It may come to no surprise that for many of the children that we work with daily are fighting a battle. The battle is to make it through school, make it to tutoring twice a week, or simply make it down the street. But who are the armed men fighting these battles? Should a nine year old really be in charge of fighting her own battle? Is she really ready for the front lines? In other countries where child soldiers are present, the evening news onlookers gasp at the atrocity of having a child fight in their own country’s battle. However, around here, there are child soldiers. While the weapons are not always similar to machine guns, it is still a battle nonetheless.
The answer is the church. The church is the troop of soldiers who should be fighting these battles. The people of the church have been given the power of the Holy Spirit within them to enact change, give people the good news, and provide every need that is seen and unseen. This power is the same power which created the world, parted the red sea, turned water into wine, and raised Christ from the dead. That is an incredible power living inside of me that I can imagine to you, the reader, is overwhelming as well. But this is the power we are equipped with to fight the battles at hand. As children starve for healthy food, wander the streets for a place to live, struggle to pay rent without the thought of homeownership, and press through the darkness looming in the projects the church sometimes forgets the power that it as.
However, Sunday night and this morning I saw perfect representations of the fighting that needs to take place by believers in Christ Jesus. Last night we met with group of people who have a heart for the city of Richmond and live in the east end. This group called East End Fellowship is filled with people from all walks of life who are willing to press through the darkness with the power of light that created their passion for the area to see change. Gathering once a month in someone’s home, prayers, praise stories, confessions, and struggles are all shared. One man stepped up and offer to buy another house to be sold to a family in need to help on the road to home ownership and another man asked for our help in his campaign to run for the local school board to bring the justice of Christ to that area. Teachers, pastors, mothers, fathers, young couples, and us, the four college interns worshipped and prayed that the Lord would take his hand over this land of Church Hill and make it completely His. This group, through fellowship and commitment to the area are fighting for the city and fighting for each people living in Church Hill. Moses explained to the Israelites that “The Lord will fight for you; you only need to be still.” Exodus 14:14. He was assured by God of his power and that his spirit would reign over that land just as it is here in Church Hill. We are part of God’s army. It is time that we start fighting with the belief of the power that Christ died to give us here on this earth.
This morning also helped me to understand what this fight looks like. Tamon, a neighborhood middle schooler who has been living with Percy and Angie for the past year and a half has recently left their house, gotten into some trouble, and been put in juvenile detention. With a passion for Tamon and for the hearts of the children in this area, Percy and Angie became about the business of fighting for his soul. Dressed to impressed, both attended his arrangement with the hope of Tamon returning home with them in the afternoon. However, choosing to continue to rebel, Tamon has been placed with his grandmother who seems unfit to care for him. The passion that ran inside Percy and Angie painted a picture of what this battle lines are like. They were soldiers yesterday and would have done anything for their spiritual child. Just like God called out to Adam in the garden and asked “Where are you?” Percy and Angie called out to Tamon. But like Adam, who was afraid, I imagine Tamon was afraid of what God and his “parents” would think. But God told us we could approach the thrown with confidence and without condemnation. That is just what Percy and Angie would have down. It would have been like the prodigal son returning home with the best robe and best feast awaiting his return.
Can I be like Percy and Angie? Can the church begin to be about the business of fighting battles? What weapons do you have to use to enter combat? God has given us his Holy Spirit and we are each equipped with skills and gifts to search out the needs of those around us, fight for righteousness, and welcome home the lost.
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