There are many forces at work in our world today. The dynamics of cultures, personalities, nature, politics, technology and faith make our path hard to decipher. Many of us seek easy answers, but those seldom come. Instead we are forced to reject the world that is defined by those around us and seek after a Christ-centered view of our world.
Truth is not what it seems . . .
When we begin to look at the world through a Godly perspective, we realize that the world we thought we knew is simply a tangle of half truths and dead ends. So it is fitting that the first full day of the Lausanne Congress focused on the topic of Truth. Read Krish Kandiah and Justin Long’s account of these discussions. It is so encouraging to see how Christ’s Church is affirming God’s truth in these difficult times. This first day will set the stage for many key discussions on the topics that the church faces.
But today’s discussions got me thinking. Are there other areas where our world views and misinterprets what the Church is about? I think it happens all the time. So many times the Church and the Truth we stand for is defined by the tools and views of those around us.
Community is not what it seems…
Andrew Jones shared a wonderful thought on his blog today. He noticed that if you follow @capetown2010 on twitter or our Fan Page on Facebook you will think that this Lausanne event is all about the major speakers. However, he rightly reframes the event around the small 6-person tables where some of the most important discussions are happening. I am a part of the social media team. I love these tools and believe they are playing a key role in Cape Town 2010, but many times they lack the context to showcase what Andrew describes. Read his post here.
The Church is not what it seems…
Peter Houston wrote a blog about how little press coverage Lausanne has received in comparison with the World Cup or other global events. He asks the question, should we care or is that exactly how we should expect the world to treat the things of God that they do not yet really understand. Read his post here.
Success is not what it seems . . .
Finally, I think about the Chinese delegation that was not able to come to Cape Town 2010 this year (or for the last meeting in Manila). In a world where we want to define success based on our rights and freedoms, our biggest concern for our Chinese brothers is for them to be allowed to join the Congress. But I love how Mr. Morley Lee, General Secretary of The Chinese Coordinating Center of World Evangelization, reframed the issue in light of the Kingdom, 'We are shocked that the China participants cannot join the Congress, but we are blessed by their peaceful and calm trust in God,’ he said. ‘We believe God still sits on His throne and that “He works all things for the good of those who love Him.’’’ Read the official Lausanne statement on the missing Chinese delegation here.
What might God do through this inconvenience to further His Kingdom? We must trust that there is much more to this story that we may only know in Heaven.
I love this quote from the Chinese delegation’s open letter, “As Christians, we love God and we love our country. We earnestly long for a China with love, justice and peace. We hope every Chinese will love one another without considering the status. We look forward to a China where God’s sunlight of love shines everywhere. We are thirsty for a China where justice rolls on like a river and righteousness like a never-failing stream. We hope peace no longer just remains a hope but becomes a reality in this land.”
How is God reframing your world as you discover His Truth, His community, His Church, and His definition of success?