July 29

Day 137: Goers

The book of Ezra, which talks about God's people beginning to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, includes a curious bit about who actually went.

Something around 150,000 Jews had been exiled and deported, first to Assyria, then to Babylon, and then to Persia. The rest likely died as they were being conquered. Some 70 years later, when Cyrus became ruler of Media/Persia, he gave permission to the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple; even providing them safe travel and building supplies. Nice gesture.

Cyrus certainly had his reasons. Here is my simplistic history recap:

He didn't want to offend any gods, including the God of Israel. And, he didn't want to continue to take care of exiles. He thought it better they return to their respective homelands...provide a barrier cushion between Persia and their enemies (the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great)...and send tax money. Smart leadership, really.

So "anyone who was willing" grabbed their stuff and went. Just under 50,000 people went back. The rest stayed behind and lived out their lives in Persian land holdings.

The majority of those exiled Jews never returned to Israel. Queen Esther was one of them. It wasn't until centuries later that the remainder did return. Those people we read about in the Gospels. We know them as the "Samaritans." The half-breeds, they were called.

And animosity continued between the Jews and the Samaritans for centuries afterward.

This kind of migration was also seen in North American expansion, fulfilling what Thomas Jefferson called "Manifest Destiny," where America would be settled from "sea to shining sea."

This is perhaps why most innovation comes primarily from the west coast (?)

People now living on the east coast are the descendants of those who stayed behind. The westerners are the descendants of those who went. (Of course, at one time Kentucky was considered "out west." But it's for another simplistic history recap.)

Why do some go, and some stay behind?

The goers go to find a new life, participate in a new mission, to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Others choose instead to stay within the confines of the familiar.

This is perhaps the new and present challenge for the Church. Many, maybe the majority of us, want to go back to what we remember and value church life to be. A predictable weekly service. Maybe a warm and welcoming small group consisting exclusively of familiar family and friends.

Others are now convinced that the "new normal" will be new; a different kind of normal. A different way of being and doing church. Forced on us to adapt and adopt.

And that's scary. It will require courage to be the church, even into these next months.

And, we're already seeing it; the potential for animosity between the "goers and the stayers."

Akin to differing opinions on wearing face masks, and/or physically gathering as a a church, how we each see church life going forward will have impact on our unity.

To survive this, we will each be required to "step into each other's shoes." He will have to do the heavy lifting required to respect the differing opinions of others, as we embrace each other.

And...we will have to learn to see beyond ourselves, and our respective expectations. We will have to embrace not the previous culture of Christianity, but the mission of the Kingdom.

Likely, we cannot have it both ways. Gospel mission is compelling. Predictable, safe relationships and life rhythms over time become stale.

Unity cannot be sustained solely through relationships. Relationships are based on timing and circumstance; thus are fluid.

Mission is what rallies us and sustains unity.

Jesus is clearly using the Coronavirus to redirect us and refocus us on His gospel mission.

In some ways, He's asking us all to be goers.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau