I want to tell you something that may seem so outlandish that it is either from God or it is just my foolishness. Perhaps you can help me decide which it is.
The disabled may be God's chosen means to bring grace to our community. In the past great revivals showed the value of people who had been marginalized, exploited and degraded and those revivals helped put an end to those blasphemies. Since Jesus came in the flesh and we are made in the image of God, it behoves us who say we believe in the gospel, to honour and include every person within our community and to stand up when we see any person or class of persons being pronounced as less than human. That is why we should stand against abortion, and euthanasia and racism and discrimination of every sort.
The incarnation told the people of the Great Awakening that they were made in God's image and they were to bow to no one but God. 'We have no king butJesus’. Faith and The War of Independence brought modern democracy to the world. (please see Steven Waldham's article Jefferson, Madison & Their Evangelical Pals. How Religious Freedom Resulted From an Unlikely Alliance: Evangelicals and Skeptics at http://www.beliefnet.com/story/186/story_18668_1.html for more insights into the relationship between revivals and the progress of political and religious freedom.)
In Europe the French Revolution was sweeping the continent because of the exploitation of the poor by Royalty and by a bloated Church. The people were turning away from God and government. England was about to be the next country to experience the bloodbath. In many ways it deserved to experience a bloody judgement. Poor children had been put into the mines, and exploited in dangerous polluted factories. Blacks were held in slavery. The slave trade was a great source of wealth to the English Empire. Poor debtors were thrown into prison.. Thankfully, mercifully a righteous outrage swept these abominations out of England on the tide of the great Wesleyan revivals. The children were taken from the mines and sent to schools. Slavery was abolished. Poor houses closed and the poor laws rewritten. England was saved and was never the same afterwards. For more information on the role of revival in the politcal, social and economic refprmation inEngland see J.W. Bready's, Wesley and Deomocracy.)
In the meantime, newfound freedom in America was only for some. The Great awakenings of
Pre-Independence America did not fully rouse the Christian heart of the nation. Slavery continued for many years after England had been brought to it senses. But eventually new religious revivals did bring a renewed sense that it was an abomination to own and mistreat fellow human beings who were made in the likeness of God. 'If God died to make men holy, we can die to make men free’ (Battle Hymn of the Republic)
Revivals that mean something actually change things. They don't just sweep in and empty the jails and pubs and fill the churches for 2 or 3 years only to see the trend completely reversed for the next 100. If God visits, the nation can never be the same again.
Despite the Emancipation Proclamation of Abraham Lincoln, blacks continued to be persecuted and discriminated against in horrendous ways. Even in churches of the last half of the 19th century blacks and white seldom worshipped together and when they did blacks were forced to sit in the balconies away from good Christian white folks. The church does not have a stellar testimony in history but it does get better and revivals are one way God leads the church into a fuller understanding and practice of the gospel.
The next revivals, the ones that gave rise to my church, were the Pentecostal revivals of Topeka Kansas and Azusa Street Los Angeles. Most of us 'holy rollers' make a great deal about the religious enthusiasms and miss the main point of the exercise. In the ecstatic worship of these revivals blacks were welcomed down from the balconies and the races forgot their differences and learned how to worship God and love one another without thought to colour. At least for the few years that the revival continued. Today you will find that Charismatic Churches usually have a good representation from all ehinic and racial backgrounds. This has been an immensely important step forward in the church's witness to the dignity of all mankind.
In this anniversary year of Azusa we would do well to see what really was accomplished there and to reflect on what God may want to accomplish now.
Perhaps it is the time for the people (made in God's image) whom we have no time for, no interest in, no comfort in being around to be included in the story of God's incarnation. Can we find the truth of the Gospel within the disabled and their lives or are they outside God's kingdom. Are they to be forever forgotten, rejected and of no concern or consequence?
We evangelicals need to show the world that faith is not just having a bible study to prepare us for the next bible conference to prepare for the next revival meeting to prepare us to hunker down in our siege mentality of us against the wicked, wicked world. Love needs to be out there and active. If the faith doesn't get us out there and active, it is a failed faith.
If revival is to come it will be through all of us knowing that His grace is sufficient. We don't need another Benny Hinn superstar. We need Jesus in the flesh and a church recognizing and responding to Him in a real and loving way.
The disabled are the very representation of Jesus as spoken of in Matthew 25. Perhaps we should read that chapter and decide how we are going to live it because Judgment day will be an ‘equal opportunity’ revelator. (If you know what I mean.)
LH
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