Finding Rhythm in the Song

          This past week our students started a new series entitled, Rhythm.  “The first week of the Rhythm series is designed to help students understand that in the beginning, God established a rhythm. They unpacked the story of creation and the harmony that existed between Adam and God, Adam and nature, and Adam and Eve. They entertained the idea that from the start, that everything worked together in perfect harmony like a beautiful song. But then Adam and Eve made a choice that destroyed the song and threw the rhythm off. They also looked at God’s response to Adam’s sin, and saw that God continues to seek a relationship with us even after things have fallen apart.

Parents, talk with your teen about how he or she sees the brokenness in the rhythm around them. Feel free to share your observations as well.” (Orange curriculum Parent Cue-Rhythm-Week One)

As I thought about this question of where I see brokenness in the rhythm around myself, several thoughts began to creep into my mind.  I recently have been thinking about several issues surrounding poverty, hunger, and other social justice issues.  I have wondered if in “dealing” with these issues if we are simply “throwing money at the problem” or really seeking a solution to the issue.  As we seek to combat the “evil” in the act are we doing so with grace and love in our hearts?  Are we trying to equip those affected with a process of rehabilitation or just get them out of the situation currently?  All of these thoughts have really challenged me lately.  However, the most obvious example of this came to me on Monday evening while watching a television show.

On Monday evening my wife and I were watching The Voice, as they started their competition with the blind auditions.  The second girl featured came out and sang an amazing song with her incredible voice that got the attention of the judges.  A couple turned around but when they started the conversation with her was when it got interesting.  They asked her about her story and she shared that her father was a pastor and when she started to question her identity, as all teenagers do, the church began to shun her because she was “different.”  She stated that her parents still loved her and supported her but that the church refused to allow her to sing within their building.  I felt my stomach start churning as I wondered how many other people had been “turned off” to Christianity because Christians told them they were to “different?”  What ever happened to grace, love, and mercy?  Shouldn’t we as Christians be seeking to embrace others in love, caring for them, and seeking to introduce them to a relationship with Jesus, rather than condemning/judging them? 

What would it look like if we as Christians sought to embrace the hurt and pain in our world while seeking to be like Jesus was with the woman at the well or the woman caught in adultery?  What would it look like for our lives to be in rhythm with God’s heart in this way?