IT’S NOT YOUR JOB TO SAVE THE WORLD

The Example of Van Jones

I’ve seen it happen a couple hundred times. A pastor takes on the burden of saving the world. He or she believes (s)he needs to be somebody. They must make an impact in the world. They must use their voice for justice. It’s up to them. It’s a heavy load to take on - the burden of saving the world.

This sets into motion a set of behaviors by these pastors. Working endless hours to recruit people into the cause God has given them. Speaking, platforming, organizing. All the while, the stresses continue of keeping up with one’s duties as a pastor of a people, and a father/mother to a family. Finances are usually strained. There’s often guilt because the pastor is calling others to a behavior and presence he or she herself cannot maintain.  And of course, there are disappointments. They hit hard. He or she takes them personally. When criticisms come, they go into self-protection mode. They struggle with sleep, anger that things are not going their way, and self-pity. Mental, emotional and physical fatigue hits. Oh does it hit. It’s all a perfect cocktail for a burnout of massive proportions.

All the therapy in the world can’t cure someone from the burden of saving the world. And so pastors often eventually quit. The burden is just not bearable for any human. And then, we go into dark depression over the demise of the dream, and the hurt, and the people who have been hurt in the wake of this pursuit. No matter what level you’ve experienced this reality, there is no getting out of this until you are able to fully grasp that it is not your job to save the world. It is God’s. And He has already saved the world in Jesus Christ. And He is now in motion working in and among people groups, structures, systems and ideologies, bringing the world to Himself.

The Example of Van Jones

In a Yahoo finance piece recently (see it here), Van Jones describes how Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos gave him 100 million dollars in 2021 to do with as he wishes. He can give it all to his own charity, or he can share the wealth. It is up to him. Bezos lauded Jones, and Chef Jose Andres (who also received 100 million) saying “We need unifiers and not vilifiers,… people who argue hard and act hard for what they believe … they do that always with civility and never ad hominem attacks.” Bezos saw them as role models for doing justice in the world. He was aiding them to do more of it.

Jones was grateful to say the least. “Sometimes dreams come true” he said. You would think that now, with 100 million dollars, surely Jones’ ability to accomplish great things to save the world would be unlimited (in a sense). But with great power comes great responsibility as the Yahoo article says. And this burden was heavy.  Jones said, there were insurmountable obstacles but also insurmountable opportunities. The doors just kept opening and opening, with haters, criticism, and stress. “I realized, I was gonna put myself in an early grave because you have insurmountable opportunities,” Jones said.

Jones talks about his journey of prayer, meditation, fitness and finding a vision for “being a vessel.” But what I see here in Jones is a metaphor for anyone who seeks to take on the job of saving the world with worldly power. Even with 100 million dollars, without God, and His empowering work among us to participate in and submit to, we will go down under the burden and disappointments of taking on the job of saving the world. This job is not possible, even with 100 million dollars. It will take you down.

Three Tips

I suggest a few things are important to learn as a pastor leader in being a worker for the Kingdom of God. Recognize:

1.)   It’s not you that will save the world. It’s not you that will heal people. God has already conquered sin, death and evil and He is bringing the world to Himself. God, in other words, has already saved the world. He is active in the world amidst the evil. It is His power and presence that will save the world. AND SO YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOUR AGENCY. YOU HAVE TO SHIFT IT.  YOU MUST SHIFT TO BECOMING A PARTICIPANT IN HIS AGENCY, HIS WORK, WHAT HE IS DOING, versus doing the work itself.

2.)   Cultivate a “presence based church”. Shape a church to be present to God’s presence in the neighborhoods we live in and minister in. Let us first recognize/teach the power of His presence, not only in our inner souls as subjects of Jesus, but among us in the places of social upheaval and in justice. Then let us lead people into making space for God’s presence to work in these places, not through violence or coercion or our own herculean efforts, but by speaking truth in love, praying, eating with enemies, standing “with” people in their struggles for justice, calling people to repentance, reconciliation and transformation of resources. When things move, let us recognize God and cooperate with Him. This I contend is the way many a social revolution for justice began.  

3.)   Practice the patience. God works subtly. Often beneath the surface. The results are not immediate. But let us rejoice, practice celebration the smallest breakthroughs for the Kingdom. And God’s justice will erupt. Remember all the prayer, the cultivating of non- violent truth to neighbors, by John Lewis, Ela Baker, in the early days of SNCC and those 3 Woolworth lunch counter sit ins in the Jim Crow South. When the time arrived for the fruit of this cultivation to erupt, those 3 meetings turned to 53 meetings, and the Jim Crow south was disrupted for the Kingdom

True significant changing of the world is out of your control. It will take place in ways you probably cannot see. God’s power and presence works differently. Let us become agents of His work in the world reconciling the whole world to Himself (2 Cor 5: 16-21)

Want more on this topic? Listen to this episode (right here) of #TheologyOnMission Podcast.