Email, Facebook and Twitter vs. The Power of God

I'm stepping up on my soapbox today.  Give me space and give me leniency.

I get lots of emails and Facebook messages and a few tweets wanting me to forward on some new thing that people are in an uproar about.  It makes me want to scream.  Instead, I have refused to forward them or reply to them.  I have refused to jump on the "outrage of the moment" bandwagon.  Does that make me a good person?  Nope.  In fact, maybe I should jump on the bandwagon but every time I get one of those there is this thought inside my head saying "do something more."


Here's the deal.  I read John 14:15 and it says "If you love me, you will pass along emails complaining about what someone you don't agree with is doing."  Whoops, hang on.  I messed up because it says "If you love me, you will keep my commands."  Now, I don't remember the commands to forward emails or Facebook statuses and then sit back at the water cooler and talk about why the world is going to hell in a handbasket.  I do remember "go" and "give" and "make disciples" and some things that had Jesus out doing, not passing along scrolls.  I suppose he could have had God write out some rules and then sit in the temple courts and ask people if they had read it and to forward it on...but He didn't.  Instead, He served.


I don't think emails, Facebook and Twitter have the power to win the world for Christ but I think service does.  My friends who work at WARM touching the hungry and the poor live in that power.  My friends who work up at Gear Up live in that power.  People I know who move into neighborhoods that are poor and drug-infested and crime-infested so they can model Jesus to rough characters live in that power.  People I know who go into prisons sharing the Good News live in that power.  People I know who do simple acts of kindness to the hurting live in that power.  People who encourage others live in that power.


I want live more deeply and more rooted in that power, the power that speaks volume in actions towards the disenfranchised of this world, the hungry and the poor, the hurting and the lost - not because my actions are anything - but because the love for God and love of God that provokes those actions can change and heal hearts.


An email, a status update, a tweet won't mean diddly until the whole world sees the power of God's love played out in the lives of service of His children.


God, give me your eyes to see what you see and the understanding to go where you would have me go and the courage to do what you want me to do.


Grace and peace to you.