A TEST FOR GENUINE LOVE

 *Just a sober reflection for you* 

 _A test for genuineness_ 

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep John 10:11-13NIV

At a point in my preaching this Sunday morning tears gathered in my eyes and I could not control it until it went down my cheeks. The atmosphere suddenly assumed this sacred calmness that could only have been the result of the presence of the Holy Spirit in a special way. I was trying to explain to my audience the relationship between the Pastor and his congregants through the story of John Fawcett (1739/40-1836) the author of the hymn “Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love”  

Baptist Pastors and members will be able to relate with this story better because it has a background to some practices in their circles. In the Baptist Church, the contract is between the Pastor and the local assembly. The local church negotiates with the Pastor on how much they are able to pay. It is the responsibility of the Pastor to decide to stay or move to a church that can pay better.

A bigger and richer London based congregation had come to hire John Fawcett from a poor rural congregation. The local church loved him but they did not have the financial muscle to contend with the city church in London of all places. They resorted to pleading and prayer but their Pastor felt that he had to move on. After all efforts failed they came out on the day he was to leave to bid him farewell.

 The richer church brought in their truck and loaded his belongings. Those poor people stood by and watched. I have been in this kind of congregation; children with poorly fitting gowns and mucus running down their noses; mothers with hand-me-over gowns and head-ties; men with worn out hats smiling sheepishly with unkempt beards and hairs.

Reverend John Fawcett had this pull in his heart; “What sin has these people committed against me? In what way have these people wronged me? Why am I leaving these people that love me so dearly?”

The simple honest answer, “They are poor. They are not rich. They love me and I love them. My presence is a blessing to them and they are doing their best”.

He had now to choose between the call to duty and the call of his selfish interest. Rev John Fawcett could not leave in the midst of the tears.

That was the background of the hymn he wrote. He asked the rich people to put down his belongings because he was going to stay with his own family. Yes, they were his family but the rich church were his employers. He was not a hireling but a true shepherd. He chose genuine love and obedience to Christ against self-interest and money.

Years back I was in Cameroon to organize a conference and one of our PNUR partners led me to his local church pastor. Our intention was to use the church auditorium for the conference. I had not as much as said why I came to see this pastor before he poured out his frustration with his parishioners. According to him, they were not doing enough to take care of him as a man of God. He complained about everything and threatened that he will leave that church. I politely told him that I was not impressed that he could raise such subject before me a total stranger that he was meeting for the first time. He literally insulted me and asked me to leave his office. He was very angry.

The man that took me to see him was the church treasurer and I asked him what this Pastor’s monthly allowance was. You will be shocked as I was, Five Hundred Thousand CFA (500,000 CFA. Today more than N500,000) per month. Now as then, this is not a mean take home allowance. He lived in church built accommodation and they provided money for his phone and data. 

If this pastor found himself in the place of John Fawcett he would have left and jeered at the people as he will be celebrating his new catch

It is not only about Pastors. Some Christian believers change church because they don’t have fine building and they don’t have many car owners. Men have abandoned women because they are yet to have babies and yet, I have seen ladies who say, “Please, I can’t marry suffer-head man like him”.

Few people think of what their leaving will mean to the other person but only what they will gain if they left. Christian love is not about what we can gain but about what we can contribute to other people’s life in keeping with God’s purpose.

In this new week, let the lesson in this song guide your hearts.

 Happy New Week 

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

1. Blest be the tie that binds

our hearts in Christian love;

the fellowship of kindred minds

is like to that above.

2. Before our Father's throne

we pour our ardent prayers;

our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,

our comforts and our cares.

3. We share each other's woes,

our mutual burdens bear;

and often for each other flows

the sympathizing tear