Be the Thunder

A legendary story is told in the Tampa Bay area that I call home about the 2004 Stanley Cup hockey finals. In fact, it is currently part of this year's advertising campaign for the team.  It was game 7 of the championship series, and our beloved Lightning were preparing to play the Calgary Flames.  One game to win it all.  One win and the Bolts would hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.  As the two teams sat in the locker rooms of the St. Pete Times Forum (recently renamed the Tampa Bay Times Forum) before the first puck dropped, there was no music playing.  There were no words spoken.  And yet, both teams sat and listened.  They listened because the roar of the Tampa Bay crowd was absolutely deafening.  Even with no teams on the ice, the home crowd was announcing that they were there to make a difference.  The hockey team may have been the Lightning, but the crowd was there to be the thunder!  The Lightning won, and the city celebrated with them.  It was a moment for the ages.


I see a similar situation arising in the 21st century church.  We have, for too long, allowed too few to do too much of the work that Jesus calls upon us to do.  We have allowed the Church to become a place of intolerance, sometimes bordering on hatred.  We have ignored the needs of the many to placate those with power and money.  We have focused on political hot-button issues at the expense of offering grace and forgiveness.  Sharing the love of God whose name is Jesus with those we encounter each day in God's "Plan A" for saving the world, and there is no "Plan B."  Yet far too often we sit silently and hope and pray that someone else will be there to lift high the name of Jesus.  Friends, we can wait no more.  It is time to quit talking about church, to quit talking about religion and to quit complaining about the state of Christianity.  It is time for the people who understand the Jesus who taught us to love everyone, to turn the other cheek, to forgive 70 x 7 and to treat everyone we meet the same way we would treat the Son of God to make some noise.  God brought the "lightning" 2000 years ago when He sent Jesus to save the world.  It's time for us to do our part.  It is time for the followers of Christ to rise up and let our lives make some noise.  Let's shake the very foundations of the church and let the world know that Jesus- and his church- love them.  It is time for us to be the thunder.  Let's get ready to rumble....


Because of Jesus,