iPray

We've all heard about it- everyone's talking about it. The most up-to-date people already have it. It's been sold out of every store, and there is still huge demand because everyone wants one.The iPhone.I will admit- I too have joined the realm of iPhone seekers- curious about this seemingly essential piece of technology. I've heard it from friends, from tv, from the radio. I see it on websites--"The iPhone. Twice as fast. Half the price."That's right folks- for only $85 a month, your life will be made complete. "Even more features at your fingertips""3G wireless technology, GPS, widescreen iPod, breakthrough internet device""It redefines what a mobile phone can do--again."That's it- it REDEFINES. That's just what I've been searching for, something redefined, because it wasn't defined enough the first time. We needed something better. Something filled with more stuff. Something that could entertain us for hours without ever actually having to get up off the couch. Don't get me wrong people- these sleek little guys are pretty nifty, and I wouldn't mind having one myself, but I sometimes wonder how far we're going to let society take us.

We live in a world where sex = love, and parties = community. At what point in the history of humanity did we allow God's most precious values get so mistranslated? I don't think that God's idea of community was tipping back the bottle while grinding on the dance floor. The community God was talking about was a community of fellowship, support and love. A community where those giving to charity would actually stop and go to live among those who benefited from charity.

"Jesus was not simply a missionary to the poor. He WAS poor-born a baby refugee from the badlands of Nazareth, wandered the world a homeless rabbi, died the rotten death of insurrectionsts and bandits on the cross, executed by an oppressive empire, buried in a borrowed tomb. Jesus was crucified not for helping poor people but for joining them. That is the Jesus we follow." --The Irresistible Revolution.

The community we should be living in is reflected in Matthew 25 when we read "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" Jesus replies with, "Whatever you do for the least of these, you did for me". ---Well...What HAVE WE DONE for the least of these?

"We can volunteer in a social program or distribute excess food and clothing through organizations and never have to open up our homes, our beds, our dinner tables. When we get to heaven, we will be separated into those sheep and goats Jesus talks about in Matthew 25 based on how we cared for the least among us. I'm just not convinced that Jesus is going to say, "When I was hungry, you gave a check to the United Way and they fed me," or "When I was naked, you donated clothes to the Salvation Army and they clothed me." Jesus is not seeking distant acts of charity. He seeks concrete acts of love."--Shane Claiborne in The Irresistible Revolution.

Through those direct acts of love, we build a community- an essential Christian community. This sort of thing may not come "right to our fingertips" and it may not be "twice as fast and half the price"....in fact it may take twice as long and be the full price. That same full price that Jesus paid-----our entire life. This sort of community takes passion and devotion like you've never felt before. So, I pray for all the iPhone gurus (and the rest of the world) that we can channel that passion and excitement we have for our technology to a passion and excitement for God's people and community---a community that could use some redefining.