By The Numbers

I have a confession to make. I love the church, and I love Jesus. I suppose those are good things, especially for one who is serving as a pastor of a Christian Church. But sometimes this causes me great sadness. Well, not so much sadness as heartache. Or, on a good day, it gets me excited.

You see, I recently read that 50% of people living in Southeastern Iowa do not have a religious affiliation; they are “religiously unclaimed”. That percentage is also the national average. It would seem that half of the people in this nation (and in my neighborhood) are not meaningfully connected with the body of Christ. I suppose I could have guessed as much, but this statistic starkly confronts me with reality.

And what are people who love the church and love Jesus doing in response to such a reality? Too often, we – me included – are not doing or saying much. I am indicted. Here comes into play my sadness and heartache. I hurt to think that many people are needlessly suffering from isolation, anxiety, bondage, and fear, apart from the hope of Jesus Christ and the ministry of his church. It grieves me to hear that so many people do not know the love, freedom, life, and grace of God through Jesus Christ.

Now the question is: will this reality excite me enough to open my mouth and extend my hand to do something about it? Can I speak to the people around me, not in condemnation, but with invitation and testimony? “Let me tell you what God has done for me!” (Can we articulate what God has done for us??) This is not a time for complacency. This is a time for compassion and boldness. May God give us a fire in our bones which will not allow us to keep silent.