Why Bother? By Lena Hooker

I’m going to be very transparent and vulnerable in this post, so just prepare your heart. This is life in our world, what we are forced to wrestle with as believers. God never promised it would be easy…

This week has been a lot, a whirlwind of emotions for many reasons. We woke up Tuesday morning to devastation left by the tornados that ripped through the Nashville and Middle Tennessee areas. Some are without homes, businesses and schools, many still without electricity. The Coronavirus made it to Brentwood a few days ago. We joke about it, but this disease is spreading like wildfire. So many lives and families are being impacted. Worldwide.

I feel unsettled. There’s so much to be done, yet I feel powerless, stuck. It’s hard to reconcile this unrest with action. I don’t know what’s supposed to happen next. Not to mention the death that surrounds each of these. I can feel it consuming my thoughts, emotions, conversations; it’s overwhelming. It’s all anyone can think about. It’s disheartening, most of all. God, why does life have to be like this?

When I step back to think about it, I’m left asking: Where’s my place in all of this? Our place, as followers of Jesus? Why should we concern ourselves with matters of the world?

Why bother?

I went down a rabbit hole with this simple question, two words. Why bother? When it seems like nothing good is left in this world, why should I bother? I know, logically, that God calls us to steward the earth and its resources well, but dang, sometimes, I’m too numb and despondent to care.

So, why then, is this still His call on our lives – the Christian life?

Why does it matter how we spend our leisure time? Why do we need to have an opinion on war? Why do we need to push back against an ideology of consumerism and a life of hurry? Why do we have to engage with politics? What could our engagement possibly accomplish?

At a time like this, when it seems like everything is falling apart around us, it would be so easy to remove myself from the pain. I could go through life without really engaging in my work or relationships. I could come home to Netflix and show up to church on Sundays without really seeing anyone. I could do all of this. I could.

I worry so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are already slipping into this lifestyle, whether they’re conscious of it or not. It’s just easier. I don’t blame them for wanting to stop the ache in their chests when they see another story in the news about death and destruction. I hate the sin in this world, but I love the people in it.

That’s why we are called to “bother,” to rise and build and care and engage. Because we. are. bothered. We are unsettled with the state of our world. We know that we were made for more, and we long for it deeply. It’s who we are as followers of Christ.

“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done. On earth as it is in Heaven.”

This is the already, not yet reality. We’re in the midst of it. And (pardon my language) it hurts like hell. Even if it would be easier, less painful, to turn away, I can’t – we can’t – turn our backs on this world and the people in it.

All of this matters to our hearts because of who Jesus is and what He did. In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asks His disciples who they say He is, and it’s Simon Peter’s response that is the foundation for everything we do in this life. He says, in verse 16, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” If Jesus is the Messiah, and we believe this to be true, then everything He did and said is true. His Word is truth, and we are called to abide in and with Him.

We are called to be apprentices of Jesus, which means we learn to shape our lives after His. It takes patience, intentionality, discipline, and purpose. This means engaging with the world and the people in it, in whatever way we’re gifted. You’ve probably heard people say the phrase, “I’m not home yet. I’m just passing through.” This can make us feel – or me, at least – like we can take the responsibility off our shoulders, like it’s not our weight to bear. Jesus doesn’t want us to feel burdened, but He does want us to care. Remember the new heavens and the new earth – heaven will come down to earth. So, this is home, as imperfect as it is, and we have a specific longing for God’s Kingdom to be restored here.

As crazy as it sounds, when things get hard, we press in, and that’s where God is found. In the midst of the pain and hurt and suffering, He is so near. It’s not about what we “should” do as Christians. God doesn’t think this is simply a “good” idea. This is what we need to do to have a life of flourishing; it’s an essential rule of life for the betterment of our spiritual formation.

If you’re like me, this might still feel weighty. What if we mess it up? It’s in those moments I have to remember that Jesus is the Messiah. We have nothing to fear. Nothing and no one can take us out of the Kingdom or take Christ away from us – not even death. So, we’re bothered by the state of our world…Good! Now, we can acknowledge that pull on our heart, embrace the brokenness of the world around us and love on those who need it most. We all have a role to play. Let’s press in and start dreaming about the future God is building with us.