What Lottie Moon Taught Me About Injustice, Gospel AR
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December 21, 2017 Toll free 1-800-803-5201 Vol. 182, No. 50 Informing. Inspiring. Connecting. www.thealabamabaptist.org INSIDE Alabama Bap- tists share Christ- mas ministries statewide Page 3 TAB AR 123rf.com photo, graphic by Lauren C. Grim Christmas backpacks show love of Christ to children in need What Lottie Moon taught me about injustice, gospel Page 5 By Lori McDaniel Moon, the 19th century Southern practice of foot-binding. The custom gospel. Her resolve to persist on the International Mission Board Baptist missionary who helped in- entailed bending a young girl’s toes front lines nearly 150 years ago in- ’ve met injustice face to face. spire the international missions offer- downward until her foot doubled spires me to tenaciously wrestle with She was a trafcked wom- ing that carries her name today. And and binding them tightly until they injustice and the gospel in my own an who stood beside me at a I feel a similar urgency myself. Writ- broke. The tighter the better. world today. train station in Asia, her pimp ing as if she were a The agonizing Here’s what Lottie’s example glaring from a few feet away. wartime correspon- pain resulted in a teaches me about injustice and the IEverything within me wanted to grab dent, Lottie sent deformed, three- gospel. her hand and rescue her. But our con- dispatches from inch foot believed versation ended abruptly and I don’t the front lines. Her to attract better Inner tension know where she is today. provocative letters marriage prospects We must live in the tension of in- I heard injustice cry out on asked the Church and a higher social justice. Lottie proclaimed the gospel Heroes of Faith: the edge of an African village as to courageously status. To a groom, while ministering to broken people ‘My Utmost for 10-year-old girls were “circumcised” send reinforce- “It is much more wrapped in the brutality of injustice. His Highest’ as part of a village tradition. The ments to advance important for her The inner tension she felt was thick. author Oswald village women sang in celebration, the gospel and to to have small feet She knew that unbinding the feet of Chambers and my heart split between anger compassionately than a pretty face,” a young girl came with risks. A girl and compassion. The need for justice give aid to those Lottie wrote. “As with unbound feet may have become Page 7 and the gospel weighed heavy on my dealing with op- to education, that an outcast, rejected by her family. soul. pression. Her words a mere whisper is neither desired nor expected.” But with feet bound, girls suffered “I cannot be silent,” wrote Lottie of the thunderous life she lived: “The Lottie spoke out, encouraging par- excruciating pain, were susceptible needs of these people press upon my ents to unbind their daughter’s feet to infection and death and would soul and I cannot be silent.” and to allow them to go to school. likely become uneducated child- And for 40 years, Lottie lived among brides. As many of us would, Lottie Voice for the voiceless people whose needs altered between wrestled through her options. “Has Lottie entered China to teach poverty, disease, war, persecution, the time come and are we strong women and school-aged girls. It famine and the results of human enough to make a decided stand on wasn’t long before she collided atrocities. the question of foot-binding?” she head-on with injustice in the Chi- She met injustice face to face with asked. “Shall we make it a rule that nese culture, specically the ancient a relentless love and the truth of the (See ‘Fight,’ page 7) PAGE 2 / THE ALABAMA BAPTIST / DECEMBER 21, 2017 COMMENT Awed and Overwhelmed ho has not stood awed by a mountain to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all vista or dazzled by a sparkling sunset? things, through whom also He made the world. W Who has not seen the majesty of God And He (the Son) is the radiance of His glory and as they cuddled a newborn child or been over- the exact representation of His nature, and up- whelmed by the reality of God as they gazed into holds all things by the word of His power” (Heb. a starlit sky? 1:2–3a). The psalmist knew such feelings. The opening THOUGHTS The Apostle John’s Gospel says, “The Word verses of Psalm 19 declare: became esh and dwelt among us and we beheld The heavens are telling of the glory of God; By Bob Terry His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the And their expanse is declaring the work of His Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14). hands. Both writers reference what theologians call Day to day pours forth speech, “incarnation,” the