I haven’t been to Louisville lately, but I’m guessing Presbyterians don’t have much in the way of valuable art beyond maybe a couple of velvet Elvis paintings and possibly a few nice coffee mugs. It occurred to me that we should be just as proud.
In the third century, Roman Emperor Valerian ordered archdeacon Lorenzo to bring him all the wealth of the Christian church. Lorenzo introduced Valerian to the blind, the diseased, the lame, and the poor. “These are the treasures of the church,” he insisted. The action earned him a torturous death.
I’d like to think that Lorenzo was an early Presbyterian. Because — at the foundation of who we are — all our most valuable resources are tied up in mission.
Our son, Andrew, works overseas for the government but knows beyond a doubt that God sent him to Europe on purpose. His heart is in his volunteer mission projects with military brats, Department of Defense children, embassy kids, expatriate dependents, and the men’s ministry on base.
But the place he first discovered his deep passion for mission and service was the Presbyterian Church — Honduras outreach trips, PDA relief work in Mississippi, and work with special needs children, all through his home congregation in Brandon, Florida.
So long as this church keeps its heart and its passion rooted in Gospel, in being the hands, feet, ears, and eyes of Jesus, and in the practice of witness and compassion in this hurting world, then we will never need a museum to house our treasures.
A guide in the Catacombs of San Sebastian, along the Appian Way and far from the extravagance that defines St. Peter’s, told us a story that hit home. “Sebastian was nothing more than a Roman soldier and a simple Christian man,” he said. “All he did was to follow Jesus. He lived his faith out loud, he told his friends about Christ, and he would not bow to Rome.”
I believe that is the kind of sainthood we are all called to live.
Derek Maul is an author and freelance writer living in the Tampa. Fla., area. His Web site is www.Derekmaul.net and his daily blog is www.derekmaulonthehalfshell.blogspot.com.
