The Church Should be the
Friendliest Place on Earth
— Dr. James R. Kok
Jesus came to make the world a better place in which to live. That is not commonly understood or even taught. I was distressed recently to hear Barbara Walters, reporting her experience with Christians, say that they were uniformly in agreement that it was “having your sins forgiven and going to heaven” that was the central piece of Jesus mission. In other words, the consensus thought the central theme was about getting away safely from life on earth.
I cringed. Certainly, the victory over death and the promise of heaven is the major part of Jesus’ work—the answer humankind has longed for. Nevertheless, there is much more to it. Heaven is part of the salvation gift but the gift includes much more. The gift of salvation, so powerfully named “eternal life”, includes having a new agenda for everyday living. The new agenda, planted in the hearts of Jesus’ people, and fueled by the Holy Spirit, is living for Jesus. And the heart of that living is building, working, behaving, according to Jesus primary commandment that we “love one another”.
I wanted Barbara Walters to say the central point of being a Christian is being kind, caring, friendly and loving. I wanted her to say she had learned that Christians’ number one goal was to make this earth—living on this planet together—a better experience. I wanted her to say that Christians’ foremost doctrine is that GOD IS LOVE.
When a man recently suggested that we expand our vision of teaching and go beyond the churches to the business world, I was stunned. He jolted me into a tremendous fresh awareness. It is so obvious. We, a Christian organization, have an opportunity and an obligation to ignite the entire community into a warmer, friendlier way of living. We must lead people into loving behavior. God is love. When they are loving, they are expressing God, whether they know it or not.
Imagine a new business, intent on building a successful enterprise, going to a large local church for lessons about serving the public! Instead, some go to Disneyland to learn about putting friendly behaviors and attitudes (what we would call Christian virtues) at the heart of their business plan.
In 2008 our Care and Kindness Conference is planning to start changing the picture. We are enlarging our target to include people who work on the front lines of life. We want to reach those who meet the public in offices, grocery stores, Post Offices, and banks, along with church staff and office people.
Stephen Post, author of "Why Good Things Happen to Good People" declares this: “The church’s number one task is to teach people how to love.” He is right! Jesus came and died for us. He died on the cross, painfully. That is God’s lesson about love. Humanity really did not understand love until God showed us in Jesus’ life and death what love is like. Love is dying for another—one way or another. That is what care and kindness is about: finding ways to leave your personal comfort zone on behalf of others. Every act of denying oneself in order to bless someone else is a form of Jesus’ ultimate expression of love. God is love.
I have often quoted Jesus’ prayer “Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.” There Jesus encapsulated what his mission is—to plant, sew, spread and generate goodness, love, beauty, safety, hopefulness on the globe called Earth. Those whose lives are saved and embraced by the quality of existence we call Eternal Life are the natural candidates for leadership in all of this. Eternal Life people know God, because they know Jesus. God is LOVE.
Our new agenda for the Care and Kindness campaign is motivating, generating and equipping anyone whose life and work brings them face to face with others. God is love. And when love is shown, be it with a smile, a compliment, or a word of encouragement, it is God flowing forth.
Imagine infecting the business and professional world with this. What a pleasant spirit-lifting scene when clerks, cashiers, receptionists, attendants, guards, mechanics and nurses look at people, greet them warmly, and then notice details, compliment them, and smile at them. It is the work of the church, followers of Jesus, to be the leaders in this, to practice such living and model it to others.
Yes, teaching and demonstrating love is our number one job. God is LOVE !
