Yes, the title is "Faith Popcorn and a Proverb". No commas are needed because Faith Popcorn is a real person, not something you eat while watching Christian movies. In 1981 she coined the term “cocooning” to describe what she perceived to be a trend for people to stay at home away from perceived danger. This was twenty years before 9/11 and before the mass shooting epidemic. It was before the internet both amplified the perceived threats and gave a pleasant way of escaping while in the safety of your home. In 2013, in an issue of Fortune magazine, Faith Popcorn said that cocooning had become the normal lifestyle and that “uber-cocooning” and “bunkering” were now becoming trends as people had even greater fear of engagement with what was perceived to be an increasing threatening world. This trend is increasing. Our homes really have become our castles where we retreat and avoid interacting with those around us (except via social media). This has taken place even though since 1981 the crime rate has dropped significantly for almost every category of crime. It is getting safer outside, but we are retreating more and more. We live in a “hide behind the walls” culture and reinforce our beliefs by what we watch on our screens.
We need to hear the words of Scripture: Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? Proverbs 24:11-12 ESV We are not called to cocoon. We are called to be salt and light in a world that desperately needs Jesus. When we retreat into the safety of our homes and ignore the cries for help around us, we are placing our light under a bushel basket. We, though we might claim to be Christ-followers, wind up much like those who walked right past the man who had been robbed on the road to Jericho. When you read this opening line of this Proverb, who immediately came to mind? Who are those being taken away to death and led to slaughter? This passage places a responsibility before us: we are to rescue those being led away to death. It warns us against closing our eyes against what we have seen and to become active in saving those who are heading for destruction. There are those who are being led away to destruction by their addictions. The opioid crisis, alcohol, heroin and other drugs are enslaving people and destroying lives. Pornography and sexual sins are keeping people in bondage and devastating marriages to the point that marriage itself is becoming an afterthought. This is one of the reasons that we have a Celebrate Recovery program. This is an effective way to lead people to freedom in Christ. Know someone who is struggling? Invite them Celebrate Recovery on Friday night. It starts with a meal at 6:15 on Friday. If they are hesitant, offer to pick them up and attend with them! Or if you don’t know anyone who is struggling, you can always volunteer to help on Friday nights. Did you know Coon Rapids made Rolling Stone a few years ago? They carried a story about a young girl who went to a friend's house after skating at Cheap Skate. It was at her friend's house that she met the woman who talked her into going on a road trip. A few days later she found herself being prostituted in Texas. Human trafficking is a major issue that hides in the shadows all around us. Evil networks have learned that humans are much more profitably trafficked than drugs. Perhaps this is the issue that immediately popped into your mind. There are organizations that are actively fighting this evil…why not get involved? One of the great tragedies of our lifetimes is the number of abortions that are performed in the United States. This practice obviously affects the unborn child, but it also leads to great harm to the mother who often deals with the emotional trauma of the decision for the rest of her life. This may be the issue that Jesus wants you to get involved with. You may have a someone that the Lord is calling you to help. Or perhaps you want to get involved with a ministry that deals with the issue. New Life Pregnancy Center is an effective program here in the Twin Cities that you might want to check out. Issues like addiction, trafficking, and abortion grab the headlines. These are the manifestations of a deeper problem: sin. The Bible tells us that people are enslaved to sin and are headed toward an eternity in hell. They are all “being taken away to death” and “stumbling towards slaughter.” We cannot close our eyes to this reality. The gospel is the only hope of saving those around us who are headed towards hell. We are all called to be witnesses of the death and resurrection. We are ambassadors and representatives of Christ. Our neighbors, co-workers, friends and relatives need to hear the gospel. How can we be content with cocooning when eternity is at stake? May the Lord lead us out of our comfortable patterns and into the center of his will. May we be ones who take seriously the call to be his witnesses and to lead people to freedom in Christ!
1 Comment
Joe Healy:
6/22/2019 12:11:13 pm
Last year my neighbor Jeff said something like (I don't have much of a life. Seens like all I do is just exist, nothing more). We have prayed for salvation for all our neighbors and have had opportunities in the past to share our faith but most were pasted up. That's not happening anymore. God has given us the command to GO!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Word of Life Staff
A place for the Word of Life staff and guest writers to share of themselves in writing with the Word of Life family. Archives
August 2021
Categories |