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Religious: An Invitation
Reverend Sharon McRann
for South Peace News
The other day I received an invitation. The invitation I received was
based on something that Jesus is reported to have said:
“You’re here to be
salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth...You’re here to be
light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be
kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.”
The invitation I received was to explore and discover what those words
mean for us today and to take seriously Jesus' challenge - invitation - call -
demand (choose your word) to bring out the God-flavors and God-colors in the
world today.
My invitation was to join a group who would specifically focus on this
particular task. Today I want to extend this invitation to you.
I want to
invite you to work each day at bringing out the God flavors and God colors in
the place in which you live.
One important task is to offer prayer to God each day. Prayer can take
various forms. We can use words and speak our prayers to God, or we can sit
quietly and listen for God’s voice to guide us. Prayer can also take the form
of pure thankfulness at the awesome wonder of God’s creation. You don’t even
have to be particularly good at it or have exactly the right words to say...you
just have to be with God in reverence and awe.
Another task is to support one another in our pursuit of knowledge.
Each of us is called to learn that which is most significant to our lives at
this particular moment and to share that learning or knowledge with others.
I invite you to discover new ways to follow Jesus’ call to “be
compassionate as God is compassionate.” What does it mean to be compassionate?
Jesus lived his life being compassionate...not judgmental.
We are called to do
the same. Truly, compassion is what love is all about!
The invitation is also to celebrate the goodness of life in community
with laughter, song, playfulness and worship.
We can usually find various ways
in which to share spontaneously in laughter and playfulness with one another,
however sharing in song and in worship are activities that we have to make a
conscious effort to do. Worship is important...it is something that we can do
to praise God in community with other like minded people. I think of the
passage, “Where two or more are gathered, there I am also.”
If we are earnest about reading and discerning who Jesus is, we will
discover that he was all about justice. By that I don’t mean punishment and
retribution, but rather distribution, compassion and understanding.
We are
called to discover ways to pursue God’s passion for justice on earth.
We are invited to be more diligent in reading and studying the Bible for
inspiration and guidance. We can do this alone and in the company of others.
This invitation to be salt-seasoning and light in the world also
includes the invitation to become more conscientious about how we use our
resources of talents, time, money, and property. We are called to be good
stewards of God’s wonderful creation.
I truly believe that God is not a secret to be kept, and surprisingly
perhaps, I like the challenge to go, “public with this, as public as a city on a
hill.” Won’t you join me?
Let those of us who believe in God’s relevance join
together in a concentrated effort to live a Christ-like life and to let God’s
name be known to a world that sometimes seems to have forgotten God altogether.
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