T. David Beck: The Simple Way of Jesus

Bill Manassero has posted a story you have to read. Check it out here . Haiti is in chaos because of suspected election fraud. There is rioting and looting in the streets. Child Hope's orphanage is in temporary lock-down for safety's sake. Cholera is still in full swing. There is rubble everywhere from the January earthquake. Darkness is blanketing the land. (To the right is a photo taken by Rod and Brittany Meadth, friends of mine and long-time volunteers at Child Hope. Their blog is  here .) Now zoom in, Google Earth style, from Port-au-Prince to one of the area's many tent cities. A teenage girl is being held against her will as a slave by a group of men. More smothering darkness. Into this despair and darkness, the light breaks through. God liberates and saves. It's as if he is saying, "I'm still here. I'm still working to free the oppressed. Rioting does not tie my hands." As I read Bill's story, I think not only of the greatness of Go...

I am reminded this morning of what a precious gift a church is. It's a collection of people's hearts and souls. We all carry baggage and sometimes spend our energy trying to make the church become what we want it to be, and that can make community difficult. But in the midst of that messiness, there is a precious element that can be marveled at but not dissected or controlled. To us, the human heart is a mystery. To God, the human heart is a beloved treasure. As a living collection of mysterious treasures, the church is a truly remarkable phenomenon. What is more, being a pastor or any kind of leader in a spiritual setting, or even just a member of a church, is something to tremble at.