Daughter of the King: We are Called to Act
* Click * . . . * Click * Aww…such sweet music to my ears.
With snaps one and two of my student’s instrument case tightly secured, another Sunday music class has come to an end. Homework was assigned. Goodbyes were said. Supplies were put away. Now finally, FINALLY, I could head up to the Multipurpose Room and join in the after-service fellowship that began almost an hour ago.
Who would be left upstairs? Were there any newcomers to greet? Was that cake I saw someone bringing up the elevator? I hope its chocolate! Why didn’t that cadet someone said was in town visit the corps today? I hope they’re okay.
Questions swirl around my mind as I make my way up two flights of stairs to the top floor where the Multipurpose Room is found. Crossing beneath the open doorframe, and taking in a quick glance, the scene before me looks a little something like this: a round table of vibrant Hispanophones on one side of the room, a table full of energetic Anglophones on the other side, a brilliantly coloured “Indian” table, another couple of “Spanish” tables, a few more “white people” tables, teens pressed up against a side wall … Drriiinnggg! Drrrriiiiiinnnggg!!! Warning bells go off in my head, signaling a problem. Something in this picture is not correct.
Everyone is talking, so a lack of conversation or engagement isn’t the issue. The mood in the hall seems to be fairly pleasant. Laughter can be heard. Smiles can be seen. So that’s not it either.
What is wrong then? What’s the root problem?
There appears to be very little inter-linguistic and inter-cultural mingling going on in my church’s Multipurpose Room. Visible cultural and linguistic boundaries are standing in the way of connection. Out of fear of not being understood or not being able to understand, members of my church family are not bothering to approach other members – they are unwittingly disconnecting with each other.
This is a serious problem!
This is my church’s reality, and I share this with you not because I hate my church. I LOVE my church. I LOVE the people who make up my church family. I LOVE my church’s heart for helping immigrants.
I share this reality with you, because it is my hope that in being honest about my church’s struggles you will be able to be honest with yourself about your church’s struggles, and turn things around, coming back to doing things God’s way.
In Montreal Citadel’s case, our disconnection could not be further from God’s desire for us. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he reveals how God purposefully designed us for community, and therefore connection. “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body being many, are one body, so also is Christ . . . You are the body of Christ, and members individually.” - 1 Corinthians 12:12 & 27 (NKJV). Together, we make up one body – able to breath, move, and act in this world.
Together, we are the Church, standing as a testament to God’s love and power for the whole world to see. We need each other. We are not as effective in our mission alone as we are when we are joined as one.
Togetherness/community is developed through relationship, and strong relationships are formed by maintaining connection (i.e. keeping our love on, keeping the channels of conversation open, being vulnerable with each other, etc.). This is why disconnection is contrary to Christ. A healthy community cannot exist when there is disconnection.
Now ladies, I think it’s safe to state this: I know that disconnection is harmful to the Body. I just told you all about it.
Ask me what I do most Sunday’s when I arrive in the Multipurpose Room after the service – I usually make a bee line for the young adults and teens or someone else I know. Do I push myself to connect with unilingual Hispanophones? To be honest, no.
Now, of course I feel as though I’ve failed, and I have mourned that failure – that’s a pretty natural response. I cannot however stay in a state of mourning, and, when you fail, neither should you. Why?
Because YOU and I are God’s DAUGHTERS, and as such, we are CALLED TO ACT in this world.
Think about a time when your parents invited guests over for dinner. Your father and/or mother expected you to be on your best behaviour and entertain their guests. As their daughter, you represent them. By connecting with your parents’ guests, you honour your parents, lifting up their name. The same is true for our relationship with God, our heavenly Father.
In daughterhood, our love for Father God is expressed when we reach out to His guests, His people, His creations and make connections. We act in order to honour Him. Taking action is simply what we are called to do.
Look at Esther – when Mordecai refused her help (i.e. trading in his sackcloths for the clothes Esther sent him), essentially acting in a way that could cause disconnection, she didn’t disconnect with him. She drew closer to him, creating a deeper connection with Mordecai by asking him why he was mourning. Esther acted in this way to honour the only earthly father she knew, Mordecai, as well as her Heavenly Father.
Sisters, in the face of life’s challenges, broken relationships, injustice, etc. what will you do? I pray you will draw on your connection with Father and choose to act…in big ways or small ways. Choose to do something out of love for God. As for me, having identified a problem our corps family is facing, I am going to push myself to act, and you all can now hold me accountable to this. I run the youth group at Montreal Citadel with a team of 4 other young people. The first thing I will do to help create more connection is reach out to young people in the corps I have never talked to before. Slowly but surely, my prayer is that this will spark a change – one that will honour God in the end.
Love your sister,
Robyn