“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors, and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to him” (Luke 4:18-19, TLB).
In 2003, I had the privilege of standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. I stood on the very spot from which Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his infamous address. With the Washington Monument looming above in the background, Dr. King delivered the words, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” With vivid imagery, Martin Luther King, Jr. painted a compelling vision of a world in which there would be no prejudice, no racism, no hatred. And, though he fell victim to a bullet from an assassin’s gun, Dr. King’s dream lived to see the end of Jim Crow laws in the South, an end to segregation in public schools, and an end to widespread lynching by the Ku Klux Klan. Today, Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision lives on.
It was the great French general, Napoleon Bonaparte who once said, “Imagination rules the world.” The emperor believed that people will give themselves to a compelling vision. Persons will allow their imaginations to be captured to the point that they will climb out of the grandstands and onto the playing field. Such dreams prompt them to say, “Sign me up. Count me in.”
I have no doubt that Jesus captured the imagination of many people that day. Jesus painted a portrait wherein the kingdom of God would be established here on earth. Jesus portrayed a vision in which every person would know that they mattered to God. A community of believers wherein everyone became willing worshippers. A haven that was saturated by so much love that people on the outside would look in with envy. A hospital where broken hearts and relationships might discover spiritual healing. A church in which every believer might be a player and not just take up space in the pew. This is Jesus’ dream for the Christian community.
Following his visit to the Korean peninsula, Bob Pierce was moved by the plight of children who were suffering. Pierce’s experience led him to pray the words, “Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.” This singular prayer led him to found Samaritan’s Purse in 1970. More than five decades later, Bob Pierce’s vision lives on.
All of which leads me to ask you, what is it that breaks your heart? For what specific task is Jesus enlisting you to extend his vision of the Kingdom? In your neighborhood? In your school? At your worksite? In your church? Where is Jesus calling you to help him fulfill his dream of changing the world?
In 2003, I had the privilege of standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. I stood on the very spot from which Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his infamous address. With the Washington Monument looming above in the background, Dr. King delivered the words, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” With vivid imagery, Martin Luther King, Jr. painted a compelling vision of a world in which there would be no prejudice, no racism, no hatred. And, though he fell victim to a bullet from an assassin’s gun, Dr. King’s dream lived to see the end of Jim Crow laws in the South, an end to segregation in public schools, and an end to widespread lynching by the Ku Klux Klan. Today, Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision lives on.
It was the great French general, Napoleon Bonaparte who once said, “Imagination rules the world.” The emperor believed that people will give themselves to a compelling vision. Persons will allow their imaginations to be captured to the point that they will climb out of the grandstands and onto the playing field. Such dreams prompt them to say, “Sign me up. Count me in.”
I have no doubt that Jesus captured the imagination of many people that day. Jesus painted a portrait wherein the kingdom of God would be established here on earth. Jesus portrayed a vision in which every person would know that they mattered to God. A community of believers wherein everyone became willing worshippers. A haven that was saturated by so much love that people on the outside would look in with envy. A hospital where broken hearts and relationships might discover spiritual healing. A church in which every believer might be a player and not just take up space in the pew. This is Jesus’ dream for the Christian community.
Following his visit to the Korean peninsula, Bob Pierce was moved by the plight of children who were suffering. Pierce’s experience led him to pray the words, “Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.” This singular prayer led him to found Samaritan’s Purse in 1970. More than five decades later, Bob Pierce’s vision lives on.
All of which leads me to ask you, what is it that breaks your heart? For what specific task is Jesus enlisting you to extend his vision of the Kingdom? In your neighborhood? In your school? At your worksite? In your church? Where is Jesus calling you to help him fulfill his dream of changing the world?