On July 31st, 1917, the Allied Forces launched a ten day artillery bombardment using 3,000 heavy guns and 4,250,000 shells. Canadians are inspired by the story of Passchendaele where a relatively few band of brothers, Canadian soldiers, fought, bled and died in what was, many agree, a stupid, wasted war (as perhaps all wars are), believing themselves to be securing many of the freedoms and a new sense of national identity that we too often have taken for granted. Of all the Allied armies, the Canadians were most feared by the enemy. The Germans coined the phrase ‘storm-trooper’ to refer to us.
Remember how in the awful events of September 2001 New York fireman rushed in and up the stairs of the Twin Towers while others were rushing out? – entering in to save the lives of others while, quite understandably, office-workers were scurrying out to save their own. And, have you read of those heroic souls in the early Church who remained in, or actually journeyed to villages and cities, to care for those suffering deadly plague, which often resulted in the loss of their own lives.
In a day of economic downturn and shrinking budgets, of tired workers and flagging loyalties, how may churches with flagging zeal and resources respond to the challenges we face? We have biblical examples of God’s provision and of God’s People's faithful resolve and fruitful responses. There is a Gospel wisdom that shines through the (almost) planned obscurity of some of Jesus' parables that reveal that there may be other ways of communicating truth than through normally trusted, clear and logical precepts. In the Old Testament we find the Gideon story in which God kept sending home large numbers of Israel’s troops, culling the army down to the relatively few 300, a then-strategic, wise and faith-filled group of fighting men. There is a littleness, a weakness, a hiddeness, a ‘cracked-clay-vessel’ approach in which God’s purposes still get done (or normally get done in the greater Real of the spiritual realm). Gospel people appreciate these upsidedown strengths and realities of God's Rule so that they do not despair in such times. Inspired and enabled by God Himself, they rise to such challenges, see them even as opportunities, even though their numbers have been reduced and their seems to be only scant, meagre resources at hand.
Jesus pointed to the potency of tiny mustard seeds and the leavening power of wee bits of yeast. He revealed a God who ‘keeps score differently’ – who celebrates the sacrificial, miniscule contribution of faithful widows, in contrast the large (but ‘no sweat’) contributions of wealthy Pharisees.
Whether or not we have dreamed of winning a lottery, haven’t we all wished God would somehow grant us more dollars so we could bless the ministry of our church?. We could always do more with more, But God shows us that sometimes we can do more with less.
How does God us to do what we must, and more, in these times? With passion for the ‘missio Dei’ and in a desire to increase our loving service to our neighbour, how can we ‘lean into’ the times when others are leaning away from them. Many of us have experienced financial decline and even ruin in the downtown of world markets. Perhaps we are winded by uncertain markets, fearful of even further economic down-turn. The budgets of churches and Christian ministries have taken a hit and we have fewer dollars (discretionary and otherwise) to share. How will we look after our own families, churches and ministries let alone respond to the needs of others? Surely we have to curb our ministry expenditures; others will just have to look after themselves.
But these are the very times when others need our help. People are stunned by their own present economic realties. Many are depressed; some are homeless, starving, almost suicidal. They need our practical love, the ministry of our churches, our sharing of resources, even more? Can we cut back when they need us more?
Can we not be more imaginative in how, where and when we spend our shrinking resources? Can we at least give more ‘in kind’ – perhaps more of our time, our passion and creativity? Can we in other ways make shrinking dollars spread-out to close gaps between income and expenditures?
Some of us have lost thousands of dollars – perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars. It may have been ‘just on paper’ and we never really held it in our hands. It was faithfully, sacrificially set aside over the years, perhaps intended as retirement security or for that trip. But our security has been eroded. We might just as well have invested, and perhaps we still may, those dollars in more overt ‘Kingdom purposes,’ making eternal investments in the promise of heavenly rewards?
What if Jesus meant it when he talked of the lilies of the field that do not labour and the birds that do not spin – and of the Father’s similar concern and care for each of us? What if we’ve explained away, as mere advice or opinion, his command to: ‘take no thought for the morrow? Or, changing the metaphor, what if we ‘cast our bread on the water’ and faithfully, patiently waited to see its promised return?
What blessings await those who give themselves to our Lord and others in new and risky ways, who perhaps through utter abandonment, trust and give more away? What if these times give new opportunity for believers to show that they do indeed believe, in the faithfulness of God and in His provision precisely in such times. Joining still in Kingdom work and trust in such times, what if, with increased faith and ecstatic abandonment to God, we gave more?
