This Little Light of Mine

I broke up a robbery in progress last night. I was disturbed with how low key it was to all of them, both the guy getting robbed and the two who were robbing him. It was right in plain sight on the sidewalk on Main St.  After running over and shouting 'what's going on here?' I was ignored by the guy who was searching the victim's socks and the lady helping hold the guy down told me to mind my own business. The poor guy, with his nose bleeding, says to me, "They're robbing me!"

I have occasionally heard of Inner-City Winnipeg being referenced as some hideous, abominable place to be avoided at all costs. And what is so very sad is that I have usually heard this idea from Christians. On the other hand, John wrote, "But if anyone has the worlds goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" (1 John 3:17). James also wrote, "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?" "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9).

Can you imagine the transformation that would occur if God provided 1000 people, full of the Spirit and practicing love, and dropped them into Inner-City Winnipeg? People who would live in community and work at bringing the kingdom of God to their neighbours? People who would come not because they are in love with concrete and noise but because that's where God is, and where God has called them! (Check out Matthew 4:12-17). Let your light SHINE!

I would encourage you to get excited about what God is doing and seek his will for how you can be involved, for how you can be available. Whether that means volunteering somewhere, moving into the core area of Winnipeg, or inviting your neighbour over for supper. Whatever God has laid on your heart, go and do it.

Here is a simple explanation to discern the source of some voices you may here: Conviction is when God tells you to do something, and once you do it the conviction lifts and you are given peace and comfort and joy. Condemnation is when you feel bad for something and there is nothing to be done about it but mope around and feel bad. The Spirit of God convicts us, the devil condemns us. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom 8:1)