The following is a passage out of Henri Nouwen's book, "Creative Ministry." This book has been very helpful to me, as he encourages ministers (basically every Christian) to not shun thinking deeply about the state of this world, and the power of Christ to deeply and mysteriously transform the suffering and shallowness that surrounds us. He challenges us to be real agents of change - wherever we are - to not separate change of the soul from change that also takes action. These are things I still continually seek to work through...
"For Christians are only Christians when they unceasingly ask critical questions of the society in which they live and continuously stress the necessity for conversion, not only of the individual but also of the world.
"We are only Christian when we refuse to allow ourselves or anyone else to settle into a comfortable rest. We must remain dissatisfied with the status quo. And we believe that we have an essential role to play in the realization of the new world to come - even if we cannot say how that world will come about.
"We are only Christian when we keep saying to everyone we meet that the Good News of the Reign of God has to be proclaimed to the whole world and witnessed to all nations (Matthew 24:13). As long as we are alive, we must keep searching for a new order without divisions between people, for a new structure that allows every person to shake hands with every other person, and for a new life in which there will be everlasting unity and peace.
"We must not allow our neighbors to stop moving, to lose courage, or to escape into small, everyday pleasures to which they cling.
"We must be irritated by satisfaction and self-contentment in ourselves as well as in others, since we know with an unshakable certainty that something great is coming of which we have already seen the first rays of light.
"We must believe that this world not only passes but has to pass in order to let the new world be born.
"We must believe that there will never be a moment in this life in which we can rest in the supposition that there is nothing left to do.
"But we will not despair when we do not see the result we have wanted to see. For in the midst of all this work, we keep hearing the words of the One sitting on the throne: 'I am making the whole of creation new' (Revelation 21:5).
"For Christians are only Christians when they unceasingly ask critical questions of the society in which they live and continuously stress the necessity for conversion, not only of the individual but also of the world.
"We are only Christian when we refuse to allow ourselves or anyone else to settle into a comfortable rest. We must remain dissatisfied with the status quo. And we believe that we have an essential role to play in the realization of the new world to come - even if we cannot say how that world will come about.
"We are only Christian when we keep saying to everyone we meet that the Good News of the Reign of God has to be proclaimed to the whole world and witnessed to all nations (Matthew 24:13). As long as we are alive, we must keep searching for a new order without divisions between people, for a new structure that allows every person to shake hands with every other person, and for a new life in which there will be everlasting unity and peace.
"We must not allow our neighbors to stop moving, to lose courage, or to escape into small, everyday pleasures to which they cling.
"We must be irritated by satisfaction and self-contentment in ourselves as well as in others, since we know with an unshakable certainty that something great is coming of which we have already seen the first rays of light.
"We must believe that this world not only passes but has to pass in order to let the new world be born.
"We must believe that there will never be a moment in this life in which we can rest in the supposition that there is nothing left to do.
"But we will not despair when we do not see the result we have wanted to see. For in the midst of all this work, we keep hearing the words of the One sitting on the throne: 'I am making the whole of creation new' (Revelation 21:5).
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