THE VISION

or each work of service, reform, revival, and rebuilding that God has called his people to in the history of the church, He has planted in his people a vision for that work. A vision is necessary because it empowers, it directs and guides. Without a vision (a glimpse, a hope of what will be) the people despair and succumb to the status quo. It was the vision of the promised land that God would give the Israelites, that guided them through the desert; a vision of the church cleansed and society transformed by the gospel empowered Martin Luther and others to labor at church reform; a vision of God's coming kingdom of justice and equality (in Christ) empowered Dr. Martin Luther King's work in civil rights and a vision which empowers the ministry of Good Works to carry on with the hard work of loving and serving our neighbors.

God gives his people a vision of what he will bring to pass in their midst, to empower them to partake in His work. Two fundamental components to the vision are good news and justice. The good news is God's love and concern for his people; He is going to act on their behalf and in their midst to bring about a new relationship with Himself. Justice characterizes how God will act, how he expects his people to live, and what will be accomplished by the vision.

King Solomon sought wisdom that he might do Justice; Isaiah exhorts us to "seek Justice" for the 'throw-aways' of society. In Exodus, God commands his people "not to pervert Justice"; in Deuteronomy we learn that a curse is upon those who "distort" or "withhold" justice; in the Psalms we are told that there is a blessing upon those who "keep" or "maintain" Justice; in Proverbs we learn that if you are concerned for Justice, the Kingdom of God is within you.

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." — Matthew 9:35-38