You probably heard the one about a guy named Rudy who claimed to know everybody in the world. “No, you don’t,” retorted his friend, Benny. “I’ll bet you don’t know the pope!”
“Sure I do,” replied Rudy. “Come to Rome and I’ll prove it.” So off they went to Rome where Benny stood with throngs of others in St. Peter’s Square. Just as he realized he had become separated from Rudy, the crowd began to cheer. The pope made an appearance on the balcony, and to Benny’s utter amazement, standing beside him waving to the crowd, was Rudy.
Jim White
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Benny had to concede that his friend knew the pope — but he couldn’t know everybody in the world! To prove the point to himself, to the man next to him in the crowd he said, “Do you know that guy up there with the pope?”
“Oh, you mean the man with the funny hat?” the man replied. “So that’s the pope? I wondered who that was up there with Rudy.”
Those of us with Southern rural roots understand that “walking in tall cotton” means that one has met with extraordinary success and is associating with some very important people. These days, John Upton is walking in tall cotton.
His duties as president of the Baptist World Alliance have provided unique and unexpected opportunities — as when he was invited to New York City to meet with Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations. Meeting in a suite once inhabited by Cole Porter at the Waldorf Astoria, Upton listened to the concerns of this man upon whose shoulders much responsibility for world peace rests. Ban Ki-moon is not yet a believer, but he is seeking spiritual truth; and John was able to pray with him.
During these first 15 months of his five-year BWA presidency, Upton has hop-scotched the globe representing nearly 50 million Baptists and bringing a positive influence to bear on spiritual issues. He has met with heads of state and with a host of national and religious leaders from the White House to the Vatican.
Yes, the Vatican. The Holy See. That’s the pope up there on the balcony with John. As I write these words, Upton is with Pope Benedict XVI travelling on the pope’s train from the Vatican to Assisi together with a few of their friends. A story by Robert Dilday provides all the details.
Little could Upton have imagined these opportunities. He and I have talked at times about how remarkable it is that a kid from Virginia’s tidewater region would have the opportunities to do what he has done. Even we who know first-hand of John’s extraordinary giftedness could not have predicted such honors. It is an awe-inspiring experience for John and vicariously for us as Virginia Baptists.
Another remarkable thing is that he has stepped into a role of global religious leadership without neglecting his Virginia Baptist family. It may be a little harder to get an appointment these days, but his door is always open. Of course, if he returns from Rome with a big ring, a funny-looking hat and a request to trade his Grand Cherokee for a choo-choo, all that could change. But I don’t expect that to happen.
My purpose is not to dwell on John’s opportunities, nor even to extol the benefits to Virginia Baptists of his (and our) widened recognition. Rather, remembering the emphasis of Sunday, Oct. 30, to “consider your call,” I am reflecting on the call of God on a solitary life. John is simply doing what God has outlined for John to do. Every other Christian has exactly the same opportunity and responsibility.
On Monday, Oct. 24, a Virginia Baptist couple was honored with the Jeremiah Bell Jeter Award for their involvement in missions and their commitment to advancing the Redeemer’s kingdom through Virginia Baptists. Between them, Ann and Kent Brown are serving on boards of the Virginia Baptist Foundation, the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, the Virginia Baptist Historical Society and the Baptist Center for Heritage and Studies. In addition, Ann serves currently as president of the Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia.
This couple has traveled the world on mission trips. Again, I refer the reader to a story on this event. We call them extraordinary, but they claim to be ordinary Virginia Baptists who are trying to follow God’s call on their lives.
Once again, this call is announced to every Christian. Not all are called to circle the earth making a global impact. Some stay closer to home and cook meals for people displaced by disasters. Others teach Sunday school or devote themselves to training unruly Royal Ambassadors. Some work in church nurseries, where the motto is, “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed (1 Cor. 15:51).”
In short, God calls us to respond to him in faith and obedience. Using our gifts, our interests and our aptitudes he leads us to a place of honorable service advancing the Kingdom of Christ. None are too old or too young to respond.
This was underscored for me a number of years ago when a woman in our church called to make an appointment with me, her pastor. Caroline Harvey was a high-school educated 60-something widow whose career had been a stay-at-home mom. She believed God was calling her to some kind of service. I suggested the church nursery. She balked. I adjusted and countered with helping in the children’s choir program. Again, she balked. We agreed to meet again.
About two weeks later she called saying she thought she knew what God wanted her to do. She had seen an article in the Commission magazine telling of the need for a volunteer to go to Malaysia and catalogue books in the Baptist seminary library there. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that she simply didn’t have the educational background for such a task. So she volunteered and within a month, she was on her way! After finishing this, she went on to catalogue the library in another Asian Baptist seminary.
When she concluded this, she came home to the United States and went to work with the Navajo Indians in the southwest where she labored the remainder of her life. And I thought she was qualified to change diapers.
God’s call is not always to something of great magnitude, but when we answer his call, we become magnanimous ourselves.
So be it with popes and princes, with reluctant pupils or with homeless paupers, God calls us to a life of service. When we answer, we are usually amazed at what happens.
Jim White ([email protected]) is editor of the Religious Herald.