“If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.” –C. S. Lewis
Watching TV can be a dangerous activity. Wayne Elsey learned this the hard way when he saw a shoe wash up during news footage following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Something churned inside of him that led him to get up off the couch and do something. He ended up leading a campaign that has sent thousands of shoes around the world. This eventually led to the founding of Soles4Soles, a fast growing non-profit organization that now gives away a pair of shoes every ten seconds.
It’s interesting to observe how often I equate having impulses toward doing good with actually having done good. I read a newsletter about feeding hungry children and think, “That’s a worthy cause.” I hear about a disaster relief project and think, “I’m all for that.” I see a commercial about environmental stewardship and think, “We should all be doing more of that.” At the end of the day, I think of myself as just and compassionate based solely on my passive internal responses.
But real faith is about far more than passive emotional dispositions toward the needs of the world. Real faith is more than saying “be warmed and filled.” Real faith is more than “I’ll be praying for you,” though prayer is a legitimate part of our response. Real faith is “faith with boots on,” in Stewart Briscoe’s memorable phrase.
Rather than settling for passive internal thoughts, the world would be better served if we took tangible steps: sponsoring orphans; tutoring students; volunteering at a hospital. The rock-n-roll band U2’s song “Please” offers the following challenge to believers: “Please…please…please… get up off your knees.” The song is not a diatribe against prayer. But U2 is goading believers to allow tangible action to follow humble prayer. Thinking positive thoughts, even praying good prayers, may be a way of evading God’s call to “do something” good in the world.
The author of 1 John reminds us of this potent combination of faith and action in 1 John 3:16-18. May God bless you in taking up the challenge of this important text: “We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.”
Recent Comments