Harvest and Labor

I was reminded this week of what Jesus said about the harvest - that it is plentiful, but the workers are few. How true that is! Over the past 10 days, the world has focused on the two earthquakes that turned Haiti upside down. Millions of dollars have been raised through various organizations. Food and supplies are beginning to pour in. One night, on Larry King Live, celebrities worked to raise several million dollars on a two-hour special. The outpouring of people all over the world is astounding, and refreshing.

The same was true for Hurricane Katrina. In compassion and mercy, people came together and helped the people of Louisiana and Mississippi rebuild. A colleague of mine reminded me this week, though, that there are still many people displaced in those areas; some communities remain untouched since 2005. I can attest to that fact: when I was in New Orleans on our mission trip last summer, there were neighborhoods where no work had been done - in four years! Now, where were are of the celebrities, bringing the need of people to light? Where were all of the fundraisers to rebuild? Where are they now, in 2010, when the need is ongoing.

It's been said that the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is the first to arrive and the last to leave after a natural disaster. In my experience, that is a true statement. The UMCOR team in Slidell, Louisiana, ended up taking over much of the recovery operations after Katrina, and still provide the vast majority of leadership and organization. First on the scene, last to leave. Just this week, UMCOR sent out a truckload of health and layette kits from the Midwest Mission Distribution Center in Chatham, Illinois to be delivered to Haiti.

Where will we be in five years? Haiti will not be rebuilt by then. Even basic needs may not be met in five years. The celebrities will be gone; news reports may bury an occasional story on a back page; people may sporadically send $5 or $10 here or there. Will the church still be there? I hope so.

You see, just as in these natural disasters, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. The church is the same way. How many times have you heard someone say, "Well, I taught Sunday School 10 years when my children were little...it's someone else's turn." For a Christian, it's never someone else's turn. If not you, then who? Even the church becomes a withholder of grace, because "someone else" should teach Sunday school, serve in leadership, go on mission trips, invite people to worship, or sing in the choir. And, while each person may not have a particular gift, you still have gifts - and you are called to use your gifts for the harvest.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon each of us, to proclaim good news to people, recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are oppressed, to announce that the reign of God is breaking in. It doesn't have to be done verbally (although sometimes it does!), but love in action is labor for the harvest.

I've often said that we can't withhold God's grace, or give God only part of ourselves. You may want to stop teaching Sunday school after 5 years, but what if God only gave you grace for 5 years? The gift of grace is free, but it requires a response - your labor, for God's harvest.