That's Radical, man . . .

At the OBS (Ongoing Bible Study) at Lester Memorial UMC tonight I sat in on a study of David Platt's book "Radical." I have not been able to attend the study, so I was just a spiritual parasite as I sat around the table, listening to and engaging in the discussion with people who have actually been involved in the group study for several weeks.

Platt, who is the pastor of the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, is on a prophetic mission, it seems, to exhort Christians to take back their faith from the American dream. Read the link above for a far better synopsis. Perhaps even buy the book.

Tonight the discussion was centered on the question "What is enough?"

The question has two meanings in the context of the book. One of the primary premises is that American materialism is an obstacle to living out the gospel. The question of what is enough regarding the accumulation of stuff, or wealth, runs throughout.

But the second meaning of the question, in the chapter discussed tonight, is, when have we given enough of our stuff, or wealth, or life away?

In the course of the discussion it occurred to me the frustration created by the exercise. If we are exposed to the hurts of the world, the poverty, the hunger, the disease, the oppression, the injustice, quite often we have a desperate desire to do something. Sometimes we might even adjust our way of living, not spend so much on things, give money to good causes, even engage ourselves in service.

But there are millions of people in the world in misery, and my efforts simply cannot make a difference, it seems, in the face of slums and tenements that stretch for miles, or countries where there is no food, or where disease is rampant and medical treatment is lacking, or where governments or religions oppress the masses.

That is no excuse for me, of course.

But it is obvious that the efforts of individuals, of me, while necessary, are not enough.

We simply must learn to do these things together, without worrying about who gets power, or credit, or religious or political benefit, or anything at all.

As a follower of Jesus, I am not called to save the world all by myself, but to be part of a body, a connected organism, moving and working in concert. I am afraid that the Body of Christ in the world today is like an uncoordinated, unsteady infant, unable to control its limbs and balance, unable to focus its sight, unable to articulate its thoughts, as it struggles to make its way out of the arms of its encouraging parent and walk.

An infant is by nature self-centered. The capacity to be concerned for the needs of others comes with maturity.

It is time to grow up.

If all of us who profess to follow Jesus really were following, and that would be hundreds of millions of people across the world, then working together there is no limit to what could be done.

But maybe that's not even enough.

We talked again about Matthew 25:31, known as the parable of the sheep and goats. Read it if you want to, it is a scary story told by Jesus. It has always been interesting to me that Jesus said nothing about the religion of the people who were headed to heaven. He just said that they were good to go because they had been good and kind to the least, the last and the lost. Period. No other requirements listed. In fact Jesus said that there would be many who said "Lord, Lord," and claim to have done great things in His name that would not make the heavenly traveling squad because they didn't do His will. Another scary passage. So it seems the will of God is the most important thing.

I have felt a call in my life to follow Jesus. But I don't know what others feel, nor have I heard their call. I do know of Jews and Muslims, secularists, agnostics and atheists who share my desperate feeling to do something about the misery of the world. The desire is common to the better part of being human. Where that desire comes from is an interesting point of discussion, but to a starving child, a dying mother, an imprisoned political figure and others in misery, these interesting points are painfully irrelevant.

And I wonder if they are irrelevant to God as well.

If it is best to accomplish what Jesus commanded, to feed the hungry, heal the sick, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, stand with the outcast, to love and to serve, then who are we as Christians to deny the company of any person who has the same intense desire, no matter their belief or disbelief?

Enough is enough.

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