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Faith

Bad news for the mild-mannered

Most church-goers are mild-mannered people. They are good citizens who obey the laws, give some money to charity, act politely towards other people, dress and act in a conservative manner, and generally avoid causing trouble, making a nuisance of themselves, or behaving in an extreme manner. So it comes as something of a surprise to think that such people might not be pleasing to God. The letter to the mild-mannered Laodiceans in chapter 3 of the Revelation of John says:

I know what you are doing, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot or cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and do not need anything else,” and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire, to make you rich, and white clothes to wear, so that you can cover up your embarrassing nakedness, and eye drops to put in your eyes, to make you see.

The situation of the Laodiceans who receive such a stinging rebuke is disturbingly similar to the situation of typical Christians in developed countries today. We use our extensive financial resources to buffer our comfortable lifestyle instead of investing everything we are and have in the radical service of God’s kingdom, so that while we are wealthy in our own eyes, in God’s eyes we are poor, blind and naked.