This day’s events surprised me, but not Him.
January 6, 2021 in Washington D.C. will not be forgotten anytime soon.
It was a particularly unique day in the history of the United States’ federal republic. In the same 24 hours, the country’s Capital, which houses its Legislative branch, witnessed differing forms of rebellion by multiple constituencies.
As I watched the events of the day unfold, here is what I saw:
The most obvious rebellion came from those on the outside. Hundreds of angry protestors made their way from the Ellipse near the White House to the Capital, and surrounded it. At some point, one or more in the crowd decided that voicing their displeasure with Congress’ electoral leadership was not enough. In defiance of the Capital police’s authority, a violent breach of the building ensued and many joined in.
The less obvious rebellion at the Capitol that day came from within. In the end, one hundred and forty-seven members of the House and Senate defied the authority of the country’s Judicial branch. Collectively, they attempted to overthrow the decisions of numerous judges who unanimously affirmed the integrity of the state’s electoral process.
For Jesus, however, every day is January 6th
- Every day, the House of Jesus is being assaulted by rebellious outsiders and insiders.
- Every day, Jesus’ authority as King is being defied by unbelievers who distort His words.
- Every day, Jesus’ followers like me exchange godly love for arrogance, selfishness and hatred.
- Every day, His arche enemy imprisons insiders with money, sensuality and power.
- Every day, Jesus’ incarnational lifestyle of humble servitude is ignored or forgotten.
I have witnessed this reality for decades and it inspired the thesis of my book:
Every geographical context … is marked by deep-seated, worldly values, voices and behaviors that are at war with Jesus’ message and culture—arrogance, pride, racism, abuse, control, selfishness, sexism, greed, pragmatism etc. To be sure, some settings are more difficult than others, but every imperfect human brings the world’s toxins with them into Jesus’ house. Page 5, The House of Jesus
So, my challenge today will come as no surprise…
If you are an eternal citizen of Jesus’ righteous monarchy, keep serving, honoring and enjoying Him forever. He is the One and Only!
And as a temporary citizen of a federal republic (or whatever system of governance you live within – Rom 13), live a lifestyle worthy of the calling you have received from Jesus: Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one another in love (Eph 4:2ff).
In so doing, you will bring glory to your Lord by being salt and light within your world!
Only through grace!
