Blindspot?

We all have blind spots.  We don't want to admit they exist but we have them. We see them in hindsight but not in the present. As an example: how could Christians who supposedly believed the gospel so easily rationalize the enslavement of other human beings? Churchgoers with good intentions, claiming to worship God every Sunday, reading the bible all week long, all while using God's Word to justify treating men, women and children as property to be used or abused. They thought they were generous when they gave their slaves an extra chicken at Christmas.

 

Good intentions, regular worship, and even study of the Bible do not prevent blindness.   We see what we want to see and ignore what we want to ignore. We can live our Christian life while unknowingly overlooking evil.

 

Today nearly half the world struggles to find food, water, and shelter with the same amount of money we spend on sandwich for lunch.

 

Some of those people live in the United States. Some live in Tennessee. Some live in Sevier County. Some just might live within walking distance of this building.

 

They exist and according to Jesus, God takes very seriously how we respond to them.  Jesus says we turn away from him when we ignore the physical needs of his people.

 

Jesus says "Go, make disciples."  We say, if they will come, we will make disciples.

 

What we contribute here supports the activities and commitments of this congregation. When we leave we take our responsibilities with us.