Pastor's Pen: ¡Viva la revolución!

Twenty years ago, I stood in the sanctuary of New Harrisburg Presbyterian Church in Carrollton, Ohio, to be ordained as a Minister of Word & Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church USA. On that occasion, a former pastor of mine preached about revolution. However, this revolution was more than political. The kingdoms of this world will cower before the coming Kingdom of God -- “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Frankly, I cannot remember exactly what was said, but I knew that my ordination was a big deal. In fact, I got the impression that my part in this revolution was to be significant. To be honest, that might have been more my perception than the preaching itself. Twenty years later, I can offer a few observations from the front lines.

The victory is assured. I still have faith and confidence in that. Nonetheless, the principalities and powers are still at work. The kings of this earth still conspire against the Lord and his Anointed. The last twenty years of ministry have not been a full-frontal assault on the forces of darkness. Instead, it’s been years of resistance. C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, describes the fight in this way.

“Enemy-occupied territory—that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”

In 1944, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) created the Simple Sabotage Field Manual, intending to distribute it to allies in danger of Nazi occupation. What made the manual so interesting was its modesty. If you’ve never worked with explosives, the author warns, now is not the moment to let your romantic notions of rebellion carry you away. Instead, the spy handbook advises readers to do simple, small acts. Leave tools in the wrong place. Clog machines, including toilets. Hamper decisions by referring them to committees “for further study and consideration.”

Our acts of Christian sabotage are of a different kind. We open a door for a stranger. We provide a meal for a neighbor in need. We offer a listening ear. We pray every time we hear a siren. We share a bible verse by email. We complete a thousand acts of kindness and love in the name of Jesus Christ.

As a pastor, I have special opportunities for Christian sabotage. I am often invited into the most intimate of settings: Births, weddings, sick rooms, and gravesides. At those moments, we realize that there is more in heaven and earth than is dreamt of in our philosophy. I have the opportunity to witness to the larger reality of God and God’s love in Jesus Christ. My special tools for the resistance include preaching the Word, baptizing believers and their children, breaking the bread, and sharing the cup.

The Grand Canyon was created by the dripping of water over millennia. My part in the Savior’s revolution is about consistency and constancy. Over time, each drip of grace creates the change we desire. The revolution continues. ¡Viva la revolución!