Vuelve a Nacer

This past July, Mexico elected a new president, and many local governmental positions were up for re-election also.  The new president will begin his one 6-year term of office beginning in December.  Mexico has a 6-month lame duck period for the sitting president.  Today, the current president gave his last national speech to the nation.  A new mayor of Ixtapaluca will begin serving a 3-year team in December as well.

The president-elect won with only 36% of the popular vote.  In many countries, failing to receive a larger percentage of the vote would prompt a second run-off election.  Not here.  The newly elected president faces the daunting task of governing over 64% of the population that did not vote for him.

Mexicans are more discouraged than perhaps ever before at the state of their country and faith in politicians is at what must be an all-time low.  Rumors and realites of insecurity and violence that used to be pretty much confined to the border has now crept south, like the darkness of Mordor moved inexorably west towards Minas Tirith.

What are dark days for the world are opportunities for the church.  Darkness is no match for light, even weak, dim light, and much less so for lighthouse-strong light.  Whether we be candles or lighthouses, now is our chance to shine, and shine we must.

This Sunday I asked for a raise of hands of those willing to participate in a new outreach.  What we're going to do, with Samuel's help, is create and print a canvas banner, probably around 2 feet by 3 feet, that will say this:  Do you Want to Change Mexico?  Then the words below, which translated mean: Be born again.

Salt preserves, it also creates thirst.  We are looking to provoke some spiritual thirst.  After all the banners and overwhelming publicity of the summer's political campaigns, ours is less direct, less in-your-face, with no caravans of cars honking their horns, or open-bed trailers full of dancing girls.  With a promise, but an implicit one.

Do you really want Mexico to change?  Well, it starts with you.  You must change.  You must be given another life.  This country will be transformed, eventually, one life at a time, by the transforming power of the Lamb of God.  Allow us to tell you how.

Quote of the Day: I had a seminary professor who once told us the story of a student who made this bold proclamation: "I'm going to finish my education and then I will get married." My seasoned professor wisely commented: "There are two things wrong with this statement: One, marriage is an education; and two, we are never finished with our education."
Neil Cole. Organic Leadership: Leading Naturally Right Where You Are (p. 219).