Shaking Hands with Tomorrow

2 Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 2:1-18

Before we speak of the future let us consider the present. Thursday a week ago, the FLC hosted the monthly meeting of 30 Compassionate Friends, a support group for parents who have lost children. Friday night, the FLC hosted the UPSTATE Christian Singles ministry for their Valentine Gathering of over 130. On Friday night our Upward Program Celebrated their 2006 Basketball season with a banquet, with 400 in attendance. Then on Sunday the FLC played host to 70% of our Bible study classes. Don’t worry about the numbers, instead take note of the following.

1.      One night compassion is shown, the next fellowship, the following night the gospel is preached, and finally the Bible is taught.

2.    The community, as well as the church family is welcome to participate.

3.     People who never go to church were welcomed here, the gospel was presented in action and in word.

4.    Only compassionate friends could have meet if we did not have the FLC. The others would be non-existent, and Bible study space would be limited.

In the present some good things are happening, both the youth and adults will go on mission trips this summer. In next month’s newsletter you will see that several families who are a part of our family first came to our CDC.  I’m sure from a certain perspective these accomplishments seem small. But, we have never worried about size, to us it is about direction, and these steps are FORWARD they are toward the future.

No one can predict the future but as George Will is fond of saying, “The future has a way of arriving unannounced."  It sneaks up on us and does not always look like the past.

In 1954 Jim Reeves, Perry Como, and Frank Sinatra were the top in the field of music. Everyone assumed the future looked like more of the same.  Jim Denny was certainly knowledgeable about music, he was a regular on the Grand Ole Opry but he could not see the future. "You ain't going nowhere, son. You ought to go back to driving a truck,” was his advice to Elvis.

Elvis was the future. So, as God’s people we must be thankful for what we see but we must be preparing for the future.

But we live by faith, not by what we see.

                                                --2 Corinthians 5:7

Thus we must turn our attention to the future, because those who do not think about the future cannot have one.

The future can be approached from one of two perspectives. Do you know where the custom of the handshake originate? And why is it, primarily done between men not women? In its oldest recorded use, 2800 B.C., a handshake signified the conferring of power from a god to an earthly ruler. In Babylonia, around 1800 B.C., it was required that the king grasp the hand of a statue of Marduk, not the comic strip Marduk, but the Babylonian chief deity. The act, which took place annually during the New Year’s festival, served to transfer authority to the King for an additional year. So persuasive was the ceremony that when the Assyrians defeated and occupied Babylon, the Assyrian Kings continued the practice.

Folklore offers an earlier more speculative origin of the handshake: An ancient villager who met a man he didn’t recognize reacted automatically by reaching with his right hand for his dagger. The stranger would do likewise and the two would circle each other cautiously for a few moments. If both became satisfied they had nothing to fear from the other, the daggers were returned to their sheathes, and right hands, the weapon hands, were extended as a token of good faith. This also explains why women, who until recent history, did not bear weapons and never developed this custom of the handshake.

While the handshake has eroded into a simple greeting, it remains a powerful symbol of good faith and trust among people.

Most of us have heard, and possibly said, the saying, “good fences make good neighbors.” I grew up in a community where the only fences were the decorative white picket fence kind. In fact most yards were unfenced and invited weekend pick-up football games. When I moved to New Orleans, however, I was introduced to a maze of fences and walls. Fences cover New Orleans like sand covers the Hawaiian Islands. The apartment complex Jo Ann and I lived in was surrounded or protected by a wrought iron fence six feet tall. The gate leading to our building was locked and could only be opened with a key. The truth is good fences usually indicate we don’t trust our neighbors. Fences physical, social, or religious only say, “KEEP OUT, WE DON’T WANT YOU.”

The symbols of shaking hands (showing good faith) and building fences (keep out) reveal the two ways the people of God can approach the future.  In verse nine (9) of Galatians chapter 2  Peter, James, John and Paul shake hands like statesmen at a summit in Washington or Moscow. The Jerusalem summit symbolized a cooperative effort of including both Jews and Gentiles in the family of God. To Paul, the handshake was how he had always ministered---in good faith he took the “old, old story” to Jews, Greeks, and Romans, to anyone who would listen.

Later in verse eighteen (18) Paul accuses Peter because of his refusal to eat with gentiles, of building fences and walls to keep the gospel guarded. Obviously this is Paul’s side of the story and we never hear from Peter, yet Peter’s silence and what we know about the church in Jerusalem indicates Paul’s version of the story is accurate.

So we can approach the future by building walls or by shaking hands. We can approach the first with trust, reaching out to others or with fear trying to keep others out. Intentionally we are approaching the future with our arms wide open.

No one can predict the future so usually we stand there with fear and trembling. Such fear causes us to do nothing, we become paralyzed. This is a natural response. When Mary discovered she was with child the angel comforted her with, “Fear not.” It’s a honest reaction, to be afraid when we stand on the threshold of tomorrow.

While I cannot predict the future a forecast is not out of the question. In the future crisis and difficulties will continue to arise. In the future people will need a place to turn to find hope and healing. Ministries who offer a warm welcome to the broken will make a difference for Christ. You and I are a part of a revolution. We are proud members of the body of Christ. “Fear Not” is the angles word to us, not because we are clever but because God is with us.

Since we believe the future is in God’s hand let’s not be afraid. Since we believe Jesus can save let’s share his love. Since we believe God has been generous to us let us open our fist and share. Since we believe God loves us,  let us love one another. Since we believe hope is greater than fear let’s reach out our hand to the outsider. Let’s show the world what we believe by living out our faith.