On Center

This past Sunday, pastor brought to consciousness in a new way-at least for me-the importance of Jesus in the role of human history.  He stands at the very center of it.  Nothing before or after could carry more weight for all creation than what Christ completed on the cross 2000 years ago.  All of the war and sorrow, human development and ingenuity leading up to and away from the cross all take a knee to the redemption power that struck the earth on a hill outside of Jerusalem.  And the power flowed down and dripped into the earth so that no despair or counter-power could ever reverse the finished work of redemption.  Nothing before, nothing that came after-human history centered on the cross.

And that got me thinking about where Christ stands in my life.  Center or standing off to the side?  Does the cross pierce through me in the same way it does human history-does Christ stand at my core, or is the cross just something I lean on, run to?  Does all my life-the actions, decisions, relationships-balance on Jesus who stands in me or is He just someone I consult with?   In order for me to be in balance with my Creator-He has to stand at my core in the same way a pin works in a hinge.

2020 promises to be one of the most divisive years in recent American history, certainly since the fight for civil rights merged with growing unrest over Vietnam.  As Christians, I think we need to be very conscious of  how we engage in this coming year.  Will our words and actions be balanced on Jesus standing in us, or will our words fire out of us while He stands off to the side?  We do Christ no favors "defending" Him if He is not in the very breath we use to speak.  Will the cross pierce us to become the pin on which we hang our words and actions, or will our politics in 2020?  Those with Christ at their core will not get whipped into the frenzy or cast off fellow believers who stand balanced on Christ-the Gospel.  They will not get tugged into debate that seeks to divide.

Let us allow Jesus and His words stand at the center of 2020.  If it doesn't reflect Him, don't place it in His stead.  If we do this, 2020 could be the most healing, most effectual year the Church in America has ever had.