Pathfinding

A very wise person said:

"Do not follow where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path
And leave a trail behind."

This Principle of Pathfinding speaks of those whose intuition is so acute, whose vision so prophetic, whose sense of mission so compelling, that they create a path to a productive future that others may follow.

When the Israelites had suffered in Exile for two generations and their captors were finally defeated, they were wondering what they should do next. At that time God said through the prophet Isaiah, "I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (43:19) That way led back to Palestine where they rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem and were given a twofold mission. They were, according to Isaiah, to be a light to the Gentiles and a society of compassion. God said through the prophet, "I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness" (Isaiah 42:6 - 7). The prophetic vision was of a nation whose witness to the true God would bring Gentiles to Yahweh, liberating them from the prison of transgression.

The other part of Israel's mission was to alleviate the suffering of human deprivation. In Isaiah 58 God said, "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? (vv. 6 - 7). Here the act of fasting or worship is to be a ministry of compassion, the sharing of their substance with the hungry, the homeless poor, the naked, and their needy relatives. This is the direction their God is leading and where they must beat a new path.

Our own congregation has forged new pathways for others to follow. I think of our acceptance of the first African American to be admitted to membership in an Austin SBC church. That was many years before the first Civil Rights Act in 1964. More recently we have removed the restrictions on gender orientation and have found some wonderful Christian leadership among those who have entered our congregation. Now with our food pantry we are taking the lead among the churches of this area in feeding the hungry. All of these directions we believe come from God's leadership through his Word and his Spirit. In an article in Saturday's Austin American Statesman, Dr. Bethune said concerning our ministry of feeding the hungry, "We ask no praise for doing what is right. But religion is also supposed to be prophetic, calling the whole society to care for those in need, to remind everyone that the real mark of greatness for any nation is not its gross national product or military might, but how it cares for 'the least of these.'... also business should return some of its benefits through charity to the society that enables its profits."

As we celebrate the 15th Anniversary of our pastor, we can rejoice that we have a pastor who is true to the Word of God, marked by Christian character, and motivated by a compelling sense of Christian mission. We can rest assured also that the rest of the professional staff as well as our members are committed to following God as he clears new pathways through the wilderness.

For the future we need to continue to move ahead, going where there is no path and leaving a trail behind.