CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – I witnessed the baptisms of seven people last Sunday. All of them are adults who publicly professed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and were publicly immersed in the Eau Claire River.
By outward appearance, none of these were people of wealth or privilege. The church I attend has many people who have struggled with addiction and incarceration. They are putting their lives back together by discovering faith.
The baptisms reminded me of two things. First, God makes use of people exactly as they are. Jesus’ disciples were people just like these newly baptized Christians. St. Peter was a fisherman. He had no known leadership skills. Yet he spread the gospel to Rome, the crossroads of the ancient world, and the Church he founded there – the present-day Catholic church – is the modern seat of Christianity. St. Paul was a pharisee; St. Mathew was a tax collector. Both were despised. Both became early church planters. Moses had a speech impediment. He led God’s chosen people to freedom. David was a quiet shepherd boy who didn’t even live in his father’s household. He is Isreal’s most-revered king to this day. This uninspiring group are pillars of our faith.
It is arrogant to think that almighty God needs us. The all-powerful creator of the universe needs nothing. It’s precisely the other way around. We need God, for forgiveness for our own sins and to help us forgive and live alongside others. I think it’s fair to say we’re all addicted to something: drugs, food, alcohol, sex, money, our own pride. Who can turn away from their shortcomings on their own? Most people turn to God because they can’t leave their vices alone. And God looks upon all of us knowing that, in His hands, we can all become more than we are.
Chris Conley
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