Living close to the CSB headquarters in the greater Buffalo area, I am thrilled to welcome March; that means above freezing temperatures, and spring will soon come. Living in one of the snowiest places in the U.S. requires this type of hopeful mentality.
March also brings a special holiday for those of us who are of Irish heritage, St. Patrick’s Day. For many years while our youngest daughter was small, I think she thought St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and decorations were just for her, a side effect of naming her Clover, an atypical name for sure. Our other two, Sean and Maeghan, have somewhat more “normal” names, but all three names speak to our Irish heritage, as well as to the Holy Trinity.
While I love the diversity of our world, and enjoy experiencing other cultures, it’s probably obvious to you now that I am keen on my Emerald Isle lineage. For a number of years now I have gone down the genealogical rabbit hole of tracing my ancestry. My great-great-grandparents immigrated to the U.S. at the height of the potato famine and grew their family to 9 sons (no daughters) in Boston. I can trace these lines back a couple of generations in Ireland, but it then runs cold and jumps 400 years backwards to only 3 clans of O’Haras that descended from Ireland’s monarchy, King Olioll Olum, from which all surnames with “O’” originate.
If you’re still with me, I promise this has less to do with me and is leading to the great calling of the ministry of CSB…
For centuries, many believed the 11th-century book ‘Lebor Gabala Erenn’ was folklore with fantastical stories of how the sons of King Melisius of Spain set sail to settle Ireland and establish its first monarchy. That is, until very recent DNA research has shown that a genetic commonality (Y-DNA R1b) exists in high concentrations in just two places on earth, Ireland, and the Basque region of northwestern Spain. Could this mean that the book, with its vivid stories of generations tracing from Ireland, to Spain, all the way back to Japheth, son of Noah, is true?” Which would mean, except for a 400-year gap, I would be able to trace my lineage back to Adam!
This might sound exciting for some, and there is certainly some of that for me, but I can’t help feel great sadness also. How is it that entire people groups, my people, could drift so far from the re-progenitor of the human race, Noah, and the truth and worship of the one true God he would have certainly passed down to his sons? How could our God allow so many to wander much of the face of the earth, only to descend into such darkness and despair? Ireland, for centuries, was a pagan land that embraced dark and demonic beliefs and practices.
Acts 17 recounts the Apostle Paul attempting to bridge the cultural gap at the Areopagus in order to spread the good news of the gospel in Athens. He points to the altar of the “unknown god” and quotes one of their poets to help them see that they too were connected to our creator. In the first part of verse 26, Paul explains that God created all the nations and people groups across the earth from one man, Adam. But he goes on, in the second half of verse 26, to point out that God is sovereign over the migrations of people across the time and spaces of human history. This part of Scripture fits the sadness I have expressed regarding the dark wanderings of people over history. Yet, in verse 27, Paul shares God’s motive, “that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way towards Him and find Him.” Another translation refers to it as “groping” for God, as if they are in a pitch-dark room looking for escape.
If you have thought the ministry of Christian Service Brigade is simply a weekly club for kids to do fun things with a little Scripture thrown in, there’s a huge point being missed! As a discipleship ministry we must not forget that we cannot disciple someone who has not yet had an evangelist share the good news of the gospel with them. The second part of Acts 17:27 says, “yet He is actually not far from each of us.” It should be a consistent burden in our hearts, even though God has never been far from the Athenians Paul was speaking to, or the early inhabitants of Ireland, or any of us, that we would want none to miss Him.
Time and time again over history, God has counted on humans being put in circumstances that would cause them to reach a point where they would grope for their Savior. May the Lord bless missionaries like Paul, and CSB Unit Leaders, and moms and dads that are, as CSB’s vision statement says, “…taking responsibility to lead, equip, and disciple each generation.” The reason an intergenerational gospel ministry like Christian Service Brigade is worth serving and investing in is that it has the power to change individual lives, as well as communities, societies, and cultures by changing the lineage of families for generations to come!
