IT'S NOT WHAT ... IT'S HOW
I have a high opinion of the Church. Sure, there is a lot of news and research about the Church in America that strikes the doomsday chord. We need to and should pay attention to this. However, this news need not cause reactive fear; we can see it as an opportunity. And this is where my optimism comes in.
I believe the Church is perfectly suited to address and meet the needs – no matter how big – in our world. And there are many who believe the same thing. The trouble that I see more and more today, is not that people are unwilling to respond to the needs in our world, it’s that many people don’t know how.
They don’t know where to start, what to do or how to go about it. Perhaps what’s needed now, more than ever, is not more theory or conjecture or reasoning about why we should live as the hands and feet of Jesus. Maybe we need more people speaking of how we can live - right now - as the presence of Jesus in our world.
What would happen if more men and women began living like Jesus because they have been taught how to do it? Chances are we would see more needs met and more lives changed. This would speak so loudly that those who only speak of theory may be compelled to act at last.
So, how can we learn how?
A few months ago my good friends Dave Runyon and Jay Pathakwrote a book called the Art of Neighboring that addresses how to love your neighbor. They believe that being a neighbor is not just something you are, but something you do. Imagine if we started doing something this simple.
Dave and Jay share their experiences as neighbors, and through this teach what they have learned about how to live like Jesus. Every word in the book provides insights, ideas and resources making the "how" tangible and doable. This book is a needed resource for us today. Its practical teaching is bound to connect with anyone who loves Jesus, and wants to learn how to show his love in greater ways in his or her everyday world.
So how do you find this book? Easy.