"So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" 2 Corinthians 5:17, NRSVThis weekend something incredible happened.
250 volunteers from all over Memphis gathered to help the Binghampton Development Corporation (BDC) begin renovation on 20 apartments located in one of the poorest areas of Memphis. It was incredible because no one expected 250 people to show up. It was incredible because we filled more than four construction dumpsters full of gross, smelly, moldy drywall, carpet and vinyl. It was incredible because most crews finished hours ahead of schedule. It was...incredible.
As I stood looking out at the crowd who had gathered, it struck me that this event - probably more than any gathering I had attended - embodied the coming new creation when all things would be made new, not just this decaying building.
In the midst of this crowd were people of many tribes, languages, and nations. They came from many Christian traditions, and at no time did I hear anyone argue about Baptist vs. Methodist vs. Catholic vs. Evangelical. No one debated transubstantiation. No heated conversations about worship styles, old hymns vs. contemporary praise music. Mega-church vs. house-church. Small groups as opposed to Sunday school.
We prayed together, we worked together (yes, I believe that we will have good work to do in the new creation!), we ate together. We celebrated what we were doing in Jesus' name.
In a tabloid-media-soaked culture where only the scoundrels get noticed, the body of Jesus quietly came together without fanfare to transform a community in Memphis. What a marvelous day.
For more about the Binghampton Development Corporation, check out http://www.bdcmemphis.org
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