Weekly Update// Pastor Chris
Dear Asbury Family,
Over the past month, we’ve been engaged in a message series called “Including the Excluded.” In these messages, we’re journeying through the Gospel of Luke – the third Gospel of the New Testament – and focusing on those stories in Luke that show us Jesus’ concern for the outcasts.
Something that I’ve repeated several times in this series (and in previous messages) is that all people, regardless of who they are or where they may be on their faith journey, are children of God (Luke 15:24; 1 John 3:1). Even in sin, we never cease being God’s children. Therefore, the task of the church isn’t to “bring God” to people. Rather, the task of the church is to help everyone know and understand that, in Jesus Christ, God has claimed them as God’s own; they belong to the King of Kings, and all they must do is embrace this identity.
Earlier this week, somebody came up to me and said, “Well, what about Vladimir Putin? To be honest, I am having a hard time thinking of Putin as a child of God.”
It is true that Vladimir Putin has been the mastermind behind despicable and heinous acts. My heart continues to break for the people of Ukraine, many of whom have had to flee their homes and communities, and I pray each day (as I’m sure you do) for their safety and wellbeing. I also acknowledge that what I'm about to write comes from a place of great privilege and comfort, where my life isn't being threatened. I still believe that as evil as Putin’s behavior has been, he, too, is a child of God.
Some years ago, I watched a YouTube video in which Thomas Long, professor of preaching at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, GA, shared a story about a young black man involved in the Civil Rights Movement. The man was often beaten at protests and demonstrations for demanding that he receive the same treatment as his white counterparts. The man went on to say that the only way he was able to hold onto his humanity and see the humanity of those who were oppressing him, was to look into their hate-filled faces and say, “There is a child of God who has forgotten who he is.”
The reality is that until Jesus returns and brings the kingdom of God to completion, there will continue to be people who author despicable acts. It may be tempting for us to write off such persons. But what if instead we looked at that them and said, “There is a child of God who has forgotten who he (or she) is”?
Whatever we do, we must not forget that we’re all God’s children, even if we don’t act like it. My prayer is that our behavior - motivated by love - will inspire others to embrace who they are in Jesus and live as his disciples in the world.
Blessings,
Chris
p.s. Join us for worship this Sunday (April 3) as we continue our journey through the Gospel of Luke. We’ll be looking at the story of Zacchaeus, which we find in Luke 19:1-10. I hope to see you in person or online at either our 9:30am service or 11am service. Have a great weekend!