event we celebrate at Christmas. And night to night reveals knowledge. In Philippians 2:6–7, Paul denes incarnation There is no speech, nor are there words; explain the worldwide phenomenon of religion when he writes of Jesus, “who, although He ex- Their voice is not heard. and religions. isted in the form of God, did not regard equality Their line has gone out through all the earth, General Revelation may provide insights into with God a thing to be grasped but emptied Him- And their utterances to the end of the world. God as Creator and Sustainer but it cannot pro- self, taking the form of a bondservant and being Voiceless though it may be, His handiwork we vide a transforming knowledge of God’s love and made in the likeness of men.” call nature declares the glory of God. grace in behalf of humanity that “exchanged the Incarnation is the ultimate Special Revelation Centuries later the Apostle Paul picked up this truth of God for a lie” (Rom. 1:25). because the God who has always acted to make theme in his letter to the Christians at Rome. In That kind of knowledge can only come from Himself known ultimately reveals Himself in hu- Romans 1:20, he argued, “For since the creation what theologians call “Special Revelation.” man form — in the life of one individual, Jesus of of the world His (God’s) invisible attributes, His Special Revelation began with God’s choice Nazareth who was born in a Bethlehem stable. eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly of Israel through which all humankind was to be Incarnation is not something concocted by the seen, being understood through what has been blessed. God’s choice of Israel was a particular church at some theological council. It is recogni- made.” choice sealed with a covenant although it always tion of what Jesus said about Himself. In John looked forward to the eschatological kingdom of 6:46, Jesus declared, “No one has seen the Father Available to all except the One who is from God; only He has The Apostle Paul says God took the initiative to God. The writer of the Book of Hebrews uses a seen the Father.” Later, in John 10:30, Jesus said make Himself known in these ways (Rom. 1:19) plainly, “I and the Father are one.” In John 14:9, and this knowledge of God is available to all peo- summary statement to gather together the vari- ous ways God acted through Special Revelation Jesus is quoted as saying, “If you have seen Me, ple everywhere. you have seen the Father.” In Acts 14:17 the apostle expounds that theme to make Himself known to Israel. He writes, “In in his sermon to the pagans in Lystra. There Paul the past God spoke to our forefathers through ‘God was in Christ’ declares, “He (God) did not leave Himself without the prophets at many times and in various ways” Is it any wonder that Paul would later write to witness, in that He did good and gave you rains (Heb. 1:1). The Old Testament records the words the Corinthian Christians that “God was in Christ from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your and deeds of the prophets; the moral mandates of reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Cor. 5:19)? hearts with food and gladness.” the law; God’s actions in historical events; natural Earlier in that same letter he wrote the “knowl- When God acts to make Himself known, that phenomena; divine guidance of individuals and edge of the glory of God” could be seen “in the is called “revelation,” a word that means “unveil- groups, angels, dreams and visions; and more. face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). ing.” Both the psalmist and Apostle Paul contend God readily disclosed His nature and His will to Again, this is the ultimate “Special Revelation.” God took the initiative to make Himself known (to Israel because Israel was to make God known to During Christmas most of us will talk about reveal Himself) through the created order. all others. shepherds and wise men, about a tired donkey and Theologians call this “General Revelation.” One After the summary statement with which the a town crowded with tourists. We will focus on can see God’s power and majesty through General Book of Hebrews begins, the writer declares that Mary, Joseph and the infant swaddled and laid in Revelation, even God’s artistry and creativity. God has made an ultimate Special Revelation. The an animal’s feeding trough. Some even argue that General Revelation helps author writes, “In these last days He has spoken In the midst of the celebration of incarnation — of God coming in human form — let us not forget that it all happened because from the beginning God would not leave Himself without a witness in His desire to make Himself known to all people everywhere including you and me.