Achoo Swine Flu

Talk about the swine flu is everywhere, huh? I’ll admit, wherever I go, people are chatting about it - especially if someone sneezes. We are on the alert, in the height of allergy season. I am not making light of what is happening in Mexico City, though, because I have no doubt it is frightening and anxiety-producing.

What I am most amazed about it is how fast bad news travels. We live in a world of global mass media and high speed everything, don’t we? I sit absolutely dumbfounded about the many communication tools we use to disseminate a message almost instantaneously – and nearly everybody gets the message.

Good news doesn’t travel as fast. The word Gospel, the name we use to describe the life and ministry and MESSAGE of Jesus, (as in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the gospels) literally means Good News. Even though the message began with one man and spread to the whole world, it wasn’t exactly quick and I would suggest it still isn’t – and shouldn’t be.

Another profound way that the movement of Christ is counter-cultural is that it requires real time and investment. If you are a follower of Christ, I think it is critical that you understand this for many reasons. Sometimes Christians make sweeping statements about the current culture, criticizing relativism and secularism (you know the drill) but there are other, more subtle ways that we can be tripped up. When everything around us happens quickly, we become quick.

Last Friday night, I heard a young pastor speak. I wanted to jump up and cheer as I heard him talk about his ministry and his people. Years ago, he was watching Oprah (yeah, that scary new age influential brainwashing superhero) and God spoke to Him. Oprah was talking about her work in Africa – AIDS relief and education – which she and Bono pioneered and the world (including the church) followed. The young pastor was so impressed by the individual stories of suffering, that he decided to talk to his congregation about it.

They began travelling to Africa. He said it this way, “We did not go to ‘take Jesus to them.’ We knew Jesus was already there, so we went in a posture of learning and humility, wondering if there was any way we could help.” I usually say it this way – God is already present, ask Him how you can cooperate with what He is already doing. Helps Christians rethink the troubling crusader mentality, huh?

Anyway, the pastor and his people have been going back and forth ever since, partnering with Africans to form a non-profit organization, Zimele, that has now assisted thousands of people with AIDS and their children. The pastor said, “I feel like it’s my second home,” and he is of Asian descent!

Their work is not quick and no one in the global mass media has noticed. It must be really, really good news.