Our pastor, in taking time
to share Dr. King’s crisis of faith and the means by which he navigated that
crisis, has opened to us important questions concerning our own spiritual development:
“Why do we do what we do? What are we not doing that we should be doing? And,
is our doing prompted by the leading of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us?”
In Dr. King’s lifetime, the
church (and, the Black church in particular) had a keen understanding of the
link between righteousness, holiness, and justice. If the Spirit of Christ resided
in a life, then there were to be some external evidences of His residence: 1) the
capacity to love; 2) the urgency to speak truth to powers and principalities; 3)
the choice to live one’s life in accordance with Biblical values; 4) the necessity
for one to personally take action in support of God’s expectations and desires
for His people.
How does this look in our
present-day world? Our pastor gave the example of the disparity in medical
care, where the speed of care and the measure of compassion varies by zip code.
What do we, as Spirit-filled Christians, do? Is our role to simply say “Well
that’s just the way things are”, or is our role to seek the face of God
concerning His desire for our local church’s role in addressing such
inequities?
It is so appropriate that
Bronx Bethany’s theme for this year (Pursuing Holiness…Promoting Healing)
emerges after years of themes devoted to the issue of transformation. When we
have been infilled and empowered by the Spirit of God, then it is He who equips
us to experience His peace and power, to pray according to His will, and to act
according to His word. It is not hard to long for holiness if one has been
seeking the transformative presence and power of God.
What can we do today in
pursuit of holiness and in promotion of healing? Let’s ask God to show us.
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