June 20, 2011
an Engineer’s perspective
As a college graduate, mechanical engineer in training, and generally time-conscious person, the pace at which the vision of Rebuild Tuscaloosa is solidifying is maddening. In the hours following the storm, Riverwood’s leadership and the Rebuild Tuscaloosa interns began a tumultuous cycle of “ready, set, repent.” This cycle has proved nearly inescapable, and it is for this reason that frustrations have set in.
As we consistently deal with the dashed hopes of a black-and-white schedule or to do list, based in inefficiency and slowness, we have had to pause repeatedly to examine our motives and to look to the Word of God for His answers. First, we see that God has already told us to expect that His pace is outside of our own scope and is not to be judged by time as “some count slowness” (II Peter 3). He is transcendent above our markers of time, and as such we cannot expect Him to abide by them. Historically, great revivals and spiritual transformation in communities have spanned generations, and we have no reason to expect otherwise in our storm ravaged city.
Second, it is our own perversion of work that has caused us to measure our efforts in terms of “effectiveness” and “efficiency.” As comfortable as I am with pruning unnecessary spending, unproductive conversations, and abstract thinking from my schedule, I am beginning to learn that these measures have no place in this type of ministry. Trusting that God is at work, restoring and renewing His people unto His glory, is a pivotal assumption of the christian life. Though it does little to cross through bullets on our to-do-list, beginning the day with a scripture reading and corporate prayer has become the most fruitful half hour of the day.
Fruit is the language in which the gospel speaks, and we can be sure that fruit is being grown in us and in this community. Whether twenty teams of workers build a home a-piece or six interns made friends with unlikely widows, we are assured the Spirit of our LORD is upon us because “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion” (Phil. 1)
By Hunter Spurgeon
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