More than platitudes

By Daniel Vestal
Feb. 3, 2012

BLESS GOD AND TAKE COURAGE

Baptists have already begun to celebrate the bicentennial of a grand missionary movement. Two hundred years ago this month Adoniram and Ann Judson sailed for India as Congregationalist missionaries. Later in the year they were both baptized in Calcutta as Baptists. This gave rise to the formation of the General Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States for Foreign Missions in 1814 (Triennial Convention). The subtitle of Rosalie Hunt’s biography of Judson is “Bless God and Take Courage” because it was something of his motto and mantra for life.

In reading Hunt’s book I have been reminded of the courage and conviction of the Judsons. They were truly “heroic” in every sense of the word. Their response to God’s call, their concern for those without Christ, their willingness to sacrifice, their endurance of unbelievable hardship is apostolic in nature. They inspire us to be courageous in our time and compassionate for our world. Rather than giving so much attention to problems, and complaining about limited resources and lamenting the changes in culture, let us follow the example set before us to “bless God and take courage.”

THE KINGDOM OF GOD, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

Recently one of our returning CBF field personnel from Afghanistan spoke to the staff in our weekly worship using this phrase as his theme. He gave example after example of his daily ministry in a war torn country. What struck me about his report was the fact that his engagement with people was much like what I should be doing here on a daily basis. Even though he was in a difficult and dangerous environment, very different from my own, he was forming friendships, praying with believers, meeting human needs and making disciples. His witness was cross cultural, incarnational and holistic. He showed pictures of children studying, new converts being baptized, friends eating together and people living their lives in the midst of conflict.

I was impressed by the “naturalness” of his demeanor as he talked about giving a Christian book to a seeker and his laughing with friends. I was humbled as I heard him speak of sorrow and suffering because of the Taliban’s acts of terror. I was encouraged as he spoke of reading and studying what it means to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. And I was reminded again that to understand the Kingdom of God, one must choose to receive it, live in it, pray for it, serve it, seek it and proclaim it. One cannot be abstract or theoretical, critical or cautious, but “up close and personal.”

LOVING BEYOND YOUR THEOLOGY

This is the title of a book written by the recently retired McAfee professor Larry McSwain about the life and ministry of Jimmy Raymond Allen. I wish every Baptist would read this book, especially as we anticipate “A (Baptist) Conference on Sexuality and Covenant,” April 19-21 at First Baptist Church, Decatur, Ga. CBF is co-sponsoring this event along with the Center for Theology and Public Policy at Mercer University, and it has already created considerable conversation. To have a conference about sexuality creates both anticipation and anxiety within our community. I understand both.

What is so important about Jimmy Allen, who is a true Baptist statesman, prophet and leader, is that he models a great deal of what I hope happens out of this conference. He models both conviction and compassion. He can and does disagree with others on interpretations of Scripture. He will speak intently, and he will listen intently. He will contend for his understandings, but he will also be content to receive the understandings of others. But most of all, he will love, even those with whom he disagrees. No, he will love especially those with whom he disagrees.

I believe that the future of the Baptist witness (perhaps the Christian witness) will be determined by whether or not we can learn to “love beyond our theology.” For me, the big question is “Without sacrificing the integrity of our conscience, can we love friends and family, antagonists and protagonists, colleagues and critics, allies and enemies?

We would do well to remember the words of Scripture, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Daniel Vestal has served as executive coordinator since 1996.