Out or In?

While riding my bike today at Lake Erie Metropark, I saw a group of teens at the beach volleyball court. They weren't playing volleyball. Their body language indicated an argument in progress. As I pedaled past, one of the kids yelled out, "Hey, mister! That was out, wasn't it?" By this time, I was well beyond the court, but I turned and yelled over my shoulder, "No, it was definitely in!" I couldn't understand the words of his reply, but the tone of his voice indicated that my opinion wasn't really appreciated. Of course, neither his question nor my reply were meant to be taken seriously. To have the right to call balls in or out, I would have had to stop, get off my bike and get sand in my shoes. I would have had to have gotten involved in the game.

As a Christian, I believe that there are moral boundaries that are just about as absolute as the lines on a volleyball court. And as a preacher, I must faithfully proclaim what is "in" and what is "out" according to God's word. But I wonder how often I do that while I'm zooming past the field of play, completely uninvolved in the action or in the lives of the players. And I wonder how often my pronouncements seem to my hearers to be no more relevant than my on-the-fly "call" on the volleyball court. You see, to have meaningful input into peoples' lives, you have to be willing to stop, get some sand in your shoes and get right in the middle of their struggles. Jesus had a few choice words for those who presumed to judge others from a distance without caring enough to be involved in their struggles: "Woe to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees! They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them." (Matthew 23:4) Twice in his ministry, in the face of overzealous self-appointed referees, Jesus quoted the words of the prophet Hosea: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."

I believe that I am called to stand for biblical truth and morality. But I believe the call of Jesus goes way beyond merely playing referee as I cruise on down the road. I recall the time the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus. "Hey mister," they asked, "she's 'out,' isn't she?" Jesus stopped, got right in the middle of the action--right down in the sand--and identified with her hurt, her guilt and her shame. Then, he called all of her accusers "out" and there was no arguing his call. "Who is it who calls you 'out'?" Jesus asked. And there wasn't anyone left. In my ministry, I want not so much to call people "out" as to call them "in" to the love of a merciful and gracious Savior.