What do you think of when you think about changing the world?

I came to the Christian faith in the mid-1970’s in a time of gigantic optimism. Our generation would win the world for Jesus. Communism, illiteracy, and poverty would all disappear as people in the Eastern Bloc and the global south joined with us in the USA and Western Europe to accept Jesus as their savior. My generation would lead a heroic effort to give our lives in ministry and service across the street and around the world. And we would usher in the millennial reign of King Jesus.

It hasn’t quite turned out that way, has it?

There are maybe a thousand reasons why we failed to change the world…beginning with the belief we could change the world. Only Jesus can change lives. But my generation, in our hubris, thought Jesus had turned that over to us.

Not so much.

According to their 2017 book, “The Simplest Way to Change the World,” authors Dustin Willis and Brandon Clements put forward a whole new way to change the world – hospitality. The world is not changed through programmatic excellence or stellar preaching or exciting concerts. The world is changed one front-yard cookout at a time.

Phil Vischer, the creator of VeggieTales, says it this way: “I am growing increasingly convinced that if every one of these kids burning with passion to write a hit Christian song or make that hit Christian movie or start that hit Christian ministry to change the world would instead focus their passion on walking with God on a daily basis, the world would change…Because the world learns about God not by watching Christian movies, but by watching Christians.”

It is unlikely that any of us at Blooming Glen are going to transform the world all by ourselves. But everyone of us can open the door of our home and invite our friends in to experience how we walk with Jesus. It’s as simple and as hard as that.

What do you think of when you think about changing the world?

How about, “Dinner’s ready.”

Let’s go (eat with our neighbors) church,

Pastor Jeff

jeff@bgmc.net

P.S. August is a good time for coffee on Friday afternoons and breakfast on Monday mornings. Join me at the Broad Street Grind Friday, August 23 and Friday, August 30, at 3:30 pm and ask me anything that’s on your mind. Join me Monday morning, August 26, at the A&N Diner at 7:30 am and ask me anything on your mind. I’d love to hear what you are thinking about.