaned up.

Anonymous said...

Let us be reminded that Jesus made his bride spotless when he shed his blood and died on the cross. We have only to receive the free gift. But we must persevere.

Those who join the bridegroom will be those who persevere to the end. We must persevere in the faith and love of Jesus. Brother Joe Jenkins spoke it well. We must allow Jesus to love others through us. And thereby transform the burden into a blessing.

We do that by dieing to ourselves, by dieing to whatever that thing is that gets in the way of loving others. And my brother and sister, Sam and Luz, you live this out so well as articulated in the blog... "We are commmitted to love everyone that crosses our paths across racial barriers and any other barriers, in spirit and in truth in our everyday lives, for the rest of our lives, every day of our lives - to the death!"

You, Sam and Luz, are awesome models of this for me and I love you for it.

Thank you my brother and sister.

Fred Van Nice