Obedient and Unafraid
Kennedy Crabtree, Resonate Missoula
We are living in dark and confusing times. The COVID-19 pandemic is sweeping the globe, bringing with it confusion, chaos, and uncertainty. The communities that once operated with familiarity and togetherness now seem fractured and divided. The ways we once connected with people in our lives look very different and this presents us with a seemingly daunting task.
Darkness is here.
But so is light.
Our God - the Lord of this world - sits on His throne and has something to say to us in these times. He is a loving father that has not abandoned us in this dark season, but has great purpose set before us as his hands and feet.
When my friend Katie and I talked about planting a church in Bozeman, Montana, we knew it would be hard, especially in the workforce. How would we leverage our jobs to help college students while also sharing the Gospel with the community?
Upon moving to Bozeman in 2019, Katie had the opportunity to start an early child learning facility called The Gathering Place. Her preschool quickly became a safe place for me and others in our community to connect. Several of Katie’s teachers were already a part of our church, but those who weren’t quickly became a part of our village.
I started work at a local downtown coffee shop called Zocalo. Zocalo means “the gathering place.” It has surely proved its name in the Bozeman community. I love my job. I get to interact with so many people throughout the day and show them who Jesus is by being kind, generous, asking deep questions, and sharing the gospel. It has been slow, but over these past six months I have had the privilege of becoming a part of an amazing, tight-knit group of people who love our community well and share Jesus with them. Katie and her employees frequently come to our shop, and we have all had the privilege of getting to know each other, our workplaces and friendships overlapping.
Katie and I were together when she got a call saying she needed to shut down her center due to covid-19. She didn’t have the funding to pay her employees for much longer and knew that many of her kids wouldn’t have food access now that they had to stay home. We were devastated. The next day, I found out that we would also have to shut down the coffee shop. I panicked, thinking how I and my coworkers would suffer financially. Zocalo does a lot for the local homeless population as well and is home for many. Suddenly, fear and doubt hung in the air.
Even in this moment of chaos, I was quickly reminded I have a Father who loves me and is showing me how I can use what I have found in Him to love the people around me. He is here. He has purpose for us. My supervisor immediately asked me to help raise money and collect supplies for our community. Due to our connected workplaces, I thought of Katie’s families at The Gathering Place. Zocalo decided to use what we have to help these families through our large weekly milk order. Katie's families can take it for all the children who need milk daily.
While there are plenty of ways the COVID-19 pandemic can tear us apart, I see our church rising to the occasion and continuing to grow closer together. Yes, this season has brought division and fear but God has been so faithful to show both Katie and I what it looks like to love our people during this time. Our loving father is active now as he has always been. The Bible asks us to be obedient by caring for the poor in spirit as well as the poor physically. As Christians, it is our role to be Christ-like. This means being generous with our time and money for those who have less and caring deeply for people who don't know Him. In a time such as this, when it is easy to isolate and care for only yourself, we get to be the non-anxious face of Christ to our communities by being obedient.
At first, I wasn't thinking about how I can use my resources. It took my boss wanting to help the needy to remind me of who I am in Christ. Her jump to action made me brainstorm what I can do. My immediate response wasn't to give because I'm a sinner, flawed with fear, but God used someone who doesn't even have a relationship with Him to remind me that He loves me, He is the rock in my life, and He has provided all that I'm so fortunate to have. I have nothing to fear and I can be obedient to give away what I have even in times of lack because of what He's done.
Generosity is important in light of the gospel because our knee-jerk reaction as humans is to fold into ourselves instead of look outside. The gospel allows us hope for a future that, even in rough times and uncertain territory, is solid. We get to share this peace by being generous when others are stuck in fear. It has been amazing to see the bond created between both communities in and out of our church context. I am excited to see where this will lead us and the joy of the families receiving these donations.
We are continuing to raise money and donations of non perishables, diapers, wipes, and formula for Katie's families, as well as our friends in the homeless community. We are praying that people would continue to be generous and to give during this time. We are also praying that Bozeman sees the Gospel through our generosity and peace during this anxiety-riddled time.
God is here even in this place of darkness and confusion. He is a loving father that has a purpose set before us. He is bringing light to dark places and guiding us to be healing hands in this season. As a church we are called to be obedient and unafraid. This doesn't mean to throw caution out the window. I think it means we must examine our lives and ask how we can serve our community. Are we reminded how much we have because of the grace we've received? It's easy to sit behind a computer screen and ask how you can help and post Bible verses that give us hope, but if we aren’t also the tangible hands and feet of Jesus in this time, will we be missing the point? The God of this universe goes before us and is sure to fulfill his plans of bringing healing and hope to this world. With this truth claimed, we can walk in the utmost courage and joy as we seek to be obedient. I am praying we as a church seek out ways the community needs us to step up and be good news.
