Revelation 3:
15-22: I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you
were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold
nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. For you
say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that
you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel
you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white
robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen;
and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. I
reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. Listen!
I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I
will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. To
the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself
conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Let
anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”
I recently had a good deal of dental surgery done in the
city, which required my taking many cabs back and forth from the Endodontist’s
office. I enjoy talking to cab drivers around here, because we are a very
international area and most drivers have fascinating stories to tell. Three of
my drivers stand out in my mind. The first one had a PhD in Sociology and was
from Nigeria. He is here in the U.S.A. writing a book on the negative influences
Western infiltration is having on the African culture. I learned much about the
meaning of all missionaries’ warning, “Do no harm.” He spoke passionately about
the traditions, tribal life and can-do spirit which is dying do the amount of
aide and assistance being offered. He said many African nations now rely too
much on help and not enough on their own abilities.
My second driver was from the city itself, and spoke
passionately about our current quarterback situation. He knew statistics, the
history of the team, the nature of the injury that is plaguing the quarterback
and a million and one reasons why our team cannot make it to the Super Bowl. He
spends every Sunday in front of the television watching all the teams he can so
he can figure out his team’s chances against them.
My third driver was from Ethiopia. We spoke about
religion since he had head- rest covers with large crosses on a background of
his country’s flag. He gave me a complete history of the persecution and
bigotry people suffered in his country for so long when all religions but one
were banned. He spoke passionately about the need to keep religious freedom
alive and well in this country, how we all must respect each others’ religions
, but as he witnessed and lived first- hand, the government must allow all
people to follow their hearts and consciences on matters of faith.
Did you catch the word I repeated over again in each
description. Passionately. They spoke passionately about the thing
closest to their hearts, whether it was the good of their people, the good of
their team, or the good of their soul, they spoke passionately. They knew what
they were talking about. They had their facts straight and had first-hand
knowledge of the topic. They loved their country, team, faith. They were not
afraid to share their passion with me, and I admired them and listened
carefully to everything they said. I wanted to hear more. I wanted to learn
from them. Their enthusiasm and passion were contagious.
Can we say that about our approach to our faith? If we
were to share it with others, would we know what we were talking about? Would
our love for it spill out into every word and facial expression? Would our listener want to know
more because of our love for our faith and our knowledge of it? I think because
we have never really had to defend our faith, or suffer for it, as my one
driver has done, we take it for granted and basically leave it alone. We have
faith; it serves us when we need it. If it gets in the way of what we want to
do we can rationalize it away. We feel we know all we need to know about it,
and sometimes don’t even care if we ever learn more or grow in our love for
God.
Our reading tells us that God is displeased with this
kind of mentality. He wants us to be passionate, like my drivers. One has
studied, analyzed and concluded, and is now ready to share his passion with the
world in his book. One spends countless hours watching, studying and listening
to everything he can so that he can be an informed football source. One has
lived through horror and freedom and knows the value of the latter, and speaks
passionately about the need to keep it alive.
We must become passionate people, not complacent.
Complacency eventually leads to indifference, and indifference leads to
laziness, and lazy people are easily manipulated. Let’s start today to study
more, pray more and become passionate about our faith. Then let’s do as my
drivers’ do, and set the world on fire with our passion, one person at a time.
