I’m on my way to London to meet with Christ-like leaders from around the world. We come from a variety of circumstances and social situations. Our countries of origin travel the spectrum from developed to developing to impoverished. Our government situations range from democratic to socialist to dictatorial to chaos. We come from capitalist to communist economies. Although our origins are diverse, our unity is in dependence on God the Father, our energetic faith in the Gospel of Jesus, and our love for one another.
Yesterday, the U.S. celebrated the birth of an independent nation – liberated from tyranny, and we see that no one person could have achieved this alone. Americans rightfully celebrated liberty and the ability to radically pursue their potential as people and a culture. America was liberated, ironically, because people joined around a communal cause. True freedom is a paradox. It is only in coming together that we experience independence.
People dependent on one another in the pursuit of the health of everyone will always be free and empowered to bring hope to their communities. However, when people strive for individuality in pursuit of freedom, chaos results and the door is open for tyranny. Spiritual, emotional, physical, and relational slavery always results from insistence on blind independence that denies our need for the Father and one another.
“All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.” (Acts 2:45-47)
This picture of the very first group of people to follow Jesus together is what I and all the leaders from across the globe will strive to move toward together. This group in Acts 2 was also diverse – ethically, economically, socially, and experientially. God brought them together around the most important unifier – dependence on Him and one another. These first post-resurrection followers of Jesus were eternally free and experienced it together. Because of their unity, they set the rest of the world free.
I will gladly join those who know, far greater than me, the needs of a broken world. I will depend on them to draw me into their experiences. We will find agreement in the Spirit of God so that we have agreement with one another. Our dependence on God the Father will open our eyes to how He will bring hope and healing to a divided world. Our dependence on one another, as gifts from God, will cause us to see how we will do this together.
Pray for unity. I’ll post from London so you can come on this journey with me.
Fixing what’s broken, Jim