Change
It's been quite some time since I've touched this blog and I find no better reason than now to start it up again.
Lately, friends and I have been chatting about change.
Change in our attitude, change in our lives, change in our world.
This past year through much introspection and reflection, I've relearned a lot of what it means to follow Christ; to bear the name, 'Christian'.
The more I read about Jesus in the Gospels the more I realized how much more I need to cultivate His character and personality into my life. More love, more compassion, more forgiveness.
I believe my philosophy in living life has been transforming this past year. I'm nearly graduated (finishing up my fifth year) and university has played a huge part in this transformation. Life lessons were definitely experienced and taught in the hall ways of York University. The re-occurring lesson God's been teaching me is simple. It's to love.
The more I want to see change in the world the more He points me back to love. The more I want to make a difference in lives around me the more poignant the point of love becomes. I have found the greatest conversations with believers and non-believers alike is when we saturate our chats with sincerity, open-mindedness and love.
First we love, second we speak. It's the only way I seem to pay attention, perhaps it's the greatest way people understand. I want to be known for my love actions rather than my witty convincing speech.
Right now, on Facebook there is a new group that has popped up. In essence, CBC (the television station) is calling it the Wish List. It is for students to voice out their wishes/opinions about what they would want to see happen/change in Canada. The largest group's wish will be discussed on CBC as the Canadian student's greatest wish. One of the largest groups in the running right now is 'Spiritual Revival in Canada'.
I think it's great to get our opinions and thoughts across because our society definitely needs to hear more of what we think. But I also hope that I could also contribute two cents of what I think of this particular wish.
My hope and my dream is to see revival in Canada - I have always longed and prayed for it. But perhaps this is not the best way to communicate the wish across.
I always believe in loving people to Christ. Showing first (action), telling second (speaking). As I'm sure everyone knows, there can be expected animosity to Christians especially when we put ourselves out there for what we are against.
Very often, the world perceives Christians as strong headed, self-righteous and judgemental. The exact opposite of what and who Christ represents.
For our actions?
For bringing forth justice?
Loving the poor?
Caring for the needy/sick/imprisoned?
Defending the underdog?
How shall revival come across? It's when we first learn to receive and show love, then secondly, learn to speak.
It will be interesting if this wish becomes the most talked about - but we need to consider what good we are doing by putting messages out there that are not exactly music to the everyone else.
In no ways am I telling anyone to join or not to join this group. I just wanted to share the other side of the coin.
We want to bless and we want to love and in doing so, our nation will experience revival.
My prayer is that we are known more for what we are FOR than what we are AGAINST.
3 comments:
amen amen amen.
funny how you titled it change.
hahah thats the first word i wrote for the devo.
CHANGE.
and im totally with you wildhorse.
so excited :)
NN.
Kat, you're onto something here... I got two invitations on facebook at the same time about this wish for revival thing and it made me wrinkle up my nose a bit.
Why? Well, first off I always want to see the best and hope for the best and pray for the best. So I don't want to come off judgmental or in any way accusing anyone of anything...
But, lately I've become a real hard learner. I've started reading and studying everything in front of me. School (undergrad and masters) just taught me to read, books, people, situations, global affairs, heart, everything... Good teachers teach me to think critically and engagingly... to think at the deepest level of my person. That place where thinking gets mixed up with feelings and the will, gut level stuff way beyond the mind - geist, ruach, pneuma, spirit.
Getting that facebook invite was like all the emails I get from Make Poverty History - about emailing politicians... like Live 8 or some college student tuition protest... or a transit strike... and all those things have their place... but so many of us "use" those things to make excuses for ourselves. We chime in at the appointed time but when the first shot is fired we're running for cover.
I sure hope the wish for revival doesn't even make it onto the CBC radar, because what usually happens in Canadian media is they find the dumbest "Christian" they can find and prop them up in front of the whole nation... and it all comes off sounding like some cheezy scratchy recording of a jr. high marching band in an empty cathedral... The media "is" bias and they will expose any kind of pompish pinwheel airhead... sorry, I'm ranting now.
What the media really needs in Canada is some purely authentic voices.. voices that speak a whole fresh language around spiritual metamorphosis... a metamorphosis that effects the gutters and affects or even infects capital hill (and every spiritual place of worship) with a clear tone.
Another thing... I don't know if people really know what they are asking/stating when they are wishing/praying for REVIVAL.
What I have witnessed of revival is that it is an unstoppable wave of God's Spirit overagainst His people. Revival is actually a very dangerous thing because HE tears off all the layers all at once like Aslan "undragoning" a poor boy buried under a spell that has turned him into a dragon.
Revival is when you can't shut people up who are blabbing on and on about their new freedom in Christ on every street corner, in the back of every cab, at the till in every shop, beside their new found friend in every gutter.
Revival is the body, heart, soul, mind, strength and will of broken individuals overcome by the Tsunami of God's presence who are repenting... Revival is for repenters... It's not for nations. It's for individuals who are finally becoming the people of God amidst the people of God who happen to be a people forming for God in the midst of godless nations to be salt and light to those nations.
Revival is the end of the individual. Revival is the end of naval gazing. Revival is the edge of the map.... where there is no cartogropher, no google earth, no GPS... a whole new set of rules... totally LOST.
Revival is when a horse in a burning barn throws off its blanket and chews through the bridal and bucks off the saddle and bursts through the barn door, running for its life into all the new wonderful freedom of the wide open wilderness.
Revival is when that tired horse finally stops running and comes to the stream for a drink... And standing across the stream is the King... and the King wades through the stream toward the horse... and the moment of truth is when the horse does not run from the hand of the King. Revival is full submission under the approach of those kind hands....
And you know what he does with that horse? Does He put her back in a barn!? No. NO! He smiles. Walks all around you. Checks over every muscle, the beautiful coat, hooves and strokes your mane, feels the pulse in your neck and pats your shoulders... Then winks at you. There is a pause. Then a laugh as HE whistles and claps HIS hands and cries, "YAA! RUN. BE FREE! GO!"
And you bolt... adrenaline, tears, joy, fun... run until you can't run anymore, running in a new way, not away from something dangerous, but towards something else entirely new... And you'll discover the others who are running. Over that hill there are thousands. Running into them; amidst them; all together now... a fierce symphony of flying dust and pounding earth!
And you know revival is real when one day the KING returns to that strong wild horse and places his hand on that shoulder again. This time HE wants you to follow HIM somewhere... To HIS stable, HIS barns... to eat his grain, and be trained by HIS hands, for HIS good purposes....
And there is nothing more beautiful than a wild horse who follows her KING into his stable.
Too many Christians attend too many emotionally charged musical events and are never ever REVIVED!
I am so sick of suburban marshmallow spirituality.
The same Jesus who releases us is the same Jesus who compels us to take up our crosses and follow him. Revival happens anywhere during that process where a person finally refuses to maintain their status-quo orbit around the SON and gets drawn into the CENTER of His very presence here on earth. His Spirit is very present among the penitent.
It's all about repentance, brokenness, humility, availability... the bending of the bow... IT'S TIME for the needy to come up out of the ash heap and be seated with princes to inherit thrones of honour... HIS thrones, not ever theirs.
Revival brings us to the end declaring our thrones and crowns! Revival is a corner-of-the-eye glimpse of Jesus. That's all it takes to level us..... the eye and word of Jesus.
good post kat. tru say indeedydoo
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