Our Easter celebration continues this week as we consider Jesus as the Rock for All… people, ages, situations, neighborhoods, and anyone, or anything else, that needs a solid foundation on which to build something of meaning, something that lasts. We live in an age that tends to slap a universal and derogatory label on an entire group with information generalized from random or isolated experiences. We call this stereotyping or profiling. You can probably think of many examples. Maybe you’ve been stereotyped. Go on Yahoo and do a search asking the open-ended question, “Why are Christians so . . ..” The search engine produced some startling responses: Why are Christians…
“so judgmental”
“so hateful”
“so fake”
“so afraid of Muslims”
“so mean”
“so intolerant”
“so annoying”
“so self-righteous”
“so unhappy”
Do see yourself and those around you embodying those attributes? Probably not! Is this how the world truly sees those who call themselves “Christian?” How do these opinions become generalized, that the some see us this way? Is the world becoming biased towards Christians? Maybe. But, in what ways have we done this to ourselves? It is true that Christians have done some very bad things. Its also true that millions of Christians face persecutions for their faith every day, with many losing their lives every year for following Jesus. This week, we Get Up and represent Jesus, each in our own unique ways. We will explore our own foundation on the Rock and how we can let Jesus shine through our lives every day. Let’s ensure that greater Cape May knows we stand on the Rock because where Jesus is present, life is at its best, for all. (Thanks to my colleague, Dr. Len Sweet, for the search term idea!)
Melissa and traveled to another part of the world and discovered a really cool place people lived long ago. Can you guess what part of the world it was in? Go ahead, guess! OK. Mexico. Not even close! Again? Somalia. Well, on this globe, the place I want to tell you about is within an “inch or two” of Somalia! Here is is. I’m talking about Turkey, the country, not the bird. In Turkey, Melissa and I learned that early followers of Jesus loved him very much, but not everybody else agreed with them. In fact, some of the countries leaders hated Jesus and chased the Christians into the mountains. They lived in carved out rooms like this… This is a carving from Turkey in Cappadocia representing the places Christians fled for safety. Sometimes, you may feel that others around you may treat you differently because of your faith in Jesus. Remember that no everyone had to agree and believe like you do! People have choice and God loves everyone, never giving up showing love to everyone. God has faith in you! Always. I’m glad you believe in Jesus, trust in him, and will remember that those early Christians believed in tough times, and didn’t stay in the mountains. Soon, they returned to their homes and lived as faithful followers of Jesus sharing the good news of God’s love.
Coffee had a nickname. The Devil’s drink! How did that happen?