Return
G’day everyone and welcome to this weeks “Holy Go Newsletter” where we talk about anything and everything to do with declaring and demonstrating the good news of the kingdom of God!
My apologies this edition is a couple of days late. I had been struggling to put into words what was on my heart, and so it took a little longer than expected.
Last weeks Challenge was to Listen to an opinion different to yours, and as I did this I was overwhelmed by the immense need! Sometimes that need can lead us to anger, frustration and a sense of hopelessness. It can feel like it’s all just too much.
So todays Equip section unpacks a simple way to respond to the great need that will change the world one person at a time.
Equip
Overwhelmed
To be completely honest with you, I have been feeling a little overwhelmed lately…
When I look at the news I see the immense destruction in Palestine… I see the thousands of innocent children losing their lives or limbs, parents and homes. Approximately 70,000 people have been killed.
Through social media I’ve been following the war through the eyes of those living in Palestine. Aid workers, Christian Leaders and other locals. It is quite simply a humanitarian crisis.
Therefore, it is great news that the peace deal seems to be holding up. It is however, both heart warming and devastatingly sad seeing the Israeli and Palestinian hostages released and detailing the horrors they have all been through.
If that devastation wasn’t enough I have seen people who profess to be Christians condoning the war, using scripture to justify it while ignoring the very clear words and commands of Christ.
I have seen people cheering President Trump on as a “Peace Maker” seemingly forgetting the fact that he boasted about the $30 billion dollars of weapons that he gave to Israel to commit the genocide, and whose Nation stood against the rest of the world and vetoed any action against Israel.
And that is just one tragedy unfolding in the world today.
Every day we hear more news about Christian Persecution, (like the over 50,000 christians have been wiped out in Nigeria), famines (Over half a million deaths in Sudan since the start of the war in 2023), and wars in places like Ukraine, Ethiopia, Yemen, Sudan, Congo, and Myanmar…
Not to mention the hundreds of local issues we’re all facing each day. Social issues like homelessness, addiction, mental health issues, immigrant and refugee issues, crime, and so forth…
Jesus tells us that whatever we do and do not do to the least of these, we do and do not do to Him. Therefore the way we respond to people suffering through these issues is vitally important as followers of Christ.
The gospel Jesus spoke about was “good news to the poor, and freedom for the captives and the oppressed.”1 It was not just mental ascent to some religious ideas, it wasn’t a list of things to do or say to book your spot in Heaven… The Gospel of Jesus is an invitation to experience Heaven on Earth now! As followers of Jesus we engage in this by loving the hell out of the world around us.
So what do we do when it all feels like too much? How can little old me, in the middle of country Victoria, possibly make a difference? And how can you - wherever you are, make a difference when the need feels so large and insurmountable?
Wise Women on Faith
Whenever I lead mission trips to nations that are experiencing extreme poverty, it is almost inevitable that there will people on the team who become overwhelmed with what they are seeing.
This often leads to anger.
“How can we possibly go on living the way we are right now, when all this evil is happening? How can we continue our spending habits when there are people I am face to face with right now who don’t have enough to feed their family?”
When we were in our mission school in Mozambique we had a great teacher - Heidi Baker - who taught us how to handle this. She has a famous line, possibly adapted from Mother Teresa.
“Stop for the one.”
That was it. Yes it may feel overwhelming, but just love the person in front of you.
Mother Teresa had a bunch of great quotes that were really similar,
“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”
“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
My favourite quote of hers though is from her teaching on Matthew 25 and the “whatever you did to these passage”,
“Whenever I meet someone in need, it’s really Jesus in his most distressing disguise.”
We often get overwhelmed because we want to change “the whole world!” But what if we simply started to “change the world for one person at a time?” What if we saw Jesus in the people right in front of us? The Apostle John tells us to not love in word, but in deed.2 Our love must be practical.
Stand Up and Speak Out
I have been reminded that it is imperative that I do what I can with what I have. This week, Proverbs 31:8-9 has been ringing in my ears,
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
While those in Palestine, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Myanmar may not be right in front of me in Mildura, they are right in front of me in my social media. These are the people that Jesus’ good news is for, and they need our love.
I want to use my voice to stand up for others. I want to defend the rights of these people made in the image of God. Every life taken by war and famine is Jesus in His most distressing disguise.
Therefore, I cannot remain silent when leaders and people who profess to follow Jesus are using scripture to justify evil. I will use my voice to call people back to the way of Christ. Or as Martin Luther King Jr.’s said,
“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.”
The Church has a prophetic role to be the conscience of our nations. We cannot remain silent and we cannot conform to the patterns of the world. We must continue to promote the ethics of the Kingdom of God.
What do you have?
The point is this, we all have something to give to love the hell out of this world.
I have my voice, some finances, some skills and I need to use them… and I have a range of people I can love right in front of me.
What about you? What do you have to give and who is right in front of you?
If you are like me and are feeling overwhelmed by all the need and evil in the world, then join me in slowing down for a moment, and keeping it simple.
Let us stop for the one, and love Jesus in His most distressing disguise.
Activate
This weeks challenge is to “Stop for the one.”
As you go about your every day life, ask God to reveal to you someone to stop for. Then find a way to love them.
For example, it may be encouraging someone, giving a generous tip, paying for someones groceries, or perhaps when you’re moved by something you see on the news or socials write a letter to a politician advocating for the poor.
As always, let me know how you go!
Let’s Go!
Luke 4:18-19
1 John 3:18