Creation

I was reflecting this morning on God's creation...not the six days of creation in Genesis, but his ongoing work of creation. Particularly, I was thinking about his ongoing work of creation in me. As every day goes by, I become someone different. I'm not the same as I was, though I'm a continuation of that person. I see how I have changed over time, for better or worse, and have been trying to recognize God's hand in that continued work of creation. Sometimes it's hard to see. Sometimes I feel like it's me that is doing all the work, but I can't beat my own heart. I can't send electric impulses from my brain throughout the rest of my body. I can't cause cells to divide and grow and die. All of that is God's creative work and a sign of the presence of God within me.

If it's hard to recognize God's creative work in me, then how much harder is it to recognize God's creative work in others. It is particularly difficult to recognize God's creative work in "the least of these", "the poor in spirit". How often to I recognize the presence of God in those who are less fortunate than me? More likely I see them as a drain on society, as lazy people who need to work harder, as people to have pity upon, as those who need help from us rich people in order to find meaning, fulfillment, and God.

But what if God is already there? What if they don't need me to bring God to them? What if they don't need my condescension? What if instead I affirmed the presence of God that is already creatively at work in the bodies and in their spirits? What if my role is to help them to be aware of the God who is already present? Perhaps my role is to approach them with humility and honor, as image-bearers of God who are still being creatively formed by his transforming presence?

I'm on my way to a meeting with pastors of eight other churches plus a variety of community leaders (bank presidents, city officials, law enforcement, etc.). These are great people with wonderful hearts and it has been a privilege to get to know them more deeply. Together we have created a new organization to bless those who need help in the name of Christ. All of the churches will combine their mercy ministries into a central clearinghouse and work together to serve the community. My fear, however, is that we may approach this with the wrong attitude. I am terrified that we will be perceived as arrogant or smug and that Christ's love will be masked beneath a veneer of our good intentions. I really hope that we will be able to approach this ministry with a realization that the poor in spirit are already blessed because Jesus is desperately concerned for them. As blessed ones, we ought to treat them with a great deal of honor and respect, which I hope will be the case.