‘Returning to Centre’

Daily Devotional March 4, 2021

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place…Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise…especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:19-20,23, 25b)

The past year has been a very difficult one for most. The Church, has been no exception; we have had our definite set of difficulties, but maybe not for the reasons you’re thinking. As a global faith community, we have lost much credibility. Certainly, many believers have arisen and put in monumental effort to be the ‘good Samaritan’ of Jesus’ parable, for which I unreservedly applaud; but this past year has also had me absolutely cringing at times as I have witnessed some of the things being done in God’s name.

I have no intent to get political, but events that have taken place in North America over these past number of months have given the name ‘evangelical,’ ‘Christian’ and everything associated with having a strong faith a distinctly distasteful flavour. It has highlighted for many of us in the Christian-family of faith that we have lost our ‘centre.’ In so doing, we have become dogmatically abusive and irrationally intolerant…and are dismissed by many outside of the Church as willfully naïve and hypocritical.

Collectively, we have brought shame to the cause of Christ and need to seriously evaluate where we go from here. Going back to the way things were? Not an option. Ignoring the bad theology that has been exposed during this time of pandemic? Perish the thought! We have some serious work ahead of us. To root out all that does not belong in our orthodoxy. To work together in partnership to expand God’s Kingdom. To get back to our centre…faith in Jesus, confession of sin, living lives of obedience to God as proof of the faith we profess, demonstrating God’s love to all.
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We have made some mistakes and even lost some ground in our witness, but God is faithful and just. Let’s get back to our centre—our first love—by seeking His forgiveness, dedicating ourselves to living lives that please our heavenly Father, then shine His pure light as we allow His love to flow from us to others.
~ Pastor Jane