A Christianity that doesn’t demonstrate a willingness to lay your life down for your neighbor, has no power and potency in today’s world. The world is longing to see true love, compassion and grace manifested and displayed. The world can, and should despise a lukewarm Christianity. One that says it follows the crucified Jesus, but in deed shrinks back into nationalistic security above abandoning itself into self sacrifice like him. 

The world can’t help but marvel at humility and sacrifice. It may despise it in the moment of it’s demonstration. Its counter intuitiveness will confront our deep seeded selfishness. But history will fondly honor sacrifice over sheer dominance. 

The Church needs to decide what kind of power she wants to draw from. What source of strength do we consider most alluring? Power rooted in chariots (military), banks/institutions (wall street), status (celebrity) is really no power at all. That power will always give the illusion of stability and provide temporary security. This is not the power that raised Jesus from the dead. 

Resurrection power requires crucifixion commitment. You can’t be raised from the dead if you aren’t willing to lay your life down. You won’t lay your life down if you protect it at all costs. Resurrection power is what Jesus offers us. Resurrection power is what the world truly needs. 

That power can heal Aleppo. That power can heal Pyongyang. That power can heal Ferguson. That power can heal Somalia. That power can revive a slumbering church who has lost its fire. 

The fire rages, but not in the ways we’re so often attracted to. It rages out of a kind of Love that sacrifices and stoops. It looks like pulling babies out of rubble and it looks like forgiving the prison guard who’s tortured you yet again. 

The human heart, no matter how corrupt, doesn’t stand a chance when it’s confronted by that kind of power. If only we would be brave enough to walk in Jesus’ footsteps. If only we would put him ahead of every other source of power. If only I would place all my confidence that his way is truly worth building my life around. 

What a beautiful world that might be?