I've been trying to really reinforce in my team that living as salt and light is a Christian thing, not just a missions thing. We have been teaching about aspects of this in our Summer Mission School that we've run at the church here: things like availability, open lives, and obedience. Even as they have prepared material and helped teach the group these things, I have been reminded constantly to help them step out in this awareness of God's purposes as a lifestyle- not an activity. This means that there isn't a dichotomy between things like our weekend away, and the nudge from the Holy Spirit to pray for a homeless person. And thats exactly what we took time for during our visit to Dublin. We were just there to sightsee for a few hours before we caught our flight back to England (where our "official" ministry is) but when I noticed a young man and an old woman that both looked rather downtrodden, i knew we needed to participate in God's purposes in their lives. It wasn't a prayer walk or evangelism outing. It was just a layover, pretty much. But thats exactly the point- when do we go "off duty" from responding to the Holy Spirit?! We must be so careful not to live with a dichotomy between our day to day life and our "ministry", "outreach" or christian activities. Its tempting to put it in compartments. But i think salt and light were analogies that the Lord used for a purpose. Salt just is salty. Light just shines. They do it by nature wherever they are placed. They don't schedule in time to do what they do. Its how they naturally affect everything they interact with. Does this mean that we have no boundaries? No time off to rest? No, of course not. We don't just make ourselves available to the colossal and unending need of the world 24-7... it will mercilessly drain us. We make ourselves available to God 24-7... and He is not a slave driver:) Thats why we must be in relationship with Him, abiding in fellowship- so we can act in obedience... not just react to need need need need all around us day and night. We can walk in obedience and, with needs still out there, lie down to sleep at night knowing we gave all we were called upon for by the great Lord and steward to whom all our life and breath are owed. This is the opposite of burn out- this is freedom and a life without dichotomy.
Here, seen through the slats, with her back to the camera is a woman that Aimee and I stopped to pray for. Her english was limited but she readily welcomed prayer, crossing herself and praying in her own tongue. There were tears in her eyes as we prayed God's love and blessing over her. Kent prayed for a young man on the other side of the bridge and ended up giving the man his waterproof Nike jacket.
An unplanned stop along the bridge became a highlight in our half day in Dublin- just because we were available.
