Movement Live Notes

Hurricane Ida is heading toward Louisiana, and 16 years to the day of Hurricane Katrina, Ninth Ward has still not been rebuilt. It has been left behind. All throughout our world, we can find examples of inequity. We know this as a reality. Though we express worry for our friends and family, who will experience this storm, how many of us will forget them once it passes? Think about it. How many of us will care deeply over the next few days or weeks, but once it's no longer in the center of the news, we'll forget it? Brothers and sisters, too often, we leave others behind.

Jesus shares with us how we are to advocate in times like these. Luke 4:16-21 says, “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.17 And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives,

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set free those who are oppressed,

19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

20 And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all the people in the synagogue were intently directed at Him. 21 Now He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your [e]hearing.”

This passage outlines biblical justice that points our attention to caring for those who are less fortunate. The poor, captives, the blind, oppressed, the ones left behind. This is a call to us to not just get in the car, survive Ida, go home, and only care that your things are ok. Because someone was left behind, just like Ninth Ward, 16 years later, was still left behind. 

We know that government, politics, and even people will only care about the things, places, and areas that keep their wellbeing moving forward. This includes followers of Jesus as well. So many profess that scripture is our guide, and so many of us take it and ignore it and only care for the things that advance our own agendas. What is pressed upon our hearts today, friends, is how we, as believers, consistently only care about ourselves and those close to us. 

The main principle here is there is a Spirit-empowered ministry that we have all been called to. This is why Movement Church defines "church" as "People drawn together into the mission of Jesus Christ through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit." Friends, the same Spirit upon Christ in the text, is the same Spirit that empowers us. It is essential to understand that we have been empowered to love people, care for people, liberate people, and consider the inequities. Not just consider them, but how we participate in them. This is a call to participate. The words release, recover, set free are all actions. This means that we are called to DO SOMETHING. We are called into movement because we are sent ones.

It is our duty to love, friends. We must consider the inequities. Grace and Peace.