It was the end of a very long, hot day.\u00a0 A friend and I were participating in the annual RAIN ride — a shortened name for \u201cRide Across Indiana.\u201d\u00a0 Cyclists start in Illinois at sunrise and ride their bicycles straight east to the Ohio border in one day, a distance of just over 160 miles.<\/p>\n
Seasoned participants often talk about the quality of the break stops.\u00a0 Spread out every 30 miles or so, local volunteers and small communities take great pride in preparing a delightful assortment of iced beverages and high-energy snacks for the riders.\u00a0 Cyclists\u2019 families and friends also use these designated places to meet their loved ones and cheer them on to the finish line.<\/p>\n
The atmosphere is electric because of the convergence of civic pride and athletic accomplishment.\u00a0 There is nothing quite like getting off your bike and having a complete stranger hand you a cold drink and an energy bar, accompanied with a pat on the back and an encouraging word.\u00a0 The various stops along the route even have friendly competition between communities to see which can serve the riders best.<\/p>\n
On this particular afternoon, as a group of us were coming to one of the final stops, I spotted a beautiful church building with a large parking lot.\u00a0 As a pastor myself, I wondered if any of the members of that congregation would be joining their friends and neighbors to serve the athletes and their families.\u00a0 I started making mental connections between a vacant church parking lot on a Saturday afternoon and a host of people needing a place to park for a few minutes to serve and celebrate with the ones they loved.<\/p>\n
As the scene came into clearer focus, I saw a man dragging a sawhorse down the church driveway with a homemade sign hastily affixed to one end.\u00a0 He was on a mission for sure and my first thought was \u2013 \u201cI hope that sign does not say what I think it does.\u201d\u00a0 Sure enough, I reached the spot just as he was erecting his instructions \u2013 \u201cno parking allowed here.\u201d<\/p>\n
In all fairness, I suppose the church may have been preparing to host a giant event in a few minutes and simply could not spare a few parking spots for these neighbors in need.\u00a0 But honestly, I highly doubt it.\u00a0 The more likely explanation is that he had fallen victim to an attitude and philosophy that seems to affect many churches regarding the way they think about sharing what they have with others \u2013 \u201cSay no, unless you have to say yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Scripture suggests otherwise.\u00a0 Paul told the legalistic Galatians \u2013 \u201cLet us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.\u00a0 So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith\u201d (Galatians 6:9-10).\u00a0 Wise churches look for as many opportunities as possible to share love and resources with those around them.\u00a0 We ought to be guided by the principle, \u201cSay yes, unless you have to say no.\u201d<\/p>\n
I can almost hear the pushback on the part of some who will consider this vignette.\u00a0 There will be those who object because this mob might leave trash all over the church grounds just before the Lord\u2019s Day.\u00a0 Is that really that important?\u00a0 Maybe our worship on Sunday would be sweeter if we had to step over a few empty water bottles that had been distributed in Jesus\u2019 name the day before.\u00a0 Others might fret because the bathrooms would not be pristine when the church folks came in the next morning.\u00a0 Would that be that be such an insurmountable problem?\u00a0 Why not recruit two volunteer teams, one to serve alongside the church\u2019s neighbors to help make the break spot the best one in the state, while the second group came in later to spruce things up for church the next day?<\/p>\n
Churches can be incredibly insular and myopic.\u00a0 The focus so frequently becomes \u2013 \u201chow is this going to affect our comfort, our security, and our convenience?\u201d\u00a0 Perhaps we would all do better to focus on serving and loving others regardless of the price that has to be paid.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that what it means to take up our cross and follow Christ?<\/p>\n
The ultimate tragedy here is the view of God this ambivalence and apathy gives to a lost and dying world.\u00a0 Many in our culture have concluded that God does not love and care about them.\u00a0 Little wonder, when His children are busy crafting \u201cno parking allowed here\u201d signs. It might be time for some and perhaps many of us to try a new approach.\u00a0 Say yes, unless you have to say no.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"