Reflecting

I always like to rethink what I take away from a conference a few weeks after the fact. I have to be honest and say that I wasn’t really ready to get up early and take a whole day to get to New City Chattanooga but after having done it have to admit it was really worth it. I continue to see the value and importance of keeping relationships alive of people who are doing urban work. Some of my heroes or mentors are those who have been doing this type of work for decades.

I appreciated being able to listen to both Barry and Aaron Henning who have been doing mercy work in St. Louis over the last 2 decades plus. What is truly amazing is that they choose to move into the neighborhood where they are serving. Most of the core of the church have transitioned into this neighborhood over the years. This act in itself is truly humbling and telling. They live in rather small old flats that have required a lot of work to transform them and also keep them up and running. I know personally that doing mercy or kingdom work from a distance isn’t as effective.

The key concept that stood out was rather simple but ultimately the essence of the kingdom. God has called us to humble ourselves and this comes into play with everything. So often the gospel is confused with middle class living and that the real goal of missions is to help people transform their lifestyles to become like ‘White, educated, middle class America’. Barry’s heart was so clear that this isn’t the gospel or kingdom intention of Jesus. We are to follow Jesus who left all behind in order that the poor might become rich spiritually.

The message which none of us what to embrace is that Christ is calling us to catch the vision that less is more. I am willing to share out of my abundance with someone who is struggling? This isn’t an easy step to take for anyone. If I do it for the wrong reasons, i.e. I want to get attention, be a crusader of the poor instead of truly loving God and then loving people then my actions aren’t going to be effective.

The adventure God calls us to pursue isn’t one with any guarantees. Aaron who is involved with doing hands on training of youth knows first hand that to run a non-profit that is building lives is always risky. Each year he trains close to 100 individuals in the summer with the craft of tuck-pointing. He has many interns that come for the summer to help work and train the youth. He has a large budget that is reflective of the extent of the work he is doing. Every year it is the same that there isn’t enough funding to begin the training in the summer but they always finish with everyone getting paid and the amazing transformation of someone going from being totally undisciplined to becoming a learner and worker is incredible.

I don’t know if I am thrilled about being humbled but when you see the ultimate perks both in helping others and just as much being helped yourself why not dive in and discover the impact that grace, mercy and humility will have in your life.