Ambassadors for Christ
I read this week the story of amazing love. It is the story of George Tyson. George Tyson was a carpenter and a father. He had a daughter and a son. The son, Garry, was disabled. He fell when he was 18 months old and suffered brain damage. One day, when George was 61 and his son was 32, they were strolling together along the coastal road in their town. The pair often took long walks together. About 4 o’clock, as they came to an intersection, George glimpsed out of the corner of his eye a car hurtling toward them, and he pushed Gerry out of the way. George was killed instantly. His daughter, Gerry’s sister, said, “My dad died doing the thing he loved the most – he was walking with my brother down the coast road.” “Most people…will know him through the care and help he has shown my brother, and most people will have at some point seen them pacing through town on their many missions.”
What on earth would make him sacrifice his life for the life of his son? Love. Paul says in the letter to the church at Corinth that it is the love of Christ that controls us. The kind of love that sacrifices self for others. Paul is continuing to make the point that he is not in the ministry for himself. He is not an apostle because he chose it, but because God chose him. His actions are determined by the love of Christ.
Paul says we are all ambassadors of Christ. An ambassador is sent to speak and to act on behalf of an authority. We are sent to speak and act on behalf of Christ.
I was asked once when I was just out of seminary what one area I was most reticent to lead. The answer was easy – evangelism. I even called it the “E” word for a LONG time. I was so convinced that evangelism was not part of my calling that I avoided any training in evangelism. But then, I was assigned to teach a class on faith sharing. So, I started reading about it – all the time thinking “I know nothing about this!” And as I read, I realized something, faith sharing is not having a special speech memorized.
I realized that I may not be an evangelist as our culture might define it, but I am an ambassador for Christ. And I realized that I was acting like Hobbs. Hobbs worked for a duke and duchess, and one day the duchess engaged him in a discussion about his work. “You have been in our employ for 35 years, Hobbs.” “That is correct, Ma’am.” “Well, Hobbs, what has been your primary responsibility during those years?” “Taking care of the family dog.” “Well, Hobbs, according to our records, the family dog died 27 years ago.” “Yes, Ma’am,” said Hobbs, “and I would like to know what you would like to have me do now.” (Rodney Wilmoth in How United Methodists Share Their Faith)
Here’s the thing – we have a tendency to hesitate, and maybe even hope we don’t get asked about it, when it comes to evangelism. Our self-consciousness may make us concerned about what people will think of us if we let Jesus control our life or it may make us worried that we aren’t prepared to be an ambassador. What training do we need? The insecurities abound – I don’t know all the answers, I don’t know enough about the Bible, I don’t know what I believe about so many things, I wouldn’t know what to say, I haven’t even written down my faith story.
The early church, though didn’t see evangelism as a chore. They weren’t like Hobbs hoping that no one noticed that they weren’t really doing anything. I like the way that Harold DeWolf , a professor of systematic theology, once put it, “The New Testament church engaged in evangelism as naturally and normally as a robin sings or a happy child plays.” When the love of Christ controls us we anticipate eagerly our opportunity to show love. We are looking for our opening to be graceful.
You just keep your eyes open. Most people discover that they need Christ’s love when they experience it. See that mom with twins trying to load her groceries in the car and keep the toddlers from helping each other out of the cart? You could help. See that co-worker who eats at his desk every day? You could invite him to lunch. Slow down, share your time. Connect. Over time, conversations will include the things that matter to you, like the love of Christ controlling you. (Brian McLaren in More Ready Than You Believe)
National statistics tell us that 40-60 percent of people in most communities do not have any church relationship. In Germantown that statistic is around 45%. Most people have a few close friends and a circle of acquaintances, but they don’t know the difference that Christian community makes in your life. When they experience tragedy or illness or death, they don’t have a pastor to call or a community to support them with casseroles and prayers. They don’t have a community that encourages them to find their place of service, to take risks to love others, and to practice generosity. They don’t have a community that helps them live with purpose in a fellowship of people who really care about each other.
Love is the transforming force, not might, not authority, not fear or power or coercion or cajoling…love. NT Wright says that “The logic of love outweighs all other logic known to the human race.” George Tyson’s love for his son outweighed all other logic. He pushed his son out of the way of the car and lost his own life to save his son. That last act of love is certainly powerful, but his love had not gone unnoticed before that fateful day. The mayor said, “The news is dreadful and everyone is incredibly shocked. George’s son Garry is an incredibly charming young man and he had a very close relationship with his dad. His dad was always with him whenever I saw him.” Another local commissioner said, “George spent a lot of time with Garry. You could see them going out for walks. They had a closeness and he is going to really feel it because he spent a lot of time with his dad.” Just the way George walked through his life with Garry was a witness to the power of love.
Paul says the love of Christ controls us, urging all people, as ambassadors of Christ, to be reconciled.
New creation is connected for Paul to reconciliation. Reconciled to God. Reconciled with one another. We are united in Christ. This morning at 10 Eastern time, all over Charleston church bells rang. They rang because one person’s act of hatred in a church did not incite the race war he envisioned. The faith of one of the victim’s husband was obvious in his statement to the shooter, “I would love to hate you but hate’s not in me.” What an ambassador for Christ, controlled by Christ’s love!
The message of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection is the message of redemption. God reconciles through Jesus to transform the world because of God’s love. We are ambassadors of this message. God is using us to make God’s love known so that the world will be transformed. May the Kingdom of God come, Amen.