Inspired by shores and shells.
We went to Panama City for a couple of days. Ocean was churning and active, biggest waves I’ve seen in the Gulf, wind was up. Waves and wind are images of the Spirit for me.
While there, I was reading What’s So Great About Christianity by Dinesh D’Souza. I recommend it strongly.
Every time I’m at the beach, I see this common sea shell.
It’s a symbol of missions, because this shell is commonly found on every shore in the world. So when I sit and meditate, listening to the ocean, watching the waves crashing in, I imagine being on the boat coming ashore to set up camp, discover and meet the native people of an unreached land. I’ve planted a church, so I know how it feels to plan a new thing in a new place, but the difficulties of planting a church in a place where people are accustomed to new churches must surely be easier than taking the gospel to a land of possibly hostile people. Even so, brave souls, by God’s grace, did just that. And it changed the world.
The book I mentioned above is about the changes the world experienced when Christianity was spread around the world. When you know your history, you know how radically Christianity has impacted our world. Views and values we currently take for granted, like our views about family, courtesy, justice, even the reasoning that informs science, all have their roots in people whose ways of thinking were impacted by the teachings of Jesus and the revelation of a living God.
When I think about working to balance my life as a pastor, engineer, father, husband, and friend, I really am impressed by the sacrifices made by those men and women who crossed land and sea to establish homes and teach stubborn and antagonistic people a better way to live, and introduce them to the One Creator of the universe. There are so many things in my life that I hold valuable and resist sacrificing. I am distracted by jobs, sermons, projects, fun, relaxation (or lack thereof), sleep, money, taxes, weeding, music, mentoring etc etc etc. I so appreciate those people who sacrificed what they could have had in life had they not ventured to the ends of the earth, so that our God could be glorified, and his ways better known.
Isn’t distraction one of the great dangers we face?
Tags: D'Souza, Gospel, Missions
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