Pain of the world

One of the things I like about our church is that we are endeavoring to reach out to those around us - outside the four walls of our church.

We participate in City Church - in downtown Chicago (providing a meal once a month).

We participate in the PASS ministry.

We participate in RFKC.

The list goes on.

At Stone Church - we are concerned - not only about what takes place on our campus - but what takes place in the world.

What goes on the world is our responsibility.

The hunger of the poor, the plight of the disadvantaged, the immense human suffering we hear about from all directions is not something that we put to the side and pick up whenever we think about it.

It is continually to be a part of what we do.

Understandably, many people say, "Wow, I have enough problems of my own; do not bother me with the problems of the world.  Just making it from day to day in my family, my city, my work is huge enough."

I get that.  Some days, outside of God, even the smallest burdens we bear can pull us down spiritually, emotionally, even physically.

Yet, we cannot ignore or live in ignorance of what is taking place around us.

Here's what I know:  God loves everyone in the world.  God is especially attracted to the disadvantaged - and so should we.

When we minister to people nobody wants, God will send us people everyone wants.

Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light," but the burden of Jesus includes, I would suggest, the burden of people around the globe.

When Jesus invites us to carry "His burden", he invites us to carry the burden of the world as well.

And at the end of the day - after we have ministered, we realize it is no burden at all.

Just a thought for a Tuesday.