What do you stand for?
As we prepare for the biggest FCC retreat so far (we have more than 80 people signed up for it), it is good to think about what is worth more than gold to us. What are we called, as a church to stand up for?
Revelations 3:15-19
I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other. So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of My mouth!
You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
What is this gold that is being referred to? Is it literally gold, or does it refer to something else?
On Tuesday, we hosted an iftar for our Muslim friends. About 60 people showed up, and there were people of different faiths, and people who were non-religious. We came together to know each other better, and to show solidarity.
i believe that we are called by God to be just like the gold lacquer in the art of kintsugi – that we bind the brokenness of the world. We understand what it means to be marginalised and discriminated against because we are different. And it puts us in a place to stand up for others and speak out.
i asked my friend Mohammed Imran on Tuesday – what can we do as allies of Muslim friends? He said it shouldn’t just be the Muslims who step up to say that terrorists do not represent all Muslims. Religions are not monolithic – within each tradition there is diversity – from the radical extremists to the moderates, progressives and liberals. We know that for a fact as Christians. It is the same for other religions. So when someone says something negative about Islam and/or Muslims – we can just point out that not every single Muslim is like that. We have Muslim friends and allies who will be there at Pink Dot. Will we stand up for them, just like they did for us?
Even as we prepare for Pink Dot, let us prepare for deeper conversations with people who are different from us, people who disagree with us so that we reach a deeper understanding.
What do we stand for at FCC? We stand for love.