Something Else to Occupy
It seems more frequent than normal around this time of the year that I see and hear a six-letter word being tossed around like a piece of chicken in a shake-n-bake bag. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good piece of chicken, but it seems that people are using this word just because it’s the new “in” thing and it has shown to rally people together. The word, which is one of the 2011 most popular words is “occupy”. Everywhere you turn you can’t miss it: occupy wall street, occupy Christmas, occupy church, occupy the bathroom…the list goes on and on. It has all stemmed from the few people that turned this word into a nationwide movement to stop the 1% from becoming more wealthy and the 99% from being more oppressed. And, as we’ve seen his movement grow stronger and stronger, most of us can’t help but think: what if we could tap into this rally cry with a single word? What if we could use this to rally people around other worthwhile causes? This is especially true within the faith. But as I see all these churches around the country try to spur people on by making “occupy fill-in-the-blank” slogans and phrases, I don’t see it working. Church’s seem to try and take the easy way out by attaching this word to a phrase and expecting the doors to burst open.
There is just one major difference between the people that use this phrase as a rally cry and all the other people that use this word: they were PUSHED. Something snapped. Whether it was one person or one event or one circumstance, something within them yearned for something so much more and they were so sick and tired of the same-old that they decided to do something about it. Whether it was popular, well-liked, or even supported didn’t make a lick of difference. It’s inspiring, it’s motivational, and it is truly a cry for change. And it’s working. No question there. But there are questions when we see this term used everywhere else…what is the point of implying the term if no one is willing to back it? Where’s the desperation for transformation in Christ? Where OUR yearn for something greater than ourselves? Do we want to change anything at all or is money the only thing that rallies us? This word can be a powerful one, but we must want it…and I mean truly want it. There are spiritual renewals springing up all over the world but when it comes to the United States, many of us have our comfy, boxed Christianity and we’re comfortable with it. Our churches try to urge us on and push us, but we’re comfortable right here. Many of us believe we have already been “occupied”. Have we really? For the sake of Christ, His love, and His Kingdom…let’s snap.
