THE WINDS OF CHANGE?

I guess it should have been a warning when the results of my psychological examination for acceptance into the UMC pastorate pegged me as a "rebel." When I heard that, I laughed wholeheartedly, because, as anyone who knows me can testify, I am generally pretty laid-back and submit to the authorities that God has placed above us.

But, for some reason, a very rebellious streak has risen in me lately. For the past two weeks, I have been called on the carpet in my secular job several times for bucking the system and going "outside the chain-of-command." It revolved around a couple of issues that I felt strongly about and where I felt the senior leadership had failed to live up to their requirements. I forced the issue and got taken to task for it.

Then, I found myself led to preach a sermon on the issue of illegal immigrants in the country and what the Christian response should be. Once again, I found myself standing up against popular opinion and against what our leadership (at least in the Congressional House of Representatives) felt was the right course of action.

I'm not sure what is causing this or where this is leading. For the past few months, I have felt a passion for defending the cause of the oppressed and for standing up against injustice and unrighteousness where I see it displayed. I mentioned to my wife on a couple of occasions that if my life situation was different, I could see myself serving in Iraq because I felt strongly in favor of supporting the freedoms that were being established over there. I was reading the Voice of the Martyr's magazine last night, and I felt that stirring again as I read of how persecuted Christians were standing up against injustice and for the cause of Christ in their lands, despite the fact that Christianity was not legal in their countries. I wanted to do more than just read about it. I wanted to help. I wanted to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my brothers and sisters and defend their cause.

On the way home today I was listening to Adventures in Odyssey, the kid's radio show put out by Focus on the Family (OK, I have to confess, I am addicted to this kid's show and listen to it daily). This episode was about the start of the revolution in America and about the true role of Paul Revere in the conflict. As I listened to the story I became caught up in it. I wanted to be Paul Revere, in the sense that I wanted to stand up for something that was right and that was bigger than myself. I wanted to be the one who stood on the front lines, doing whatever was necessary to fight against injustice and oppression. It struck me as I listened to this story that the men and women in that day did just that. Even though it was illegal to stand up against the King of England, they did it, because it was the right thing to do.

So, where is all of this headed? I simply don't know. I feel like we are on the cusp of a mighty change in this country and in this world. What that change will be and the course it will place us on, I don't know. I just pray that God gives me the wisdom to discern His will in the days to come and that I will be strong enough to stand in the face of injustice and oppression if that is what I am being called to do.