The Rev. Dr.

John Hatcher

Religion Columnist

I've got a brand new perspective on the classic Biblical verse on revival at least, brand new for me.

Thanks to Ed Silvosa, a leader in the great Argentine revival outcroppings which have been experienced in Brownsville and Toronto. The verse is 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people who are called by name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land."

Admittedly, when most of us preachers have used this verse, we think in terms of church. If everybody will get their act together, repent of their sins, and live for God, then our church will be a whole lot better off. The pews will be filled. The offerings will be more than adequate. Etc.

But this classic verse on revival says, "...and heal their land." Not the church.

To heal the land means the people of the land come to living faith in Jesus Christ, the one true and only God. Wholeness healing only comes when people accept him who is the way, the truth, and the life.

So, as I now read it, God is a lot more interested in healing our land, our community, than he is with pumping up the church.

The church does not deserve to be pumped up if we don't pump out love and life to the land. God is interested in healing Atlanta and all its environs. He wants his church to get interested in what interests him. To join God's purposes, churches must come together.

I am not so bold to think that we can tear down walls of denominational pride walls that have taken centuries to build. However, I am old and bold enough to think that we can with God's help.

We churches must begin to see ourselves as one church. Did we not learn there is only one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:4,5)?

Over the years, churches have come to be like grocery stores. We have Kroger, Cubs, Winn-Dixie, Ingles, et al. You say you like Kroger because of its produce section. Someone else says they like Winn-Dixie because of their meat department. Basically, they both get their lettuce from the same dirt and their beef from the same cow.

Basically, Christian churches offer the same product: Jesus Christ. However, I regret to observe that many of us act like we offer a totally different product.

For instance, Baptists for decades thought Catholics had substituted the Pope for Christ. We never took the time or had enough love to find out the real truth.

What's God's perspective? I just bet when he looks at the South side of Atlanta, he does not see all the little churches, but he sees his one church.

How do we become in function what God sees as reality? We must begin to function together. Pastors and ministers must come together in loving, relational concern for one another. We pastors must learn to take time for one another. We must demonstrate to one another that we believe in the other's integrity before God Almighty.

After all, we all believe and receive the same Lord Jesus Christ.

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