Starfish Ideology

An old anecdote speaks of a young man walking along a beach where hundreds of starfish have been washed up on shore. As he throws them back another person claims he’s wasting his time because there are so many.  What he’s doing doesn’t matter.  As he throws back the next one, he replies, “it matters to this one.”

Watching the SBC Convention online this last week as an outsider I was struck by the barely concealed anger of some as their attempts to push harder-nosed, strict positions failed.  The crusade to seize control of what a whole collection of churches should do had been fomented over long months.  Meanwhile, others’ passions were centered around seeking care for individuals who had been abused and hurt.  Their efforts were aimed less at trying to police what others thought, and more on ways to care for individuals.  Most of these warriors sounded far less angry but no less passionate.

The fallen world with its injustices and sins quickly seems to call for a massive effort to seize the reins of power and force everyone to change.  In trying to fix large-scale issues, we can turn a blind eye to real people right before us. The issues and ideologies of our battle become impersonal.

Jesus, came to earth to deal with cosmic rebellion and provide salvation to the world.  Yet He spent a lot of time helping individuals.  Raising one child from the dead, helping a beggar gain his sight, or even healing a group of lepers did nothing to move the needle on global evil.  Yet as you read the Gospel accounts, repeatedly, in a sea of sinful humanity, He spent time with individuals.  While He did teach large crowds, most of His efforts were amazingly small.

Thinking back to the starfish story, small things matter to the recipients of love and care. The hard-line warriors, pastors, or others who count themselves as leaders, are often snide, angry, dismissive of others, and harsh. In fighting for the Kingdom of God, little of that kingdom’s characteristic concern for others shines through.  It is a vision of big-picture “truth” at the expense of individuals.

We must always start with the starfish at our feet.  You can’t clear the beach by ignoring them.  God puts us in our spots with people before our eyes.  Systemic change must always be rooted in the love of the individual, not love for ideology about individuals. Churches and communities need the love and call of Christ.  Truth must prevail in our churches and in people’s lives.  Before we go to war over ideologies, we must make sure we love the people behind each and every ideology.  This is the way of Jesus. God Himself makes His quest for global justice and restoration deeply personal.  He’s not fighting for ideological purity, he’s fighting for individuals’ souls.

The sacred truth of God’s Word is intensely rooted in love for my brothers, my neighbors, and my enemies.  My passion must be centered in that.  I’m too busy to get angry about ideologies when I’ve got starfish to throw back into the sea.

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