Last Sunday I spoke about the importance on having a "culture of generosity" (click to watch the podcast), which is in stark contrast to the self-protection, self-focused and selfishness we are seeing in this world today where people are getting into fights about buying toilet paper. This is what our world has become.
As Christians we must come in the opposite spirit and practice the generosity that reflects our generous God. It is in days like these that the Church of Jesus Christ must rise and reflect the hope, the peace and love that authenticates our faith.
When we see the selfishness and self-protective behavior at the expense of others it should drive us to pray, to seek God’s power and love and move in the opposite spirit to a place of generosity. Some have politicized concern over health, some have overstated the risks and others have dismissed real threats.
Last Saturday our board made the decision to move church online. This will be the norm for us in the weeks to come.
We knew we probably couldn’t continue meeting as a large group because of the potential risks to those with compromised immune systems and our older friends, so by doing this we are loving others by not putting them in a place where we could unknowingly infect them, as silent carriers.
Some people have been angry that their convenience has evaporated, and surmise that all these precautions are unnecessary. These are some of the same people that declare they have faith and they are still hugging as many people as possible to show that their faith is greater.
While I love great faith, if we keep this posture we will send the signal to a watching world that we are not acting responsibly. It is difficult for the world to see our “love for one another” if we are acting as if we are all bulletproof and dismissive of what government and medical leaders have asked us to do.
While in the campfire response, we were encouraging people to gather more, in this instance we seem to be promoting distance and isolation. That doesn’t feel like the Kingdom of God, ready to embrace the broken, the leper, or the sick, but for the sake of love I will maintain a safe space from other people in this season.
What are some things you can do this week to practice the culture of generosity?
Join us for our worship service online this Sunday at 10:30am, where we will talk about the culture of healing we are working to cultivate at Neighborhood Church. Again, if you missed last Sunday you can watch the podcast.