As we daily watch the fires of discontent, fear, discouragement, worry, disappointment rage seemingly out of control, the world is looking pantingly for something and someone to make it all go away so we can get back to the business of simply living. In this cauldron that boils more caustically it seems with each passing day, each of us are feeling the creeping sense of un-fixablity climbing up our spine with some wanting to run, some wanting to fight, some bewildered and some lifting this whole mess to God for His guidance and direction. Greater and greater numbers of our world's village members are seeing clearly that America is no longer the beat cop, the fixer, the make-things-right instrument and the eraser of vile dictators. That America, it is seeming more and more to much of the world, is gone and perhaps never to be seen again in our post WWII world.
As the world watched the horror of Ferguson, that sense of helplessness and disdain regardless of which side you chose to take was incessant and escalating. If you had a racially charged gene in your body, that gene was brought to a boil through that continuing struggle for it represented a fissure in our society that has been there for far too many decades but it is there; the cancer of racism.
Suicide rates in our nation and in our world are appalling but they do not get the attention of the camera lights and politicians for it is a subject best kept out of view. The greatest gift God gives is the gift of life and someone in the depths of despair too easily become only a statistic but for the families of those from whom the gift was taken. There is a current article on CNN.COM that indicates that annually, 800,000 people take their own lives each year; nearly a million people --- let that soak it for moment. I know in my ten years of university teaching to roughly seven thousand students, I had to deal with ten students that faced that great wall of question as to why a parent, a sibling, a friend chose to kill themselves. The scars are never erased!
These last days have been very hectic for me but a primary focus has been in final preparations for a concert tomorrow evening. With so many details to be chased down and pulled into a plan, the information above kept roiling in my head. The increasing sense of helplessness and anger grows even in me personally for I a "fixer" which those that know me will too quickly agree and affirm. In seeing the size and complexity of the world, God's Creation, corrupt and worsen via poor leadership, bad habits, societal decay and become more and more Godless in view, in thought and in deed, a video of a Gaither Homecoming blasted that away for me in a melt of tears three nights ago. The link at the head of the blog was a spiritual catharsis for me as I watched and internalized the great message of, Burdens are Lifted at Calvary. If you have not watched that link yet, please go up and watch and listen to the powerful message of that song wonderfully delivered to a lost and dying world.
That personal moment with God through an unstoppable flow of tears took me to a place too long I had not ventured which was to the amazing truth that with all the chaos Man can create, for the Christian, truly, every burden can and will be lifted through that shed blood of our Christ on that cross at Calvary. Since that time several hours ago, my approach to the concert tomorrow night shifted from logistics, music, details and hopes for a good crowd to the fundamental truth that where two or more are gathered together in Jesus' name, He will be there! Those are not my words, those are words from Scripture that in a moment became more real and rich to me personally. So all the planning, order of service, flow was thrown out the window and the approach for the labor of tomorrow night changed, for me, to creating a worship experience for those God will lead to wanting to be a part of the worship experience. For me through the transition for tomorrow evening, that great old hymn became the spark plug for the change. I will now lead the congregation God will gather in singing that great song which will hopefully create an umbrella of calm, peace and togetherness that night. So I know, now, the time in singing will not be singing but rather another means of worship and praise to our Creator.
When all of this was flowing through my brain via my heart, I found myself less tense, less intense and more focused on seeking God's direction on all the pieces and parts for the architecture for tomorrow evening. I cannot wait to get to be part of this time with many that I believe can and will create an atmosphere to trigger personal revival in those that will come and that will take that ember of revival to their homes, churches and lives to expand that ember into full scale returning to God and God alone. Yes, I believe God has made some core things more crystal clear to me in my own life through this last 72 hour journey than ever before so how could I not be excited to see what God will do; and He will and I get to be a part of it! WOW!!!
So as the title of this blog indicates or questions, there is but one leader and that leader is not named Obama, Kasich or Williams; that leader is God and my prayer and my hope is that each of you that read this, that join us tomorrow evening for the concert, will choose to follow Christ is a more compelling way than ever before and therefore we will get our egos, or drives or hunger for more out of the way to allow God's Will for each of our lives to be so clear that we get up each morning with this unmistakable sense of awe and wonder!
And as that great old song ends, Jesus is very Near!
I believe this particular blog, for me, captures a place where my heart is in a most unique and glorifying way! And it feels great so join me at this cool stream of water that only God can create for Man can only muddy those waters.
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