Are You A "Lone Stranger" at your Church?

Have you grown tired of all the politics? I watched a lot of both conventions and found myself tired of hearing the same old things, the same old rhetoric, and the same old promises. Then something caught my ear. John McCain, in his acceptance speech at the RNC, said perhaps the most thought provoking thing thus far. Not because of its political ramifications but because of its Biblical ramifications.

Here is what he said:

On an October morning, in the Gulf of Tonkin, I prepared for my 23rd mission over North Vietnam. I had not any worry I would not come back safe and sound. I thought I was tougher than anyone. I was pretty independent then, too. I liked to bend a few rules, and pick a few fights for the fun of it. But I did it for my own pleasure; my own pride. I didn’t think there was a cause more important than me.

Then I found myself falling toward the middle of a small lake in the city of Hanoi, with two broken arms, a broken leg, and an angry crowd waiting to greet me. I was dumped in a dark cell, and left to die. I didn’t feel so tough anymore. When they discovered my father was an admiral, they took me to a hospital. They couldn’t set my bones properly, so they just slapped a cast on me. When I didn’t get better, and was down to about a hundred pounds, they put me in a cell with two other Americans. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even feed myself. They did it for me. I was beginning to learn the limits of my selfish independence. Those men saved my life.

We are all inherently selfish people. We think that all we need is ourselves. But God knows our most deepest needs. We need someone to reconcile us to God. No amount of selfish pursuits can ever fix that problem. God has sent His Son Jesus to die as our substitute and to make us like Him. He also knows that we need people...relationships that will be part of the sanctification process. The "relationship" that He has given us is the church...the body of Christ.

Begin to learn the limits of your selfish of your selfish independence. Turn to Jesus. Trust in God's faithfulness and promises. Unite yourself with the body of Christ. Love the Church. And as you do, you will learn that you are also loving Christ.