The Kingdom of Heaven in Lancaster, Ohio

When Jesus sent out his disciples to cast out unclean spirits and cure every disease and sickness, he also told them to proclaim the good news, "The kingdom of heaven has come near!" (Matthew 10:7)  This must have been a strange thing for the disciples to announce, especially when they were surrounded at every turn with illness, heartache, and despair. How can you announce that heaven is near when there is so much brokenness and pain around us?

Sometimes, ministry can be very draining. It's hard to keep up. There are so many needs in our congregation, on our block, and in our local community that we sometimes don't know where to begin. It can be easy for us to experience the condition of what golfers refer to as "paralysis by analysis." We can focus so much on the mountain of needs around us, that we can easily "freeze up."

And yes, we do need to take breaks from ministry now and then. The disciples had those moments with Jesus where they would spend time with him on the mountain, away from the crowds. So taking care of ourselves and spending some time away are absolutely necessary when serving in a busy ministry environment.

Imagine the surprise of the disciples when miraculous things began to happen as they offered God's healing and love to the people around them. In Luke's Gospel, we learn that the disciples were filled with joy after they returned from their ministry of healing. They couldn't believe what God was able to do through them simply because they stepped out in faith. Even with so many needs and ministry demands around them, they were able to see how the Kingdom of Heaven was coming near.

Yesterday during our mid-week church gathering, a member of the church told me that a large drug bust was taking place here in our city. The police had closed down a road in order to shut down a meth lab that had been operating. The drug problem in our community is well known and stories like this are not uncommon. Addiction is a powerful force that can tear apart families and ruin lives.

I was on my way out the door of the building when this church member shared this news with me. Ironically, I was leaving to attend a community event sponsored by the Fairfield County ADAMH staff in which a young lady was about to share her inspiring testimony about overcoming her drug problem. The event was being held at the downtown outdoor band shelter which included a free picnic for the community. A crowd had gathered. Some people were drawn to the event because of the smell of the grilled  hot dogs and some came out of curiosity.

The young woman spoke about how she got caught up in drugs and how people in her family and community have been helping her to overcome her addiction. She now attends college and she wants to work in a field where she can give back by helping others who are struggling with drugs.  She said, "Every day, I thank God for all of my blessings and for helping me experience healing." Everyone applauded her and thanked her for her testimony.

The front page headline of our local newspaper this morning is about yesterday's drug bust here in our city. I just wish that more people knew that around the same time yesterday just a few blocks away, a young woman offered a story of hope in overcoming her drug problem.

The Kingdom of Heaven came near yesterday, right here in Lancaster, Ohio.