World Vision Wednesday

World Vision president Richard Stearns weighs in on the Middle East refugee crisis. It is worth your time to read this.

World Vision Wednesday

Here are some frequently asked questions about the Syrian refugee crisis.

Flag or Cross?

The news this week is full of stories about the decision of the governor of South Carolina to push for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse grounds. Polls are being taken, politicians are being interviewed, and the network talking heads are weighing in. In much of the discussion, the controversy is being used to advance one agenda or another.

To me, the issue boils down to what should I, as a follower of Jesus, think about this. First, some personal background. I was born in Rockville, Maryland, to parents who were raised in the North Carolina mountains. I remember going into the center of what was then a small southern town just outside of Washington, DC and walking past a memorial to soldiers from the area who had fought for the Confederacy. My family has been in North Carolina since the late 18th century and were some of the first settlers in the western part of that state. I have ancestors who fought for the South.

Because of this, and because my birth place is south of the Mason Dixon line, I have always considered myself a Southerner. Had I been alive in 1861, I probably would have fought for my state against those who were seen as invaders. None of my ancestors had slaves and were farmers rather than rich planters, so I don't think my motive would have been to preserve slavery. It was a different time then, and a person's state meant much more to them than the nation did. So, I get those who feel that the battle flag is about their heritage as southerners. I have felt the same way, and still would except for how that flag has been co-opted.by those who espouse hate and how it causes pain to the hearts of others. I have also learned more about the philosophy on which the Confederacy was founded, and as a Christian, I cannot be okay with that.

In this post, Russell Moore writes something that I believe anyone who calls themselves a Christian must take seriously. He writes:

The symbol was used to enslave the little brothers and sisters of Jesus, to bomb little

girls in church buildings, to terrorize preachers of the gospel and their families with 

burning crosses on front lawns by night. That sort of symbolism is out of step with 

                    the justice of Jesus Christ.

I get what the flag means to white southerners who love their heritage, and I have no problem with anyone flying the flag on their own property, although I would encourage sensitivity to neighbors. I also am beginning to understand what the flag means to those whose heritage includes enslavement, oppression, beating, death, and discrimination. As one who follows the King whose kingdom includes every race and tongue, I cannot be for something that causes heartache to my brothers and sisters in Christ.  

World Vision Wednesday

Fragile states are considered ground zero in the fight against extreme poverty. Here are some frequently asked questions about what fragile states are and the impact they can have on the poorest of the poor.

World Vision Wednesday

Thousands of children have been recruited into different armed groups during the conflict in the Central African Republic. Check this out for more information.

World Vision Wednesday

The refugee crisis created by the civil war in Syria is a heart rending thing and is getting worse. Here are five things you need to know.

Coming Down

This past Sunday night, we were in Paul's letter to the Philippians. During the message the speaker made reference to this commercial. Go ahead and watch. I'll wait.

The point of the commercial was that the choices we make show our character. The men who were not normally in wheelchairs had made the choice to "come down" in some sense to be able to understand and include their friend in their weekly game of basketball. As he talked about this, the speaker spoke of how Jesus came down into the mess of our world in order to be like us and include us in the family of God. We could not reach up to God, so Jesus came down to us to show us the Father. This choice revealed the character of Jesus as one who is gracious and loving to the point of laying down his life for us so that we might live. As the players in the commercial immersed themselves, for a time, in the world of their friend, so Jesus immersed himself in our world.

We as the body of Christ, are called to do the same. Rather than being called to pull away from the world and wait to be rescued, we are called to "come down" and be fully in the world. Because we have the Spirit in us, we can do this without being of this world. Just as Jesus came into the muck that is the stuff of life, so we are called to get our hands dirty, living sacrificial lives that show the grace and love of God. Jesus met people where they were and gave them what they needed. Many times we try to give people something that they don't need, and then wonder why they reject us. I have heard it said that the church too often is answering questions that no one is asking. Obviously we do what we do for others because of the gospel, and we are to invite others to follow Jesus. I'm not suggesting we don't. But I am saying that maybe we start sharing the gospel by showing love to those around us in tangible ways.

Jesus said that our love would show that we belong to him. Maybe the choices we make really do reveal our character.

World Vision Wednesday

As Syria enters its third year of civil war, over a million refugees have fled the country. Here is an update on the crisis and what World Vision is doing to help.