This is Our Time

I try not to be political on social media. I find it often accomplishes nothing except hurt feelings and dissension. But I must speak, and I hope the Church is listening.

America has lost its collective mind.

I say that with all the love in my heart. We've lost our minds, and perhaps our purpose and direction. Disagreement has gone beyond having a different approach to government and has morphed into fear-mongering, and I'm pointing at all of us. Both sides. It's not the first time in our history where Congressmen have come to blows; there are two famous walking-stick battles that come immediately to mind.

But America today has taken the fight to the streets.

Christians, this is our time.

Democrats and Republicans differ on many things, but how to take care of the poor is one of the loudest arguments in Congress and on the streets. On the surface, they seem diametrically opposed, but underneath, I think -- I want to believe -- they all want the same thing: to see the poor helped and be relieved of this burden. One side wants to increase programs and the other side wants to stimulate the economy, but their hope is for the same end result.

They're all wrong. It's not their job. It's ours. It's the job of the Church to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Jesus told a parable in which he said we are blessed when we invite the poor, the lame, the blind to the table (Luke 14:9-14). The apostles who shared the gospel with the early church -- Peter and John, Paul and Barnabas -- were eager to help the poor (Galatians 2:10).

The Jews, God's chosen people, were told to take care of the poor (Deut. 15:11), and when Israel failed in this God warned them, through the prophets, of imminent destruction (Amos 5:11-12).

Christians, this is our time.

It's our time to show the world what it looks like to follow Christ. It's our time to be His hands and feet. It's our time to live by the Spirit, and love as God does. It's our time to bring unity instead of division, to bring healing to the hurting, to bring hope to a world that's dying.

Christians, it's our time. One day Christ will return; we don't know when, but I feel confident in saying time is running out.

Go to the polls in November. It's your right and your responsibility. But that's not why we're here on earth. We're here to love God and Man. This is out time.