Demands of the Christian Life

...give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if you do these things, you shall never fail. 2 Peter 1:10

Lord, is there a price I have to pay to live this way? The Christian life moving from the 20th century into the 21st century has been a challenge. Perhaps it has always been a challenge. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote of the Christian life: "Every true Christian is a citizen of two worlds, the world of time and the world of eternity."

With a faith and hope of eternal bliss, Christians live amidst the currencies of existence. 2008 is declared an election year in the United States of America. The highest office in the country will open for a new leader. The current President is well into his last term and the country's two major parties are really in battle with an independent threat. There have been threats of independent runners, which includes the mayor of New York City. He, too, has reached the term limit in the office as mayor. Jewish by birth and faith, Christian morality may not be in the consideration of the mayor. In this time of history, however, every Christian should take a serious look at justice and fairness when casting a vote in 2008.

For the first time in history, one of the two major political parties, the Democratic Party, will run a female candidate or a man of color as the candidate for the office of President. Christians participating in elections through the centuries have in majority been conformists. Now it is time to hear a call to nonconformity. The challenge now is to live out of conviction, not conformity. The noble moral action would be to vote for the best candidate, who happens to be female or a man labelled as a Black American. It has never happened before, arguably due to racism and sexism, even classism. The Republican Party would suggest by default that we conform once again to the leadership of a White male.

The laws of the land dares a minister to cross certain lines in endorsing candidates for political office. The laws of the land, therefore, may have us support conformity by being silent. I am among those who dare respond to a higher order than the laws of the land. I dare to hear the call to social responsibility coming from the Moral Authority. I dare to encourage all people of faith and moral integrity to vote for a qualified candidate other than a White male. Is it personal? Yes, it is personal and an issue of social justice. It is personal, because I was born of woman's womb. It is personal, because I was born a Negro is the United States of America. It is personal, because I have witnessed the abuse of women and people of color in American politics from the 1950s into the 21st century. It is personal, because I want to see a just act among United States Americans in electing a person President without bases such election on his being White. I want women and men of any race or color to have more than equal of opportunity to serve. I want then to have actual occupancy of the office of President and access to the White House as home.

I am a Christian. Our faith and hope is in eternity. Our love is here and now. Thus, in kindness with selfless love, I urge citizens of the United States in these times to cast a vote for justice and support the Presidential candidate and slate of the Democratic Party in this election year.

Emmanuel!

Moving From Epiphany Into Lent

Read Matthew 4:1-11

On Wednesday, February 6, 2008, things will change. The light of the world will become the sufferer of life. It seems too soon. On the first day of January, we were celebrating the birth of Mary's baby. Now look at us. Listen to us. Our songs have turned from praise of birth to the traditional hymns and music for a season of ministry. Not so bad? Well, lets listen. We just finish singing "We Three Kings", "Joy To The World", etc. We were all about the light of the world and the manifestation of the Anointed One. Now, we are "Moving from Epiphany into Lent." In the midst of songs of praise, we come out singing: "The Old Rugged Cross."

Understand me. The Old Rugged Cross is one of my favorite hymns. I will never put is down. Oh no! In fact, I will sing it as though it is mine. It is on the cross that my life is restored. On the cross is where salvation of my soul is to be found. On the cross, you see, Jesus dies for you and me. Oh, yes, "I love that old cross." Yet, it is in the movement from singing celebration birth songs that we move to celebration of death songs and I wonder.

I wonder how it is that it came to be that God would love us so that he would give his only Son for our souls. How could it be? Love! You see, at the birth of Mary's baby the gifts came to him. At the death of Jesus Christ, the gift of live came for me. And, not me alone. God so loved the world that he gave us Jesus, The Anointed One, Christ as savior for all who come by faith to believe. Do you believe? If you believe the gift is yours. If you believe, then join me and all Christian on Ash Wednesday for the 46 days of spiritual growth soaking in the experience of the gift of life.

The gift of life for you and me was brought by God with the cost of his Beloved Son - Jesus! When you come the pray and study and accept what God has done through Christ, you come to change. Things change. Everything changes. It may not happen on Wednesday, but it can. It may not happen of Thursday, but it could. However, I promise you that when you take the leap of faith on the adventurous journey to the Cross, change will come. Try it!

Read each day of Lent a Scripture leading us from the temptation to the triumphant entry, then on the day of Resurrection. Easter! When Jesus Christ comes once more to arise and give us a new song. Change! Things change. Because for every move from Epiphany into Lent, there is an assurance of the change into Easter. Come, Lord Jesus, change us.

Agape!
LAR1