It was dry, so dry so very dry. It was drier than anyone
could remember. Not a hint of moisture could be found, no matter how hard you
might search for it. Nothing would grow in the dry soil; not grass, not
flowers, not even weeds. What life could exist in a drought like this one? The
ground was so dry that great clouds of dust flew up from the soles of your
shoes when you walked on it. The dust was everywhere. Despite the best efforts
to keep it out, it found its way into your eyes, your nose, even your mouth. If
you licked an envelope to seal it, even your tongue was dry.
The heat made the drought even worse. It radiated off the
sidewalk in shimmering waves. Even at night, it didn’t let up. The day was bright
and hot, and the night was dark and hot. People compared it to the interior of
a blast furnace; and they stayed inside their homes with the doors and windows
shut tight. That was the only way that they could avoid the dust that crept everywhere
and the searing heat that never seemed to end.
Since all the people stayed inside their homes, they didn’t
meet their neighbors. They didn’t know if those neighbors had children or cats
or a dog. Sometimes, people didn’t even know if they had neighbors! All they knew was that if they stayed inside, they
could avoid the worst of the dust and the heat. So they put all their energies
towards making their homes as comfortable as possible. They installed air
conditioning that made their homes livable. They installed carpeting that
offered comfort to their bare feet. They even installed multiple shower heads
in their baths in an effort to imitate the rain that never fell. Pretty soon,
they were used to living that way; and they hardly remembered when things were
any different.
One morning when the people woke up, something was
different. Although it was nearly nine in the morning, the sky was dark. Oh, it
wasn’t the dark of midnight; but it wasn’t the hot, bright morning light that
they had known every other day. No, on this day, there were clouds in the sky.
And that sky was getting darker by the minute. As the people craned their necks
to look out their windows, the wind began to blow. It came in great gusts,
picking up loose patio furniture and tossing it topsy-turvy. It spun the dust
around in tiny tornadoes that whirled and jumped and danced over the dry
ground. It arrived with a great noise, a booming “Whoosh” that was exciting and
frightening all at the same time.
And then – almost before the people knew what was happening
– it started to rain. This was no gentle sprinkle. No, this was a downpour! The
dust exploded into little clouds of irritation as the raindrops disturbed it.
But it soon quieted as the parched soil received the healing water. People
began to pour out of their homes, caring not at all that they were drenched
within seconds. On the contrary, they felt as though they had been given new
life! They stood in the rain laughing, their faces turned towards heaven and
their mouths open to drink in all the water that they could. And as the rain
cooled the air that had once been so very hot, it became mild and comfortable.
It felt as though the whole world had been refreshed.
When the rain stopped, people looked around them. Why, there
were neighbors that they had never met! Words of greeting filled the air. “Hi,
I’m Art… Edna… Rick… Katie…” “Why, you have a new baby!” “You must come over
and join us for lunch some time!” The next day brought an even more unexpected
surprise. Tiny green shoots were already poking their heads through the soil
that just yesterday had been nothing but dust. With the coming of the
unexpected showers, life began again.
Does this story sound familiar? It should. That may be a
strange comment considering how much rain we’ve had lately here in west central
Ohio. But the Church (not the church small “c”, the church capital “C”) is
living through one of the hottest, driest periods in its history.
It’s hot because the culture around us is no longer friendly
to the Church of Jesus Christ. Oh, we’re not persecuted like the Church is in
many other countries. On the contrary – we’re ignored. Athletics and other
kinds of school activities now demand the attention of Christian families, even
on Sunday morning. Church activities are no longer at the center of our lives;
they’re on the margins if they’re in our lives at all. And it’s dry because the
Church is no longer a vital force in society. Once upon a time, the voice of
the Church was not only listened to, but sought after. Now, the Church is seen
all too often as outdated, like a quaint lace doily offered for sale in Ye Olde
Antique Shoppe. We live amidst the dust of programs that worked 60 years ago,
but are no longer vital in calling people to the gospel of Jesus Christ and
winning them as disciples. Yes, we’re oppressed by the heat and stifled by the
dust. And so, we’ve pulled back into our churches to wait it out. We’ve remodeled
and redecorated and gotten comfortable. We’ve tried to sweep the dust away, but
it keeps filtering back into our lives as much as we try to get out of it.
On that long-ago Pentecost morning, Jesus’ disciples were
stifled by heat and dust just like we are today. They were baking in the heat of
the Roman Empire and choking in the dust of the past. What changed them from a
discouraged, frightened little group into apostles of Jesus Christ, apostles
who spread the gospel message throughout the world regardless of the cost? It
was the rain of the Holy Spirit that drenched them in courage and in power! We
need some of that rain, and we need it desperately! We need the wind of the
Spirit to sweep into our lives and blow away the dust of the past. We need that
wind to get us ready for something new. Then we need the rain of the Spirit to fall
into our hot, dry lives refreshing us and moving us outward into the world. When
that rain falls, new growth will begin. Green shoots of mission will sprout up
where we have known only desolation. Flowers of hope will bloom in the middle
of barrenness; and the fruit of love will be gathered from vines that extend
their tendrils all the way around the world! It won’t happen overnight. New
growth takes time. I planted young plants in my garden just yesterday; and I
won’t taste any tomatoes for a couple of months. But I know that day is coming.
Now, I can’t tell you when the Spirit’s rain will fall on
us. No one can forecast that kind of divine weather activity. But I can tell you with absolute
confidence that the rain of the Spirit will fall one day. It may fall when we
least expect it, perhaps at a time when we are discouraged and depressed and
feel like failures. That’s when unexpected showers of the Spirit will drench us
in renewed hope and fill us with courage! We don’t have to be afraid of the
heat and the dust. Go get an umbrella! One of these days, it’s going to rain!
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