WHERE WOULD I BE?

Pardon me for revisiting this question, but I am still wrestling with it.

If I were a nonconformist in England in the early 1600s, would I have been a pilgrim who traveled to the New World? Would I have prayed earnestly for my friends on pilgrimage? And would I have generously supported them financially? Or would I have stayed behind, too secure in my world, in spite of persecution at home, to travel? What difference would it make whether I stayed, prayed, sent or went?

If I were living in the Tristate in the 1850s, would I have put myself in harm's way as a worker in the Underground Railroad, because I was living out my firm beliefs in racial equality, or at least of racial justice? Would I at least have prayed, written editorials or books or songs about freedom? Or would I have been with the majority who secretly believed that slavery was wrong, but lived as if my own convenience was more important than that brave-but-illegal work? What difference would it make whether I stare, am in prayer, help in words, or in deeds?

Maybe I can answer by seeing my own involvement in the abortion issue. Am I silently neutral about the disposal of thousands of American citizens every day? Do I at least pray fervently for justice in our legal system and for mercy on the individual innocents? Do I vote and talk and write on the subject? Or do I perhaps take action, though perhaps illegal, for the sake of righteousness? What difference does it make whether I am silent, in prayer, voting with my words, or voting with my feet?

One more piece to this puzzle: What about injustice in Price Hill? There are many significant issues, from housing to gangs, from racial reconciliation to welfare reform, from elections to street cleanup, or simply telling my neighbors about Jesus. What I am doing here? Do I think about the issues? Do I pray for justice? Do I give and vote and talk? Or do I do? What difference does it make whether I think, pray, talk or do?

In Matthew 25, Jesus did not commend the sheep or condemn the goats based on their beliefs, or on their prayers, or on their words. The only criteria that our Lord had was their action: did they feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, house the homeless, and heal the sick?

History honors as heroes those pilgrims who went and those conductors who risked. We are not so sure about today's freedom fighters. That's probably partially because history is written by the winners, and stories of today's yet-to-be-resolved issues are written from both sides. It's probably also because we are less sure of what we believe in anymore.

In any case, my life's goal is to be among those to whom Jesus says, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter the joy of your Master." I'm not talking about legalism, oughts or shoulds here. But I am talking about obedience.
-ker