Four Lessons for the Church Right Now
This is a strange, sad time we live in. But it is also an opportune time—a perfect season for the glory of the Christian gospel and the light of Christ’s church to shine brighter than ever.
But how? In the midst of a global pandemic and widespread racial tension, many of us wonder what we can do to stand for life or effect change. While I do not presume to have all the answers for the multitude of societal issues that face us, I do believe there are simple steps we can take to benefit the world around us.
I pastor a diverse church in one of the most diverse cities in the world. As I have observed how my own congregation deals with the current challenges, I have learned some lessons that I think might benefit us all.
1. The Gospel Still Addresses the Main Problem
It may seem trite to claim, yet again, the sufficiency of the Christian gospel to address the most basic human needs. And yet this is precisely the message we all need. The Christian gospel declares that the God who created us is good, that we have wandered away from him, and that Jesus Christ came as God incarnate to reconcile us to our Creator. Nothing is more relevant to everyday life than this. If we do not see the primacy and relevance of the gospel in our current situation (no matter what the current situation is), then we do not need less of the gospel, but more of it than ever.
Let us never forget that the greatest need of every human is reconciliation with God. If we love God and are submitted to his righteous reign over our lives, it will inevitably change how we view ourselves and others. The opinions of others will lose their tyrannical power over our personal identity, and our opinion of others will be shaped by the grace we have ourselves received through Christ.
In the midst of the confusion and frustration of this cultural moment, I have seen our congregation love God and remind one another of the grace that comes through Jesus alone. The gospel is the balm that heals first and heals longest, when every other medicine proves inadequate.
2. Serve Others as Jesus Did
I have a friend whose young son recently declared, “Let’s make every Tuesday ‘Mother Appreciation Day.’” My friend wisely replied to his son, “Instead, why don’t you clean up your room every Tuesday like your mother asks you to?” His son immediately fell silent. It is easier to make grand statements of appreciation (or derision) than it is to minister with ongoing and sacrificial service.
Rather than seeking widespread change through social influence or political power, Jesus displayed the love of God through self-sacrifice and servant-heartedness in his everyday life. He loved God supremely and so loved others completely. He touched the lives around him with gospel-centered sensitivity. Following Jesus’s example is in many ways harder than merely decrying the inadequacy of government action or posturing publicly about the need for societal change. It requires us to actually labor in ministry to others in ways that might cost us personally and deeply.
3. Seek to Know Individuals Before Proclaiming Societal Solutions
One man in our church is a police officer. Recently he wrote a touching and passionate plea on Facebook for people to not judge all police by the exceptionally bad ones who so often make the news. Around the same time a young woman in our church penned an article about what it feels like to be black right now; it was a raw and insightful look into the unique challenges black people face in Western culture. I was struck by the beauty and symmetry of these two expressions (among many others) coming from within our one congregation.
If we know and love individuals who are affected by what is going on in our society it will affect how we perceive and respond to the larger issues themselves. As long as we are only talking about people “out there” who have hurt or offended us, the mindset and tone of our conversation will often be expressed along the hard lines of generic and impersonal principles. But when people we care about are hurting or offended, we are much more likely to clothe matters of moral conviction in the soft garments of careful, balanced love.
4. Live All of Life, Every Day, Together
Our church—like most—has reflected a wide array of strong opinions on how to best handle worship services during Covid. We have also intimately felt the strain of racial issues in our society. Tweets have been tweeted, pictures have been posted, protests and petitions have been initiated and participated in. Yet, even in the midst of these strongly-held convictions and actions, our church has continued to live in unity.
Members of the body of Christ are still posting happy birthdays and anniversaries to each other on social media. We are still worshipping corporately (though in hybrid format by necessity), we are still studying God’s Word in small groups, we are still seeking to serve our community spiritually and practically. Life—real life, church life—goes on. And love—real love, Christian love—continues.
Let us not forget the suffering of loved ones in our midst. Let us not only care about the disadvantaged during the current media cycle. Let us not be concerned for the sick or isolated only during a pandemic. These are our brothers and sisters. We must be concerned for their welfare every day. We are to pursue their good without end. And we must proclaim the gospel—to each other, and to a broken world—long after the culture around us has moved on to the next news headline.
Even as we work to survive these current crises together, we will continue to live all of life together. We will celebrate special occasions, we will rejoice with those who rejoice, we will weep with those who weep. We will be the church, in all its diversity of pains and pleasures. We will live all of life, every day, together.
Justin Huffman is the lead pastor of Morningstar Christian Fellowship in Toronto, Canada. He and his wife Chau have four children. He is the author of the Daily Devotion app, as well as several books including Behold: An Invitation to Wonder. You can connect with him further at justinhuffman.org.