“Now this I do for the gospel´s sake….”  (1 Cor. 9:23)

When in due time I shall again, God willing, set my feet on American soil my mission will not be politics.  I will have no credentials to present anywhere, but my happy charter will as always be the gospel of Christ.

Theologically, I don´t represent any pet views, though my heart goes out to any theology, the life-blood of which is “Jesus Christ and Him crucified”.  At one summer conference I listened to a preacher with whom I didn´t see eye to eye on certain points, but when speaking on spiritual warfare, he made the statement, “The gospel is at stake” our hearts beat together, and that battle cry stayed with me.

It is inevitable that I have to listen to voices raised against this and that issue in Washington, and I´m sure there´s something I may learn from it.  And yet we should as followers of Christ face up to what is our business at this juncture.  When a political leader says, “I can do it!” and “he (meaning his opponent) can´t do it!” we have a right to kindly say to such notabilities, “You are wrong and you contradict your own national motto, “In God we trust”.  You´re trusting yourselves, and you´ll go dead on that false gospel!”

Am I poking my nose into politics?  I hope not, but I challenge myself and my fellow believers to take advantage of the moment, no matter what fools we´re going to be, and testify to the old, old and yet ever new story of Christ as the only answer to sinners whether their collar is blue or white.

I sometimes mingle with religious people in some debates and in their boring game called “church” and I often feel like crying out with Mary, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him!” for He is not there.  And yet even in that crowd there are hungry, discontent hearts thirsting for “living waters” to be found in Christ only.  So let us not talk about “Christianity” , but Christ Jesus with self-experienced power despite our unworthiness and own sense of failure.

Let us talk about Jesus,
The King of kings is He,
The Lord of lords Supreme
Through all eternity
The great I am the Way,
The Life, the Truth, the Door,
Let us talk about Jesus more and more!

(a chorus often sung in my youth)

Oct. 28, 2012 – jn