From the moment of Jesus’ conversation with a Samaritan woman right through the day Jesus died on a Cross, on through his Resurrection and Ascension and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, Jesus astonished us with his unpredictable goodness. As Christ’s disciples in 2015 we are now, in the world of domestic tensions and international terrorism, servants of the unpredictable goodness of Jesus Christ the Lord. That is our vocation- our calling –our mission as disciples. That’s why we have the Spirit of God- not to be politically and culturally predictable!
If we are His peacemakers in this world- then we become unpredictably good with the goodness of Jesus. This is liberating sheer goodness- redeemed spontaneous earthy goodness. In a world of predictable evil-the world where white people too often take the side of white police officers and black people too often think it is always the white officers fault we are called to redeemed spontaneous peacemaking. The unpredictable Spirit seeks to use us in predictably bad circumstances.
That means get to know the story of a black person if you are white and have never heard their story. It means get to know the story of an illegal immigrant or a Muslim if you do not know their stories. Maybe our enemies are just those people whose stories we have not heard.
In 1219 Francis of Assissi, in the middle of a battle between Christian and Islamic armies during the 5th crusade, went through enemy lines to share the Gospel with the Muslim Sultan, Al-Kamil. His predictable Christian buddies thought Francis was nuts, but he went anyway! Francis and Malik Al-Kamil talked and prayed for hours. When Francis left the Sultan begged Francis to pray for him. In 1219 Francis embodied the surprising, unpredictable peace of Jesus. Francis crossed lines the world had made in order to share a wonderful message with an enemy he loved! As simple as that!
Cross the lines; wage the peace; break the mold; say your prayers. Pray for courage to do the creative, wonderfully unpredictable work of Jesus in your world at this time. “Courage for us is nothing more than fear that has said it’s prayers! “