Serving like Jesus

Much of what we learned today as part of our service project was hard to hear. It would have been easier to be outside in the heat and humidity swinging a hammer than to listen to the truths that were shared with us today in Professor Hill's presentation on racism in New Orleans before, during, and after Katrina. One man who was part of our service group had a particularly tough time dealing with what was shared. Following Professor Hill's presentation, I overheard him speaking to one of his small group members (they were sitting directly behind me) about what Professor Hill had said. It was pure rubbish. I became so angry sitting there listening to that man, my brother in Christ, talk about the displacement of poor black people in New Orleans following Katrina, also my brothers and sisters in Christ, and how doing away with their communities was what the white people had to do to prevent the mayor of New Orleans from creating a "chocolate city." I have never been so offended or so ashamed in my life: offended by the ignorance and hatred he communicated, and ashamed that a fellow Christian, called to do God's work with his own hands would behave in such a fearful, unchristian way while serving as a representative of the Church and as an advocate for justice in the City. Yet, as angry as I was, what did I do? Nothing.

My own fear prevented me from serving like Jesus at a time when it was critical that I do so. After all, the youth attending this Gathering with me are looking to me to be a model of Christian living and discipleship and when it mattered the most, I did nothing. Our service project might have been the hardest of them all, and when I had the opportunity to serve by advocating for justice and providing a voice for the voiceless, I did nothing. Serving like Jesus is not easy. It requires a great deal of courage and faith to take a stand for what is just. It means emptying one's self as Christ did so that our own fears, prejudices, and insecurities don't stand in the way of God's work in and through us. And, when sin gets in the way as it always does, it means trusting in God's promises to bring life out of that which is dead, to plan over sin for good.

In my failure, God was present opening the eyes of our youth to see that their pastor is human and is as bound to sin as they. It provided us with the opportunity to talk about the decision I made and the circumstances surrounding it. It allowed the youth to have a first-hand look at a real-world instance of Christian decision-making and to process together what they and I could have done differently in that situation. We are all better-prepared advocates for God's justice, mercy, and love now than we were at the beginning of the day. At the end of the day, what more can you ask for?