Friends,
This past week, there has been an outpouring of concern for Haiti. It is indeed important that we feel such concern and restlessness. This is the work of the Holy Spirit drawing us to be the church.[1] That is why acting upon such concern as a Fellowship is essential for our growth and maturity as believers called to be the body of Christ. It is as community that we experience the fullness of humanity created in the image of God who is Trinity.[2] Let us therefore engage in acts of service and ministry out of the love of God that manifests itself through the people of God.
Yet, there is a certain paralysis that affects us all as we read and see the immense need and fallout from this tragedy. We wonder what we can do or how we should act. Sometimes, the only thing that we can do is slump to our knees and groan, for words escape us. Maybe, such action is an important starting place. For our responsibility as the body of Christ is to embrace Haiti, share the tragedy and bear the burden of transformation and healing together in mutual accountability and love. This is incarnational living. This is transformation in Christ and a Sacramental act. Our groans and laments lay a foundation for further ministry and action; they help us remember who we are. For we are in the world to live a ministry of witness and reconciliation through the Spirit of God, and if we are not fulfilling this purpose then we are not the body of Christ.[3]
It is our task as the body of Christ to embrace Haiti through Christ and we accomplish this as a vulnerable community, whose weakness glorifies God.
“This image of planting a dead seed and raising a live plant is a mere sketch at best, but perhaps it will help in approaching the mystery of the resurrection body—but only if you keep in mind that when we’re raised, we’re raised for good, alive forever! The corpse that’s planted is no beauty, but when it’s raised, it’s glorious. Put in the ground weak, it comes up powerful. The seed sown is natural; the seed grown is supernatural—same seed, same body, but what a difference from when it goes down in physical mortality to when it is raised up in spiritual immortality!”[4]
[1] “What we are saying is that we only discover our wholeness as the body of Christ through our being in communion with others in and through Jesus Christ. Our restlessness and sense of incompleteness draws us into the body of Christ. Or, to be more exact, the Holy Spirit uses our restlessness and sense of incompleteness to draw us into this communion, through which we find our wholeness”. Jinkins, Michael. 2001. Invitation to theology. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press. Pg. 220.
[2] “God’s ideal is that human beings enjoy positive social interaction and ongoing cooperation with one another in spontaneous obedience to the will of God”. Glasser, Arthur F., and Charles Edward van Engen. 2003. Announcing the kingdom: the story of God’s mission in the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic. Pg 35.
Ray Anderson, in his book, On being Human: Essays in Theological Anthropology, Fuller Seminary Press, Pasadena CA 1982. Anderson writes, “Quite clearly the imago is not totally present in the form of individual humanity but more completely as co-humanity” (Anderson, 73). He goes on to write about the I-Thou relationship with in God and also found with in humanity. The implication of the image of God in humanity existing more completely in “co-humanity” is that the pursuit of individualism and autonomy takes us further from the encounter that is, “fundamental to the image of God” (Anderson, 74).
[3] John 15:5-7 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
[4] 1 Corinthians 15: 42-44 The Message
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