Prepping for a message I’m sharing tomorrow and thinking of the concept of being called out.
It’s a chapter in my book but I’m chewing on it more this morning, especially in light of our current culture. And it’s also hitting me a little different as I ponder it in relation to those of us who follow after Jesus.
We seem to be so quick to call out and then cancel.
To silence any opposing, uncomfortable view without considering what the Lord may want to do with that. Or more specifically, that person.
I think there is a time and place for canceling, for cutting off, for setting up boundaries. But I wonder if we are in the position to do so with others we don’t have relationship with or proximity to, if we have not first canceled the things we live with.
Insecurity
Shame
Fear
Inferiority
Offense
Selfishness
Pride
Have we canceled those? Have we laid these things at the cross that we remembered Easter weekend and in turn embraced the resurrection life we celebrated on Sunday?
And as we call out, what is our intention? Is it restoration, redemption, reconciliation? Is it the backwards, upside down way of the kingdom where we, with our words and lives, do our best to wash the feet of even those who may betray us?
Are we calling out in order to call to Jesus? To call out in order to connect? To remind others that Jesus is the one who is in fact, calling for them.
I sit with these thoughts this morning. I am as feisty as they come. My Nigerian blood can get quickly heated at injustice, lack of equity and the normalization of what is contrary to the ways of God. I want to run with Jesus when he flipped tables but am I also willing to sit at the table of the cheating tax collector he called down from the tree?
Calling him out so that he would be free. Opening eyes so that they would see.
My prayer is that I live in that rhythm of letting the Lord inspect me.
Search my heart, flip my motives, give me eyes to see how much you love those I disagree with. And give us the voices that ring with the constant call for all to come home.
