On the Verge of A Miracle...
"Bearded Youth Pastor" (heh, good one Aaron) posted a great quote on his blog http://aaron-behindthemask.blogspot.com/
"a rebel attempts to change the past; a revolutionary attempts to change the future."
I don't know where Aaron got it, but I love it.
It's so true of Jesus and His ministry. His life and death and resurrection absolutely changed the future of the whole world.
And, let me suggest that a revolutionary can also REDEEM the past. I'm not just thinking of Jesus here (though, His redemption of the past is eternal and perfect), but of people like MLK who, in many ways, sought not only to change the future of race relations in our nation, but to heal the past wounds of our country's racism. Ghandi, Mother Teresa, Tutu & Mandela (BTW, not too many people remember that FREDRIK WILLEM DE KLERK was the co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in '93 - but he became as much a revolutionary as Mandela since he was from the racist majority...but that's a discussion for another time), Elie Wiesel, and organizations like the One Campaign, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders (could I put a plug in for UMCOR here too?).
In ministry - but in all of life, really - we hear a lot of people complaining. Things sure aren't like they used to be. Some people rebel by trying to "go back to the old ways" - or "simpler times" or refusing to even acknowledge the PRESENT, let alone the future... It happens in politics, in culutre, in business, in religion, in education... Church was better when... Schools were better when... The economy... The past is past - it was great and troubled - it was progressive and destructive - and we can remember the good, redeem the bad and change the future... But only with the One who already knows the future... and who is ALWAYS in the present... Jesus.
Rich Mullins sang once:
"a rebel attempts to change the past; a revolutionary attempts to change the future."
I don't know where Aaron got it, but I love it.
It's so true of Jesus and His ministry. His life and death and resurrection absolutely changed the future of the whole world.
And, let me suggest that a revolutionary can also REDEEM the past. I'm not just thinking of Jesus here (though, His redemption of the past is eternal and perfect), but of people like MLK who, in many ways, sought not only to change the future of race relations in our nation, but to heal the past wounds of our country's racism. Ghandi, Mother Teresa, Tutu & Mandela (BTW, not too many people remember that FREDRIK WILLEM DE KLERK was the co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in '93 - but he became as much a revolutionary as Mandela since he was from the racist majority...but that's a discussion for another time), Elie Wiesel, and organizations like the One Campaign, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders (could I put a plug in for UMCOR here too?).
In ministry - but in all of life, really - we hear a lot of people complaining. Things sure aren't like they used to be. Some people rebel by trying to "go back to the old ways" - or "simpler times" or refusing to even acknowledge the PRESENT, let alone the future... It happens in politics, in culutre, in business, in religion, in education... Church was better when... Schools were better when... The economy... The past is past - it was great and troubled - it was progressive and destructive - and we can remember the good, redeem the bad and change the future... But only with the One who already knows the future... and who is ALWAYS in the present... Jesus.
Rich Mullins sang once:
On the Verge of a Miracle
Rich Mullins
Clung to a ball
That was hung in the sky
Hurled into orbit
There You are
Whether you fall down
Or whether you fly
Seems you can never get too far
Someone's waiting to put wings
Upon your flightless heart
You're on the verge of a miracle
Standing there
Oh you're on the verge of a miracle
Just waiting to be believed in
Open your eyes and see
You're on the verge of a miracle
Here in your room
Where nobody can see
Voices are loud But seldom clear
But beneath the confusion
That's running so deep
There is a promise you must hear
The love that seems so far away
Is standing very near
You're on the verge of a miracle
Standing there
Oh you're on the verge of a miracle
Just waiting to be believed in
Open your eyes and see
When you've played out
Your last chance
And your directions
Have all been lost
When the roads that you look down
Are all dead ends
Look up
You could see if you'd just look up
You're on the verge of a miracle
Standing there
Oh you're on the verge of a miracle
Just waiting to be believed in
Open your eyes and see
You're on the verge of a miracle
I feel like that some days - like I'm right on the edge of something amazing that God is doing - I'm just a spectator, just watching, waiting. But I think I'm ready to be a part of His revolution - and THAT is a miracle that I want to be on the verge of...
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