• Taking and being the Church in a non-church environment.  (Matthew 28:18-20 *note:  ”all nations” has no boundaries of social class, job environment, race, religion, nationality, etc.)
• Hearing ‘their’ cries.  (Exodus 3:7-9)
• Restoration.  (Romans 8:18-24, Revelation 21:3-5)

Funny, after writing these out, I realized how much they go hand in hand.

I attended a funeral last week.  The weirdest part is that it wasn’t for somebody who was not living.  On the contrary, it was for a living and breathing soul–me.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.  2 Corinthians 5:17

If God freed our people once before, couldn’t God do it again?  And so it’s here, in exile by the river, amid the tears of despair, that God’s people begin to dream again.  Their repentance gives them hope to see a future beyond the bitterness of all they have lost.

Quote from Rob Bell and Don Golden’s Jesus Wants to Save Christians (pg. 54)

So often, we look at our own “exiles” as a bad thing.  I’m not sure that’s the case.  Sure–in the midst of things it feels hopeless and helpless especially, when you don’t know where you’re going.  However, it’s in exile when you ask yourself, “How did I get here?”  And soon enough you have a follow up question of, “Where am I going?”  And that’s when the DREAMING happens!  Right there, in the middle of exile, you dream.

If you know me well–I’m a dreamer.  I’ve had it said to me, “That’s a great idea (dream) but lets bring it down to size.”  When you’re a dreamer there’s nothing more heart wrenching and deflating than that!

It was a couple of years ago when I had the opportunity to hear a missionary from Africa speak at our church.  I have one of his quotes (something he felt God saying to him) on my white board in my office that says, “I’m tired of your small mind about my work!”  That quote blew me away.  When the God who created the heavens and the earth, night and day, every living creature and knows mankind inside and out says, “I’m tired of your small mind about my work,” to you–you probably want to be paying attention!

So, when exile is here–I will dream!  I won’t dream dreams and then, “take them down to size.”  That sounds like an insult to the Artist.  I will dream BIG dreams and EXPECT the Artist to create something mind-blowing!

I took this picture this morning at sunrise.  Woke up at 4:30am and couldn’t fall back asleep so I decided to get my day started.  I’m calling this picture “Come and Listen,” not sure why…it just seems to fit.

How do you view the “least of these”?