A Case for Doing Nothing?

Is it possible to leave the work of judging the truth up to God?

So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them-in that case you may even be found fighting against God!'- Acts 5:38-39

In today's reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, stands before a council of his peers who are looking to put a stop to the teachings of Paul and his followers, and he makes a case for doing nothing.

He argues that those who came before Paul, including Jesus, were defeated in their movements, so let this one be.  Paul too, will be defeated if he is not from God.

The council agreed, flogged the men and released them.  They went right back to preaching the Good News of Christ.

So what is the lesson here?

Can we equate this to the evil being done in the world today in the name of God and say. "Let it be; God will sort it out?"

Can we see news reports of beheadings, shootings, people being chased from their homes, and do nothing?

It is hard to make a case for doing nothing sometimes.  And this is one of those times.

It is our nature to respond to danger by either fighting or fleeing but when the danger puts someone we love in peril, we run toward it.  It is when we care about the ones being hurt that we take action on their behalf.

So, the fact that we are largely doing little or nothing says something about how we feel about the people in danger. We take pity, but we don't know them, and unless we see something truly shocking and despicable, we make our case for doing nothing.

God will sort out this mess.

Yes, He will, but in the meantime, we need to do something to help those in dire need of the things we are sent into the world to provide - clothing, shelter, comfort, food, compassion and love.

Whether we run to fight for them or not, we need to hear God's call to us to help, and do something.

Pray, Love, Help.

It is what we can do.

More to come...