24 Days to Reflect on God's Heart for RedemptionSample

Redemption in the local village

An agent of redemption is a person who looks at his or her world, wondering how the Kingdom of God can come near in his or her local community in real and tangible ways. That person begins by doing something, by getting involved, and by taking action, redemptive action from his or her circle of influence. This is exactly what Dr. Robert Cooke Buckner did by convening a group of church leaders at a statewide Deacon’s convention on July 17, 1877, at the First Baptist Church of Paris, Texas. It was time to take action to serve the “least of these” children who had become orphans just after the Civil War.

Buckner responded to a need in the local village. He took individual responsibility, engaged leaders, activated a congregational base of support, and began doing social Christianity.

He often posed a question to church leaders when he spoke about the condition of orphan children in Texas after the Civil War, saying, “Suppose, that had been your child and you dead.” Buckner applied the Golden Rule to ministry among children. This message spoke to the hearts of people all across Texas and started a movement that has continued for decades.

The ministry of Buckner in the local village has grown from one campus in Dallas to an international ministry and state-wide network of Christ-centered social services for the “least of these:” vulnerable children, seniors, and their families all across Texas. The ministry, as an agent of redemption, provides a wide array of social services among children and seniors by shining hope through solutions for their lives. Buckner focuses on four primary services: foster care and adoption, transforming generations, strengthening families, and serving seniors.

Reflection questions:

• In Matthew 25:40, Jesus points to “the least of these” as those worthy of our attention and care. Who are the “least of these” in your circle of influence?
• If the Kingdom came near to your neighborhood, to your community, what would it look like? What would have to change?
• What are some practical ways you can serve “the least of these” in your community?
• How would you want for people to care for your children if you were suddenly absent from their lives?
• What would it take for you to make room at your table for a child that needs a family?