Sunday, October 15, 2006

Too Much Conversation, Too Little Action?


I keep hearing about the Christian Conversation. New voices are now being heard in a wide range of mediums. Between talk radio, books,tv programs, and now the internet we are getting covered in words. Jim Wallis points out with no small amount of glee how the conversation is starting to spread and more people are talking about social justice. Even his new label of Red Letter Christians points to the fact that there is a lot of talk going around. I agree with him. The conversation does need to change, but what about action? Christ was more than just some words he spoke. He lived them out. Whether it's feeding the five thousand, healing the sick, and even dying on the cross. I am in a small group and we are trying to come up with a way to better serve our community. We've been talking about it. If we don't do something soon it may just die on the vine. Wes in his blog shares a recent experience at a pizzaria that is doing just that. Several years ago the church I was attending at the time found a homeless man sleeping on the lawn. The police were there to escort him off the property. He had no shirt or shoes. One of the other members standing near me commented, "Can't 'insert name of ministry here' help that man?"

Here's another example of a man of Action. Mr. T helps people to not be fools.

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posted by Out Of Jersey | 11:30 AM

5 Comments:

Blogger Art said...

Good post. And good points. Talk is cheap, man. And talking about issues is important but if our speech does not, in some way, lead to action or change, then it is nothing but hot air.

8:16 AM  
Blogger Dan Morehead said...

Agreed.

12:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Deep post! I just didn't expect it to end with a comment about Mr. T. That cracked me up.

6:21 PM  
Blogger Out Of Jersey said...

I think talking about these things are important. It is important to talk about what matters and what has value, but if they are distracting you from the big picture then they aren't doing you any good.

4:11 PM  
Blogger jasdye said...

i pity the fool that grows up with a talking church.

i've been listening to the podcasts from mars hill bible (rob bell's haunt). they begin every sermon with an announcement about practical things that they're doing in the community (including the AIDS walk that much of the church got involved in and a network of congregants who decidedly live in a very poor neighborhood).

i think, honestly, that the megachurches and many of the parachurches are beginning to see what the urban churches have preached and practiced for many years (w/o such fancy theological terms), that Jesus cares for ALL people and certainly for the poor and downtrodden. so should we.

6:17 PM  

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