Affluence Street

In every American city, there’s a crowded street defined by Affluence.

Physicians, clinicians, politicians, preachers, teachers, farmers, & charmers long to live there.

It’s home to the busy, who lack time for Christ-centered fellowship with others.

It’s home to the driven, who are too focused on their goals to make time for such fellowship.

It’s home to the complacent, who are content with their past.

It’s home to the comfortable, who are committed to their routines.

It’s home to the networkers, who value the breadth of their contacts more than the depth of their fellowship.

It’s home to scholars, who have exchanged fellowship for intellectual ascent.

It’s home to spectators, who are satisfied simply attending events.

It’s home to the naive, who consider social media “friends” as viable fellowship.

It’s home to the independent, who see no need for real connection with anyone.

And it’s home to the Marthas, who have replaced fellowship with ministry.

While they focus on what they see, a lion prowls, unseen, in the shadows of Affluence Street. He looks past their titles, their deeds, their knowledge, and their agendas.

He goes by many names – pride, fear, depression, anxiety, regret, despair, resentment, jealousy, loneliness… With each, he isolates and devours his prey, and grows fat in his kingdom of affluence.

It doesn’t have to be that way. We don’t have to fear the lion; and we don’t have to move to Poor Street. But we must answer the call. Jesus calls us to safety & support. Jesus calls us out of the trappings of affluence. Jesus calls the busy, driven, complacent, comfortable, networkers, scholars, spectators, naive, independents, and Marthas to join Him in fellowship with others, to share life together, to eat & worship, laugh & learn, work & play, celebrate & grow together. He calls us out of the emptiness of our own personal & religious kingdoms and into the fullness of His Kingdom through fellowship.

He calls us, as He called His first friends, not to pomp & circumstance, liturgy, and ceremonies, but into relationships where the high & mighty descend as the lowly & meek ascend into interdependence with one another, into mutual trust and encouragement as we seek to know, love, and trust the Word of God. He calls us out of isolation where we are the prey. He calls us into church where even the gates of hades cannot overcome us.

But make no mistake, we live in the lion’s domain. No one casually overcomes the lure of the lion. Pray together or prey alone. Your choice.

John Crosby