When a paper Jesus won’t do
Posted on August 17, 2006
Filed Under Generally Spiritual (few if any geek references) | Leave a Comment
Subtitle: The stars are always there.
I get news letters from Triple X church, a ministry to a pretty dark side of our society. Below is a link to one of their blog entries, by a guy named Jamie Tworkowski. It’s titled “Write Love on Her Arms” (read the story and you’ll understand his title).
wow. Inspiring, humbling, compassionate.
His experience seemed to me to be “in the trenches” ministry; no flash, or polish or world class, high octane, highly organized ministry, no high caliber leadership; just love down in the dirt, where people are really “dirty” and really hurting. His ministry seems so clear, so straight forward, yet so very difficult. That’s because it takes guts to be available like that.
To do what he does (or any ministry, for that matter), you need the real thing: Jesus. You need Him really, truly in your life. Nothing else will cut it. Otherwise, what do I have to give? A paper Jesus? Frankly, I fear that if my “Jesus” ever go out into the real world, into the rain and the storms, it would disintegrate into a thousand soggy pieces.
His story is perhaps best summarized by the following quote from the blog — “Don Miller says we’re called to hold our hands against the wounds of a broken world, to stop the bleeding. I agree so greatly.”
There is no “sound byte” feel to his article. Some might hesitate at the length of it, but for me, it was well worth slowing down and taking in every word.
Here’s the link: http://pure.typepad.com/x3pure/2006/08/just_got_connec.html
PS: you may notice that as they arrive at the treatment center, Renee mentions the stars. My mind ran with her comment, turning it into a metaphor: stars, whose chief reason to exist is to declare the glory of God (Psalm 19).
The stars are always there. God is always there. selah.
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