Sometimes, I believe that if the church were burning to the ground, half the people would start a prayer chain, and spend their time praying while the church burned. Others would simply ignore it, and say that it was God's will, and if anyone criticizes them for their non-involvement, those others would be labeled "too judgmental." Still there would be others who immediate, still as the church is burning would set up committees, begin to collecting donations for a new church, or offer their services, at cost of course, to rebuild, relocate, and refurnish the new church.
And there I am, with my bucket, running from the well to the church, back and forth, till exhaustion. Where are the others if the time of true need? Praying, planning, seeking opportunity in disaster. God does ask us to pray, but he also asks us to roll up our sleeves and serve the Lord. Serve him by serving his people. Certainly, we could say that noone can give all their time and energy to others, they MUST have time to themselves. Certainly this may be so for many. But in time of need, do we do as those who passed the man at the side of the road? Do we ignore the needed. Do we throw money at the needed, so long as we don't have to get our hands dirty.
God's gives us TIME. That is the one gift from God they everyone is allotted equally, 24 hours every day. We go to church to find our immortality, but it is not immortality that God promised, it is eternal life, life within you, life now. If we hoard our time, and refuse to man the buckets when there is a fire, refuse to lend our TIME when an emergency comes, then how can we expect God to flee to our aid in our own time of emergency.
Today, there was a girl in need. Her house had burned, and what little possessions she could salvage from the ashes, she had to move, but she had no car. Now she is a part of a good church, a loving church. But where were the people in her time of need. Some say "Well, I was never that close to her," and that may be true, but how close was the samaritan to the poor man at the side of the road, then how much closer are we to the unknown brother in our midst. Whose fault is it that you are not close, and is being "close" a precondition for our giving of our time and love.
What we give instead of time and love is money. We work all week, and by giving a portion of our money, we are therefore relieved of any further obligation to deeper commitments of involvement. Today, had 50, had 25, had even 10 people showed up to help this woman in distress, the neighbors witnessing such an outpouring of love could not help but take notice of how close this church is and how we stand shoulder to shoulder to flee to the relief of a member in need. The early Christians did this very thing, and they were noticed by the non-Christians for their deep display of love for one another. Their love was so unselfish, and unconditional, that others witnessing their love, were drawn to a deeper understanding of who these Christians were. The Church grew out of THIS kind of love.
But now we have a church, where money is the answer to every problem. I firmly believe that it is TIME and not money which is the currency of God. Would we today be at the ready to join together to flee to the aid of a member in distress, would not the greater community take notice. If every church which bears the name of Christ as Christian, were to flee to the aid of a brother in need, to a stranger in need, would not the whole world sit up and take notice. Today Christianity is seen as a great Hypocrisy, but it not the faith that is the hypocrisy, but the insensitivity of the Christians in time of need that has earned us this world wide reputation.
Christianity has done a world of good, this is certainly true. The missions, the relief efforts, the hospitals, the universities. All done, certainly, to the glory of God. So as a church, we have many works to show for our faith. But that was then, what of today. As a church today, we make tremendous contributions to projects of great worth. Again, our pockets are deep, and because of that there is been much suffering which has been eliminated in the world. But when it comes time to man the buckets, all too many Christians, would just as soon let someone else do it.
Finally, a few lines that were added years later, but must be said.
Sometimes, in an effort to avoid being overcommitted, we avoid getting committed at all. We give our tithe, we usher, or sing in the choir, read, or prepare the alter. But where is the need that Jesus spoke of in the Gospel? It was not the need of the church of the day. It was and is still the needs of the people. When do we roll up our sleeves and learn to say "Yes" to help them. When someone in the church or a friend of the church needs help, where is the church at those times. Oh, the priests have their pastoral funs to provide a few dollars here and there. But the church should be the people of the church, not just the donation from the Preachers disgressionary fund. Where are the people lining up their cars to move goods from a fire damaged home to a new house? Where are the men of the church lining up to fix the doors windows and sinks of the shut-ins? Where are the women of the church to care for a new mother, as she tries to raise a new born and two other pre-schoolers without a father? Where are the youth of the church to walk younger kids home, and call them when they are alone?
In an effort to avoid being overcommitted to the church, have we forgotten that the church, like Jesus taught of himself, exists not to be served, but to serve others. We have all become the hurried priests, who seeing the man beaten and left in the road, are too busy serving the church, to serve God.
That tugging at your conscience when you know that you are the one that could make a difference, you are that someone who must do something, that tugging is from God, not some affront to your free time. It is a call for help. God gave you all the days and hours your possess. Can't you return just a portion of those hours for the sake of others, for the sake of God?