Tales of revival have a way of stirring something in your spirit. The word revival in itself creates an insatiable flurry. The stories of men and women who paved the way for us to freely walk in their wake give me hope that one day men and women will say the same things about us. The brave. The courageous. The fearless. Though fearful they were. Fearful in purest of ways. Fearfully in awe of a holy God. Captivated with admiration by a father's love. Led by the Spirit. Walking in truth.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a man who lived and breathed revival in a time when destruction was the norm. While his entire country looked for the avowal of a Führer, he set his eyes on truths above. It was said about him that "Bonhoeffer was as open as any man could be to all the things which make life beautiful. He rejoiced in the love of his parents, his sisters and brothers, his fiancée, his many friends. He loved the mountains, the flowers, the animals–the greatest and the simplest things in life. His geniality and inborn chivalry, his love of music, art and literature, the firmness of his character, his personal charm and his readiness to listen, made him friends everywhere. But what marked him most was his unselfishness and preparedness to help others up to the point of self-sacrifice. Whenever others hesitated to undertake a task that required special courage, Bonhoeffer was ready to take the risk" (The Cost of Discipleship).
What does it look like to transform a culture? To bring healing to a nation? I long to behold such things. My heart burns for the more of God that overwhelms and overflows. What is the risk? Does the risk outweigh the reward? All too often we ask the questions that cause pause: pause that halts the process. What if, rather than hesitate to do the thing God has called us to, we walked boldly in courage and strength trusting his Spirit to guide us? What if we let our yes truly mean yes? Do we have what it takes to give it all? Bonhoeffer once said "It is the same call of God which also obliges us only to make use of freedom with a deep feeling of responsibility." It is truth to remember ourselves as being freed in Christ. It is not truth, however, to see ourselves as free from that inmost sense of duty. There is a tug on our hearts. There is a whisper in our spirits. It declares a purpose. It reveals a dream. We have a choice. We can adopt apathy, or we can embrace action. I don't know about you, but I choose momentum. I choose to live a life that shouts of the glory of the Lord. I choose to live a life abundant in love and in readiness. Responsible love must be manifested.
The World Race for me is just one step in following that whisper. I may not know where my foot will land. I may not know how far is the fall. I do know that I am no longer willing to live an ordinary life. I am no longer willing to live a life defined by anything other radical love. Where He is going, I will follow. I am ready to take the leap. I am all in now and forever.
