Beggars All

My sister recently told me a story about her experience feeding deer that visited in her yard.  In the beginning there were two that showed up.  No big deal. So, she fed them. Next thing she knew there were ten coming for the feast.  At this point she decided to close the buffet.  The question we were talking about as she told the story had to do with the way animals seem to know stuff and the way they let the others know about it.  Seems like one deer tells another where there is easy and convenient food.

 

It made me think about an old definition of evangelism which said,  "One beggar telling another beggar where there is food."  It is a simple enough definition of an important spiritual discipline, but unfortunately the deer seem to do it better.   Maybe we have lost the realization that we are beggars, or if we want to use the Biblical term, sinners.  Maybe we have gotten so accustomed to having plenty and feeling good about ourselves that we no longer look in the mirror and see a sinner who is keenly dependent on God's grace.  And an even bigger concern is the possibility that we do not understand the supreme importance of the salvation offered through Christ on the cross.

 

The church no longer seems to be filled with folks who think of themselves as sinners with a desperate need for Jesus.  When we lost sight of this basic fundamental about ourselves, we no longer saw the need to bring others because everyone around us seems to be doing ok as well.  Ah, this theology of doing ok and feeling good.. it is surely, along with good intentions, a part of the road that leads to Hell.