I read this Brian Zahnd quote a few days ago, "The
unity of the Church isn't about speaking one language. (That's Babylon.) It's
about one gospel spoken in many tongues. Don't shrink Pentecost to an
individual spiritual experience. Pentecost isn't about individualism; Pentecost
is about our unity in the Holy Spirit."
The words resonated deeply within me. My mind quickly went
back to the 2006 movie, We Are Marshall. Matthew McConaughey plays the young Jack
Lengyel who arrives at Marshall after a great tragedy that has cost the lives
of six teammates. And from the great sadness of that tragedy, he builds a
powerhouse team. We were all inspired by their unity as they chanted together,
“We Are…Marshall.” One tribe. One team.
Listen to the words of the young Coach Lengyel as he
inspired his players toward victory, “For those of you who
may not know, this is the final resting place for six members of the 1970
Thundering Herd. The plane crash that took their lives was so severe, so
absolute, that their bodies were unable to be identified. So they were buried
here. Together. Six players. Six teammates. Six Sons of Marshall. This is our
past, gentlemen. This is where we have been. This is how we got here. This is
who we are…But I want to tell you something that they don't know. They don't
know your heart. I do. I've seen it. You have shown it to me…You have shown
yourselves just exactly who you are in here. [Thumps his chest] When you
take that field today, you've got to lay that heart on the line, men. From the
souls of your feet, with every ounce of blood you've got in your body, lay it
on the line until the final whistle blows. And if you do that, if you do that,
we cannot lose…How you play today, from this moment on is how you will be
remembered. This is your opportunity to rise from these ashes and grab glory.
We are... “
And
the Young Thundering Herd respond: “Marshall!” Then Coach Lengyel says,
“The funerals end today!”
I could hear Father God championing His
kids through this passionate rally.
Many believers spend much of
their time looking for the right church, the right tribe, the right group of people
that speak their language. Many have missed the beauty of the incarnation of
Jesus and the revelation of His father’s love that He brought into our world
with Him.
Here we are, carrying the burdens of the world on our
shoulder. Weighed down by the cares of life. Deeply mired in the muck of the
great sadness of tragedy, chaos and despair. Ruined by fear, mistrust and
anger. And Jesus steps into our world and summons us into His huddle. “My
brothers,” He says, “this is where we’ve been. Adam’s wrong choice is how we
got here. This is who we are. But I want to tell you something they don’t know.
They don’t know your heart. I’ve seen it. You’ve shown it to me…not the heart
of stone, but the new heart. The heart of flesh that my Father created within
you from the beginning. And as I’ve lived and breathed, I have shown you
exactly who you are in here (thumps His chest). For you and I are one.”
And the power of Jesus’ exhortation continues, “When you
wake up every day, you've got to lay that heart on the
line. Let love lead every choice you make. From the souls of your feet, with
every ounce of blood you've got in your body, lay it on the line until the
final whistle blows. And if you do that, if you do that, We cannot lose. In
fact, We’ve already won. But how you play today, from this moment on is how you
will be remembered. And they will know that you are My disciples by your love.
This is your opportunity to rise from the ashes of Adam’s fall and grab glory. The
funeral ends today. Live fully in the manifested fruit of resurrected living. You
are a new creation in Christ. You’ve not known me as a Protestant, a
Presbyterian, a Methodist, a Pharisee, a Bethelite, or an IHOPite. You’ve only
known be by one name: Son of God; Son of Man; Son of David. We are...SONS.
Through the unity of the Holy Spirit, true
diversity shines. It’s not sameness Father desires. It’s oneness. Father’s love
has been shed abroad in your heart that you may fully be who He created you to
be. He’s not asked for one language. He’s not asked you to be a parrot. He’s
asked you to live interdependently in fellowship and communion with Him,
receiving His love and expressing the good news of that love relationship to
the world in your own voice.
Liberace. Bruce Springsteen. Common.
Chris Botti. Madonna. Earth, Wind & Fire. Tasha Cobbs. Kari Jobe. Lenny
Kravitz. Bono. Kirk Whalum. Will Downing. Monet. Van Goh. Rembrandt. Steve
Jobs. Bill Gates. Warren Buffet. Colin Powell. Felicia Murrell. (insert your
name here) There is but one team, one tribe.
We are all clothed in His robe of
righteousness. But we each get to wear our own name, live in our own skin and
be our own expression of beauty. We each get to trumpet our own sound in the
land. And this is the wonder of Pentecost. One Accord. Many languages.
But the expression of Pentecost loses
its vitality without the revelation of Father’s love. For truly in that
revelation is the truth that I belong. No longer do I have to search for where
I fit. I fit in Him. I am accepted by Him. He approves of me. And from that
place of belonging, I speak the good news. From the overflow of His love, I
live the good news.
We
Are…SONS!
