All tagged hardship
One of the struggles for many new Christians is that everything is not immediately different. In fact, they soon realize that there are still many struggles and battles to be fought. Temptation, sickness, poverty, and difficult relationships are not always instantly better just because we are born again. We spend time reminding our new brothers and sisters that this world is not our true home.
Perhaps most importantly, I was told told how to think differently. Instead of thinking, “I am wasting my time here,” think, “the gift of my time here honors this person as an individual worthy of love and respect.” A chaplain’s role is not to fix things or “do” something, but to bear silent witness to the suffering of another person.
Love is the ministry of presence. Love knew that I did not need to be alone. And yet, love understood that no words were needed. Love in the form of these two young friends who came into my home to simply be present with me in my pain. Love sat with me. Love listened to me. And it was powerful.
My father is a professional artist, and when I was five years old, our local church commissioned him to paint a mural of St. John of God. John was born in Portugal in 1495 and was a soldier before he had a personal encounter with God. After this radical encounter, he believed his vocation was to serve the sick and poor, and he was often found cleaning the wounds of lepers. My father's painting depicted the leper whose feet St. John was washing, as the leper miraculously transformed into Christ. That powerful image impacted me as a child, has remained with me, and has become a part of my pastoral identity as a hospital chaplain.
But I’m not calling you to success; I’m calling you to faithfulness. Success in God’s eyes comes down to sticking with the mission.
Life can stagger you like that sometimes. We live in a world of lightning strikes, both literal and relational, intentional and random.
The church minister occupies a unique space. It is a difficult space inhabited by critique and pressure both from within the community and from without.
The Christian minister is a soldier for Christ’s sake, an athlete who runs from everything that hinders him, and a hardworking farmer who will enjoy the fruits of his efforts.
Faith in God gives meaning to our life and provides us with the emotional and spiritual strength necessary to endure the harshest realities.
Over the years, I have realized that there are certain things that I need to remember and reflect on during this journey of vision, leadership, and missional engagement.
