[401 words]
When I was a kid I loved collecting and reading comic books. Several characters have stuck with me even today. Among them are a group of alien beings called The Watchers. The Watchers are beings that have great powers to manipulate time, material, and space. They spend their time in observance of all the different worlds of the comic book universe. In doing so, they collect information on every group of beings that can pop up on the pages of Marvel Comics. However, with all their power and all their knowledge, The Watchers were unbelievably boring characters to me as a child. The reason for this is very simple. The Watchers, as their name indicates, were prohibited by their own vows from interfering in the affairs which they observe.
I fear that many of us who claim the name of Christ as our Savior are just like The Watchers I found so boring as a child. Today’s churches are filled with those who stand by and observe many of the atrocities of this world and refuse to act on any of them. We see the destructive forces of Satan on our homes, our families, our schools, our friends, our government, our community and our society as a whole without being moved to action. We speak about how good things used to be when we followed God, but sit by watching when opportunities are presented to share the Gospel with those who do not follow Hirn. We speak of the horrors of poverty and sickness but won’t lift our fingers to help the needy of this world. We hear some who bash the church and her members but will not speak up to defend her. Perhaps we need to make this a little more personal. We see the sin that we allow to exist in our own lives without repenting of that sin and its evils.
Christianity is a religion of action. “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22). Let us never be found guilty of being like The Watchers from my childhood comic books. Instead, let us put aside the childish things. Let us intervene when we see pain in our world. Let us act when we see opportunities to evangelize. Let us defend Christ and His church when we can. In short, let us be the DOERS of God’s Word.
Walter Rayburn
Owl Hollow Church of Christ
Winchester, TN