Part of being a pastor is that I am often asked about my views on current issues, events, etc. The list of subjects is long and greatly varied. Topics included range from the state of affairs in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Newtown shootings, the Boston Marathon bombings, politics, zombies, cable news, Facebook, the latest reality show and so much more. On occasion, there is actually a question about God or the Bible tossed in.
In our tense, ever changing, high speed world, questions whiz by like beat-up trucks on I-81! Many of our questions flow from a sense that life is as out of control as many of those interstate vehicles appear to be. As a Christian, when I prayerfully ponder such questions, when I allow my heart and mind to wander to those difficult and painful places, I am reminded of the words of Baker Stevenson Smith, Sr. He was a Presbyterian elder and the father of Dudley-Brian Smith, a great Presbyterian, internationally known Celtic musician, and one of the founders of Smithfield Fair, which can be heard on programs such as The Thistle and the Shamrock. In the book “A Walk in Wisdom,” Mr. Smith writes the follow concerning wisdom and Colossians 4:5-6. His words, at least to me, are the words we need to hear in our deeply troubled time.
“Walk is a rather wonderful word in Scripture, as applied to believers. It has to do with the characteristics of the new person in Christ, with faith, with spirituality, with consistency, love, light, truth, wisdom, and more. The way of life of the Christian must not be the way of the world. Our walk in this life as children of God has to be noticeably different from unbelievers…
The Psalmist prays…‘so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.’ So, we are to walk in the wisdom of God, showing to the world His righteousness. We are to redeem time, buy up the time as it was, using every opportunity to serve the Lord and be a witness to our God and King.
We also need to be very careful of our speech, reflecting wisdom and grace. No ‘holier than thou’ speaking, but softly and gently, speaking the truth in love…So let us be concerned with our walk before [others], and be consistent about it, that we make a proper witness of Him who has called us. You might be surprised at the impact it will make…”
Ours is a broken world, filled with damaged people, many of whom are looking for a different, better way than what this world has to offer. There are many important issues in this world that Christians, pastors, denominations, and others must address. In a world crying for answers to solutions no one has the time or energy to truly resolve, where noise, and violence, and heartbreak, and joy, and love, and the other noises of our world easily crowd out everything else. Eventually, it all sounds the same and is easily ignored. I am convinced that the greater issue for us, as those who claim to follow Jesus, is, “What does the content of our lives proclaim about the faith and way of life we hold so dear?” In the end, our “proper witness of Him” might become the only thing that dampens the noise long enough for the world to experience and learn the better way of the Savior.
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