The imitation of Christ which embraces even the sacrificial
is both my observation and experience which never fails to inspire hope.
A leap into the unknown, throwing caution to the wind yet buoyed up by the anchor of an enduring faith which will prove stronger than the fiercest storm.
But listen, hear it in the boardroom, read it in the articles, and note it on the lips of those starting out on a career in the church as the framework insidiously shifts:
as the notion of sacrifice fast loses its currency in exchange for talk
of assessing the cost, raising the capital and calculating the going rate.
The worker deserves his wages.
So tell me:
What compensation for the death of a child through food-poisoning
at an Indian wedding feast?
Or the loss of a parent in an accident on Sri Lankan roads?
Is there a figure for reverse culture shock and its collateral damage –
the sense of displacement, the yearning, the never feeling at home?
How does one reimburse families for the 9 months in every year
when children are sent away to be educated? How is the loss of family life adjusted?
And what’s the going rate for those living in sub-standard accommodation,
having chosen part-time employment in order to free up space to share time
and share Jesus with others?
The worker deserves his wages.
Indeed, it’s true and those who have wages to give must heed their own call.
But wait,
look again at the context in which these words about working and wages were spoken – a sending out, a leaving behind and a going forward into uncertainty,
where even safety, food and shelter were not a given.
Like lambs among wolves – risky living indeed.
Let us never forget that the One who sends, the One we follow is the very same I AM
who called Abraham out of all he knew well and whose promise is enough:
‘I am your shield and your very great reward.’