The call of God is a call to join His revolution. It is a revolution that changes this world into the world it ought to be, to transform the kingdoms of this world into the kingdom of God, to bring heaven to earth. It is a revolution that is not fought with weapons of mass destruction, bombs or guns. It is a revolution that is fought with love, hope and faith.
It is a revolution that is not about ruling but serving.
It is a revolution that is not about being first but last.
It is a revolution that is not about receiving but sacrificing.
It is a revolution that is not about the sword but the cross.
The revolution that God dreams about is a revolution that serves the least of these: the forgotten and outcasts, the disenfranchised and marginalized. It starts like a mustard seed, small and often unnoticed, but with unbelievable potential and undeniable beauty.
Here in Mainz, Germany, we’ve found that participation in this revolution can be as simple as taking baked goods to the children’s hospital. A group of us have gone multiple times to the hospital to bless people in their time of need. We want to be intentional about living out our appreciation for those who often get thanked in a moment of crisis and then are forgotten. We want the families of those children to know that they are not forgotten. We want the doctors and nurses we met to know they are appreciated and loved. The cookies were small but they were baked and distributed in great love.
We call these hours together Impact Projects. While each week we, individually, spend time in places like the city nursing home or the soup kitchen caring for those who need encouragement, we also believe that it is important to come together as a church body to bless both our city and our world.
As a church, we want to create an environment around us that both brings to our attention some of the needs of this world and offers ways to alleviate those needs in tangible and manageable ways.
Sometimes the revolution can disguise itself in a greeting card. Recently we spent time creating greetings cards that we are able to sell. All money made from these cards is being given to a micro financing institution that distributes loans to individuals, families and small businesses around the world that cannot receive financial funding from their local banks. However, with these relatively small loans, they are able to dramatically improve their standard of living and their sense of well-being. Once these loans are paid back, the investor is free to reinvest in a different project. It is a cycle of practical generosity.
Another way of participating in the revolution is by picking up trash. Our next Impact Project involves cleaning our city and freeing it from waste.
The revolution is for everyone; anyone can take part. This was demonstrated to us once again as a homeless man helped to bake for the kids in the hospital; he found something to give, somehow to participate. This is not a surprise since many homeless people are part of our community.
As a community we gather to eat. One Sunday a woman and her daughter cooked for all of us. The reason they are part of our church is because the woman was invited by one of our homeless men; she in turn invited her daughter, who brought her son.
This revolution, regardless of who we are or where we come from, connects with us at the deepest level. We are learning to love our neighbor as ourselves, and we are learning that love and the restoration of dignity come through many forms—maybe even through crafts and baked goods.
This revolution always looks, acts and loves like Jesus. God’s revolution is beautiful, indescribable and it will turn your life and this world upside down, or better yet, right side up.
Let the revolution continue.