In February of this year, revival broke out on the campus of the University of Asbury in Kentucky, a university rooted in the Methodist tradition. While many celebrated this event, some viewed the event with suspicion. In their minds, spiritual revival should be accompanied by a social impact, such as we see in the early church, documented in the book of Acts.
In Acts 2, the scripture says that “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.” The biblical record seems clear, not only was there a spiritual component, but also a social impact.
As a newcomer to the tradition, I have appreciated how Methodism was born of spiritual revival that also had social implications. Methodist faith helped workers endure economic hardship while they alleviated their poverty. Even today, the UMC has social principles, first espoused in 1908.
As we see the record of the early church, as we receive the legacy of early Methodist leaders, I believe we too are tasked with living out our faith in practical, impactful ways, letting our faith influence how we interact with our neighbor and our community. May our faith move beyond the walls of our church building into every aspect of what we do.
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