The Third World War, Terror

[HKHaugan]

The New War, Terror

Terror, political terror dressed in religious garb, confronts us right now. We are hammered every day with its reality. What do we do about it especially as disciples of Jesus?

There are three questions that hold the answer to what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in a fear driven world. Now that the media; TV, newspapers and magazines; actively swamp us with stories of terror, crime, riots and chaos, our world has become a tidal backwash of survival anxiety. How do disciples of Jesus witness in an environment that keeps people angry, distrustful, suspicious, frightened, divided, frustrated, alienated and impulsively over-reacting? We turn to the example our Lord set in His life on earth. The first question leads us to the next two.

Where did Jesus spend 99% of His time?
Where was Jesus leading the disciples to spend 99% of their time?
Where is Jesus calling us to spend 99% of our time?

These questions have to do with what we as Christians are really all about every day, bringing Jesus into everything we think and do. Allowing the world's constant political controversies to influence, define and identify us distracts us from our personal mission to bring Jesus into every next moment because that is what transforms the institutions under whose authority we live. If we get all worked up in fighting distant figures and problems, 'straw men', second and third hand suppositions and speculation, it only allows sin to reign in the mind and heart and our energy is wasted in frustration and despair. That's when we get distracted from our real and local mission.

So let's turn to the first of the three questions we started with: “Where did Jesus spend 99% of His time?”

As we read the 4 Gospels it seems Jesus spent 99% of His time with people totally conscious of His Father's will in that time. Jesus' mission was personal. Jesus was concerned with the individual heart in each person He met. Like in the disciples He chose, then the people in the towns and countryside He traveled. They were the objects of His mission and that mission was to their individual mind, heart and spirit. He was following His Father's will to bring everyone He met back to Him and that He was the way, the truth and the life (Jn.14:6). Jesus showed that where the heart is, there is world in that person and if Jesus is allowed into that world it becomes one with God, the Father's desire. Consequently, Jesus never picketed, led a military campaign against Rome nor did He start a political, social or local revolution. His mission was a spiritual, personal and relational mission to the individual human heart.

Next, “Where was Jesus leading the disciples to spend 99% of their time?”

Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men (Mt.4:19).” And, after He had caught their attention, they were to catch the hearts of others to being them to be together in Jesus. Jesus' mission was relational. To emphasize His relational goal He told them, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you (Jn.15:12).” Through His death and after His Resurrection they would become His spiritual body, a relational spiritually gifted family, to witness to the truth, love and grace that was Him.

Finally, “Where is Jesus calling us to spend 99% of our time?”

“Go into all the world and while you are on the way, make disciples for me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth (Mt.28:18-20).” Let's parallel where those four places are for us, Jerusalem is where we live 99% of our time with family, friends and people we run into while we are on the way from one place to another. The next three places may be part of that 1%, like Judea being the places where we work, travel and business carries us. Samaria may be where we are called to share Jesus in an area of town we are not necessarily familiar with but the ethnicity, economic and social standing are different. The 'uttermosts' are when we get called to be missionaries or find ourselves briefly in another culture. But in all four it is our relational mission to be a disciple of Jesus sharing Him both in word and action.

There is one more thing of vital importance. What do we do when the world of terror, fear and ignorance seeps over into our world? That will be either 0% or part of the 1% when you consider the actual time involved in that kind of intrusion. This is when you, as a discipled citizen stand up and be counted. Turn to the authorities that govern your world and call upon them to do their duty, “For he is God's servant to do you good...he does not bear the sword for nothing (Rom.13:4).”. Be sure you name the terror, its source and, if possible, the actual intruders. In our recent experience it is Muslim sourced and identified. It is not only in America, it is in every corner of the world and needs to be dealt with as such. If there is an immediate threat to you then pray and defend yourself as a witness to the Lord who is in you. If the threat is outside to your community and nation then you do what citizens do, they pummel their governing representatives with letters and calls to act. Make them aware of the threat and be persistent and consistent. Be alert to what is happening in your neighborhood and be willing to report any unusual behavior and activity. Remember the basic scriptural definition of government is to promote peace and punish evildoers (1Pet.2:13-17).

Again, don't let anxiety eat you alive. Put on the armor of God (Eph.6:10-18). The devil is doing his best to distract us with his spirit of fear from what the Lord is calling us to be, where we spend 99% of our time. He plays on our fears. Where we spend 99% of our time, that is the location of our mission. Spend the other 1% praying for closeness with Jesus, searching the Word in the Spirit, loving one another in the Body and seeking the Lord's will as you move about in the world outside you in every next moment.