With permission, I am posting an email sent by the Mission Pastor from Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, Tom Theriault. He was responding to the concerns being shared at the church about going to Mexico in light of the most recent events in Juarez.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this since the news hit the streets. On Tuesday I attended a town hall forum with the current moderator of the Presbyterian Church USA. Before we heard him speak, we did some small group digging into Luke 10 – Jesus sending out the 72. One person highlighted verse 3: “I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.” His comment: “Just because there are wolves out there doesn’t mean we should stay home.” This hit me like a thunder bolt from heaven. Jesus makes it abundantly clear: “I am sending you out, not into security and safety, but to go into the world where there are wolves. If you stay home, the wolves win.”

Tom continues by saying that this word from on high has been “ringing in my ears and heart”.

Somehow, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we’ve got to press past the American faith that automatically rules out sacrifice and danger. I can’t find that kind of faith in the Bible (except in those held up as a negative example). The only way we and our ancestors got the gospel is because faith filled saints ventured out beyond the safety of home and took risks for and with Jesus. Where is that spirit of daring faith in our American churches???? We are not called to be foolish. The Lord of all, however, does call us to walk in faith, not in fear.

Tom finishes his call to serve this Memorial Weekend with these final comments:

The difficult situation facing our neighbors to the south give us a privileged opportunity to display the timbre of our faith. Are we fair weather only friends, or will we show up when there are dark clouds overhead??? Our Amor friends would not open the door foolishly. They are opening the door of faith. Oh Lord, inspire your people at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church to step up and walk through!

I read this and welled up with tears. Not because of what I hope you hear as much as Tom saying what we all need to hear. Amor Ministries has to continue being a “lamb among wolves” as we respond to God’s leading us to expand to other parts of the world.

Jesus is who we follow and he was definitely a “lamb among wolves”. I want to be like him.