Which ministry, please?

I love the British designation for proper, fully-fledged bureaucrats: civil servants. The idea here is that these people are there primarily to serve the interests of the general public, and not to lord it over them, or drown them in red tape or hopelessly intricate tax return forms.


I like to think of Christians also in terms of being just servants, even serving society at large (hence civil servants) - and not just the community of believers. Some of us have quite a mixed record which includes both refusing to interact with the outside world of 'infidels', as well as attempting to strike up meaningful relationships with complete strangers through arranging games involving the whole family.


Lately I have begun reflecting on what it really means to be a 'civil' servant of both Jesus and his world. Sometimes it's easier to conclude what it doesn't implicate than to furnish ground-breaking answers relevant to most believers. Anyway, I have made up my mind not to play along with the super-pious, the secluded party of modern pharisees deeming themselves superior to this world and its ways, never missing an opportunity to display, in rather offensive and sometimes even vulgar fashion, their utter disdain or contempt for whatever doesn't fall in line with their notions of 'holy' activities.


That's why I would never wish to be a civil servant in either of their 'ministries' or 'departments'.


THE MINISTRY OF CONDEMNATION


The Christians belonging to this Ministry never shrink back from condemning people or activities, often on the basis of no or highly insufficient background information. And so the teenage girl becoming pregnant out of wedlock, or the lover of arts are consigned to very hot places on the basis of not living up to the strict demands of these holier-than-thous. The only thing these misguided servants achieve, is further cementing the divide between the communities of believer and unbeliever. Who would want to join this Society of Fire and Brimstone? Not many.


THE MINISTRY OF DEATH


While allegedly possessing the keys to eternal life, sometimes believers fix their attention on and pour all their energies into relentlessly pointing out any and every vice in society. Some even join political parties to be able to continue their tongue-lashing from a position of influence, insisting that atheist and God-fearing alike be forced to actively shun the (terrible) appetites for e.g. good food and drink or literature that even describes carnal activity between man and woman.


Yes, certainly, there are things that are positively vulgar and despicable, but I wouldn't want to sit in my ivory tower providing the authoritative canon of acceptable or unacceptable choices or preferences. There's death in the land, but why spend my waking hours in aiming my verbal gun at people who think differently from me on the subject of which films are bad enough to be censured.


Informed critique is welcomed, but not vitriolic hate-speech. Please take this to heart, those of you who are lesss than enthralled about Harry Potter and his world.


So what kind of Ministry would I want to join? Maybe either, or both, of the following two:


THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT


Jesus was fully aware of the shortcomings of all the people who dared to invite him over for dinner, yet he is never recorded as having spent his time with the various hosts complaining about the state of affairs in the land. He never seemed to be partial, either, to subjecting the owner of the house to the humiliating ordeal of having to listen to all his vices being detailed in sumptuous helpings.


Led by the Spirit at all times, Jesus instead turned his heart and mind to helping the scores of people who always would pester him wherever he went, craving his attention to their variuous needs. He even healed collaborators and salacious sinners without any hesitation or asking for Christian credentials. Maybe this was meant as an example for us to follow? Because, after all, most of our neighbours fall terribly short of reaching up to the demands of the pious. 


THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION


In my neighbourhood, there lives people who, despite living in what is presumed to be a Christian country, have very little knowledge of what being a follower of Jesus entails or means. A great deal are probably also ignorant of the fact that God has already taken the first step towards complete reconciliation between them and him.


2 Corinthians states that God has handed over to us the Ministry of Reconciliation. Being a civil servant in that Ministry is meant to be a joyous responsibility of declaring to the Biblically illiterate the incredible favour and love they are actually enjoying as a unique gift from the God they have so long ignored.


Consequently, it remains for all of us to fully recognize and embrace the privileges and duties as full-time civil servants in the Ministry of Reconciliation. We are here to carry Good News to the public squares and marketplaces. It's not our duty to curse society for its failings, but to do our labour of love in order for God to fully restore grace, love and dignity to our families, networks and workplaces.


A tall order. But can I long for less?