REDEEM

So there are dozens upon dozens of ideas, values, questions, comments, fears, joys, concerns, praises, and just plain things circulating around what has occurred in our neighborhood and community this past week. We've just begun to discuss them here, and I'm really excited to see where we end up...

One thing that's really stood out in my mind, specifically one word, is REDEEM. This is by far the most tempting time to pull away, become discouraged, or lose hope. And i would honestly say, I can understand and empathize. these days are hard!!...and dangerous. but....we are not of those who lose hope, but those who believe. Believe in an all-powerful Father who DOES have the right to judge, discern, administer, and withhold whatever he chooses. And we trust him.

So what about our neighborhood? If we were at all sane, at all logical or normal this would be the single most opportune time for us to pull out, give up, and run away. But we believe this is not the time to run away, but rather the time to REDEEM. Redeem the days, redeem the neighborhood. Isn't that what the gospel is all about, redemption...saving the lost? To some degree we all have our story of redemption...and we know that because God redeemed us, we are empowered to redeem this place.

So when they beat up two of us, we will send four...When they jump the four we will send eight. And we will join the saints of old as we become known as those odd people who give up their things, even their own bodies, to be a living letter, a presence of God in a broken, lost, and REDEEMABLE place. We will be the ones with black eyes and scarred cheeks who stand on the corners giving out burgers and hot cocoa, preaching the good news of ANOTHER WAY, the way of SACRIFICIAL ALL-CONQUERING LOVE, the way of JESUS!

As I wrote this entry, our neighbor came in...he said his friend just got jumped today, too. Came home with a busted eye and cheek. Are we catching a theme here? this place is rough...and we Christians BELONG here...