Charlie Wilson's War

I just finished watching Charlie Wilson's War with Jayme and David. At the end of the movie, Charlie Wilson, who is played by Tom Hanks, makes a very interesting statement about the legacy of America's foreign affairs. He said that America goes around the world, and we change the world and then we leave. At the end of the movie, there is this quote, "These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world...and then we f***ed up the end game." Now this refers to America and how America waltzes into other countries seeking reform, trying to give them freedom and democracy, and then when we clear out all of the obstacles, and we leave without teaching them and helping them learn how to live as free people, and new obstacles rise up in there way, or the old ones re-emerge.

Now I am not trying to argue politics and what should have/should be done overseas, because for one I am no longer very politically minded. Secondly, I am not sure that America is the proper actor of any of this anyway. However, I think what Charlie Wilson said offers a valid critique on Christians and how a lot of us evangelize. We seek to change the world, and we preach a message that claims transformation and redemption, and then we leave. This is most prevalent in a lot of street evangelism, but not all. We go out and proclaim His name, without realizing the commitment and time that is needed to see this work come to fruition. I think all to often we fall back onto a planting seed mentality, that we forget to see that, that seed needs to be watered, planted, pruned and taken care of, and that takes time. Evangelism cannot be a drive by giving of the gospel, but needs to be a consistent and constant teaching.

I mean we are giving a message that promises eternity, so why do we think eternity can be sown in a few minutes, or even a few hours, days, or months. If we hope to save those for eternity we must be willing to give our very lives for eternity. Street evangelism cannot be a daily/weekly event where you go out for two hours and then are done. That type of evangelism is too clean, it is too safe, and there is nothing clean or safe about the love that Christ has given us. Rather, when we go out for a few hours, we must be willing to give our lives and time for those we come into contact with. We must be willing to see our work through until the end. Now maybe God will not always call us to see every work we begin to the end, but what if he does. Isn't better to error on the side of too much love than too little. We must learn to live, laugh, love, and hurt with the people we are reaching out to not just simply talk to them and then leave.

Now this is a radical call. It means our schedules will be messed up. It means our lives will change. It means we will become vulnerable. It means at time our faith will be put on center stage. It means we risk being hurt, humiliated, and betrayed. Drive-by evangelism is much easier and it is a lot safer, and at times may seem more appealing, but drive-by evangelism will never build the Kingdom. It is too easy, and it does not require your life. But the call of Christ requires your life, so why do we so often try and find ways to take it back. He demands our life, and those whom we live with that are dying need it. Are we so selfish that we choose to selfishly hold our lives while others die? Are we messing up the end game? I want to see the world change for real. God desires the world to change for real? So, let us be willing to change the world for real. Let us see it through to the end. Let's get dirty. Let us give our lives for eternity!