“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power maybe of God, and not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7, ASV).
I’ve never witnessed anything like the earthquake damage in Christchurch, New Zealand. Never mind the entirely-closed-off center city and rubble where landmarks once existed. I’m also talking about the 7,000 aftershocks that have occurred since Sept. 4, 2010. I experienced several (including a 4.2) while there. It is profoundly unsettling. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many or most citizens remaining in the city are on tranquilizers, antidepressants and/or sleeping pills. One church I attended offered classes on “How to Sleep and Cope with the Earthquakes.”
John Chandler
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Unlike some, I don’t believe God sent earthquakes to punish Christchurch. But I do believe that the God of the cross can work redemption in even the most broken circumstances. And I see hopeful evidence of this in Christchurch.
One manifestation is in the high level of cross-denominational cooperation. When the Grace Community Church sanctuary was destroyed, Spreydon Baptist simply invited this Assembly of God neighbor congregation over to share facilities. Spreydon now meets twice on Sunday mornings, Grace twice on Sunday afternoons and together on Sunday evenings — all in Spreydon’s building. They alternate preaching and worship leadership when they meet together. The night I attended, each baptized two new Christians. One was James, an autistic man in his 20s who had come to church because of the earthquakes, and (through an Alpha course) came to Christ. It was moving, and I wept.
Baptists in New Zealand hold fiercely to their denominational identity. They require high standards for ongoing ordination, including continuing education and collaboration requirements. “Baptist” in Kiwi has positive connotations: sensible, practical, loving, generous. They are clear about who they are, and don’t want to “allow just anyone to trot out the family silver,” as one pastor put it.
But Baptists there also share and work with Presbyterians, Anglicans, Assemblies of God and Catholics in the healing and repair of the communities of which they are all a part. You can see that as a compromise of distinctives and doctrine if you choose. I saw it as an in-breaking of the Kingdom of God.
Trending is written by John Chandler, leader of the Spence Network, www.spencenetwork.org./equip.htm.