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Epiphany 3, January 26, 2003

The Appointed Time Grows Short

Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Psalm 62:5-12
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Mark 1:14-20

If we could, at this time, shrink the Earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look like this:

There would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Western Hemisphere (North and South) and 8 Africans.

70 would be non﷓white; 30 white.

70 would be non﷓Christia923 0 Christian.

50% of the entire world wealth would be in the hands of only 6 people.

All 6 would be citizens of the United States.

70 would be unable to read.

50 would suffer from malnutrition.

80 would live in sub-standard housing.

Only 1 would have a college education.

This provocative picture of the world's people was circulated on the Internet a few years ago. It bears on the theme of missions indicated by the Old Testament and Gospel texts, one of the traditional messages after Epiphany.

It has long been apparent to me that our evangelism is based on the people we need rather than the needs of people. We need educated people to be the volunteer staff of the church. We need
people who can teach Sunday School and lead finance campaigns. We need the people who have money to support finance campaigns. We reason that we cannot reach the needy if we don't fill
the church with the capable.

In the global town described above, there are only six people we'd be interested in recruiting for church membership--we and everybody else.

This isn't the evangelism of Jesus. This isn't the evangelism of the early church. This isn't the mind of Christ that Paul counsels in the Epistle Lesson.

Fifty people are ready to talk with us about the grace of God over a meal.

Seventy are ready to talk about the Word of God with us as we teach them to read.

Eighty are ready to talk with us about the Kingdom of God working beside us to patch holes in their walls.

Suppose we, the thirty Christians, were to sell all we have, sell our church buildings, sell our personal possessions, leave our homes and join hands to bring the message of Christ to the seventy. It would not only melt the hearts of the remaining seventy but also of the six of them who have half the money. "I mean brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short..." (1 Corinthians 7:29)
Roland McGregor, Pastor
Asbury United Methodist Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

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