Thursday, April 01, 2021

Moderator’s Musings

by Blaine Miner

As I think about extending charity, I initially think of my response to Jesus’ teachings to care for the least of my children. I then think of the idea of charity and doing good. I do not think of the risk involved in giving or doing good works.

I realized in our Christian walk, our faith involves a lot of risk. Jesus taught about counting the cost. Be prepared to see things through to the end and make sure you have what is needed to see the task through. Do we ask ourselves the question of what it will cost? What are the ramifications of our actions?

I started reading, “The Time is Now: A Call to Uncommon Courage,” written by Sister Joan Chittister. In her chapter titled, Risk, she writes her memory of a guided meditation. The leader led her to imagine the setting in the time of Jesus’ ministry. She finds Jesus teaching, healing, and visiting. As Jesus mingles from group to group, he stops and looks at her, as she is on the fringe of the crowd, and asks, ”What will you do for these—simply stand there looking on?”

We have completed Lent and Easter. When I think of what God intended for his creation, I cannot help but think of the risk he took by first having his son come to us as an infant, then how Jesus’ ministry led to his arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.

Sr. Chittister asserts that the prophets we read were common people. They responded to the voice of God to speak out about injustices, unrighteous living, and failure to attend to the widowed, the fatherless, and the foreigner. The prophets in their time were not high on the list of people admired by the ruling class.

As we examine our walk with Christ, are we truly seeking the mind of Christ? In the book, “My Utmost for His Highest,” Rev. Oswald Chambers writes in his March 30th devotion that our prayers need to be part of our worship. If we are demanding that God do things our way, our hearts are hardened. We are void of compassion if we have not sought the mind of Christ regarding those we pray for.

If we are truly an Easter people, what risks will we take in order to extend charity to the ones Jesus called least?