Building on Faith

August 27, 2008

Jude 1:20-23

“But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on some who are wavering; save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies.”

It has been at least a year if not much longer. Specificity of time has a way of blurring in my mind. But, I do remember the actions of that morning very specifically. It was 7:30 in the morning and I was settling into my work when my office phone rang. It was Vioreca, a member of our custodial staff, who was frantically yelling into the phone. I couldn’t understand a word she was saying except for the part where she wanted me to come downstairs. I grabbed my cell phone figuring there was some sort of danger and I may need it somehow, closed the door and walked at a rapid pace. I could see her jumping up and down and waving at me to hurry. What I found as I looked out of the glass doors where she was standing was a man who was hurriedly trying to steal a trailer that belonged to our building supervisor, Steve. Steve was not on the church campus at the moment and so I walked out of the door (thank you adrenaline!) and simply said to the man, “May I help you?” The man replied that he was taking this for Presbyterian Hospital. I said, “No you’re not. You are going to detach it from your vehicle and you are going to leave.” He rapidly did what he was told and left.

I tell you that to say that if I hadn’t been more internally calm (I was cool as a cucumber externally) I would have wanted to ask him what was motivating him to do this illegal thing. There had to have been something behind the action—something with which I could have helped him. I was pleased that I had the presence of mind to call him on his action and reverse the behavior in the moment, however.

This is the point of Jude’s words: that as believers we are to focus our lives on developing our faith in three crucial ways—prayer in the Holy Spirit, love of God and waiting for Jesus’ mercy. (Now by the latter we have to understand that they were very focused in those days on the second coming of Jesus.) With all three of these in play in our lives, Jude suggests that these then cause us to demonstrate clear concern for the lives of others and thus, we are called to challenge the behaviors of others.

We are products of a culture, however, that has taught us well to not interfere with the lives of others and while there is value in allowing others to be as they are (especially when it is evident that they will not alter their ways or their behaviors,) there is something to be said for accountability with each other that motivates us to stay on the path of faith. Both perspectives should be held in moderation.

I have no way of knowing if the man attempting theft in our parking lot would ever change his ways, but if I had at least asked him why he was doing what he was doing there would have at least a been a chance that I could have guided him lovingly in a better way.

So, I wonder, are their people in our lives from whom we (who are faithful believers) have withheld our loving guidance? In order to offer that guidance though, we must be very careful and very clear that we are indeed right with God ourselves—we must be clearly focused on prayer, love and the practice of mercy.

May that be our mission this week—to be vessels of prayer, love of God and the practice of mercy! Amen.