IMAGINE
REMEMBER, IMAGINE? John Lennon’s 1971 idea of peace and harmony.
Let’s all say “Aaahh.” (YouTube: John Lennon and the Plastic Ono
Band.) Lennon’s lyrics are only a faint echo from eternity of something
more. Jesus too, has a dream of harmony. It’s that one day His disciples
would “live as one.”
GET YOUR “AAHHS” READY; “My prayer for all of them is that they will
be one, just as you and I are one . . . and the world will believe you sent
me.” John 17:21 (NLT) That is the idea behind “the Church Without
Shoes.” The dream of living, serving, cooperating, rather than competing.
It’s an idea of submitting to rather than “one upping,” declaring our
oneness in the risen Christ. Then the light focuses not on our churches
but on One . . . Jesus our Lord.
INSTEAD OF PAIRING OFF by mini distinctions and styles, by the kind of
“Christian shoes” we wear, Jesus prays we live more effectively for His
purpose. John and Yoko sang for world peace. Jesus prays we live as one
so the world will believe He is for real! Jesus prays we kick off our
separatist shoes so the world sees we are really His feet.
PASTOR SEAN OF SHELTER COVENANT SAYS, “The shoes we wear: our
denominations, our practices and beliefs are simply footwear to help us
walk with Jesus. Once our footwear becomes a way of hiding our feet or
saying hey look at my shoes, or we have the best shoes rather than look
at my feet then we have lost site of the church without shoes.” When we
stop focusing on our shoe styles and run barefoot together, walls begin to
fall and a joy and freedom rises up from our oneness in Christ.
IMAGINE GOING TO THE BEACH, stepping out of those safe, dry shoes and
running like children in the wet sand. Don’t you feel a little happy?
Imagine His Church, multiple congregations kicking off their shoes, not
competing but living with a sense of unity. Paul emphasizes Jesus’ point
to people living in the City of Philippi: “Make me truly happy by agreeing
wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working
together with one heart and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make
a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better
than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested
in others, too, and what they are doing.” Phil 2:2-4 (NLT)
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I don’t know exactly, but some churches
are asking the question. Pray for them. We know best what it doesn’t
look like. We’ve shown the world that way for years. Dare they imagine
we might share Jesus’ prayer and dream?
