Every day this week, people have been talking about ‘people of peace.’ Here is a blog I wrote 18 months ago. If I was to write it today I would probably say: (1) that this is THE strategy that Jesus has given us, and (2) that a ‘person of peace’ is most clearly identified as someone who not only welcomes you but who serves you and is open to you.
One of the clearest strategies for our mission is seen when Jesus sent out “The 72” in Luke 10. Here is an abbreviated outline of what I shared during our Launch the Lifeboats day on those verses.
verse 1. Jesus said “Go!”
verse 5. Jesus called them to ‘enter a house.’ The word for ‘house’ is ‘oikos’ meaning ‘household’. A household was not just the nuclear family but also uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, as well as servants. It could also include business partners and associates. It was a social network. We have ‘households’ today. We hear a lot about social networks. The only difference is that they are not always defined as geographically as they once were.
So Jesus says, when you enter a social network (a community) you are to be a blessing. You are to pray peace. Be salt & light. Be a breath of…
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Simon Harris 