Teaching Me.

"So the church is not to be understood primarily as a means to the end of transforming society. This would be to trample over the uniqueness and infinite worth to God of the Christian community. Besides, the amazing and profound fact is that the Church most transforms society when it is itself growing and being perfected in the love of Christ. In fact when the Church is taken merely as a means to transforms society, very little is accomplished. For in that case the uniqueness of the Church is denied and we enter the battle on the same terms as secular and godless forces. We assume the battle for right and justice can be won by force, by technique, by doing. It can't These very clearly are not the weapons of Christian warfare (Eph. 6:10-20). Truly Christian transformation of culture comes through Christlike (and hence sacrificial) love, community, and being.

But this fact by no means cancels out the responsibilities to do, to act, to walk in the words of God. Rather, the being and the doing go together. The being is fundamental, but the doing is the natural result."
~From The Community of the King by Howard Snyder

There are two things I really feel like God is teaching me right now. 1) That we are peacekeepers. That we are to encourage peace and community amongst friends and Christians. As Christians we are to give the benefit of the doubt, to NOT talk about people when they are not there to defend themselves, and to not create walls of self-protection. 2) That as an ambassador for Christ we are to just be in Christ and to be present in the community. As Christians we are NOT to assume right and justice can be won by force, but by growing and abiding in Christ. It is solely about you and God, your relationship in Him. First, abide and then everything else flows out of that.