How do you see the world?

Last night, millions of dollars were raised through Idol Gives Back, a special presentation from the American Idol series. I didn’t watch the whole show. I’m not a huge Idol fan, but my wife is locked in most of the time so she watched the majority of last night’s show. Looking on their website this morning, I didn’t see any information about the total amount raised, but it was a substantial sum of money that will benefit these organizations.

What intrigued me about the entire production was the final song that was performed during the show. The song selection was “Shout to the Lord,” a contemporary praise song written by Darlene Zschech in 1993 and published by Hillsong Music Australia. From what I can tell, the song was sung in it’s original form except for the first line which was changed from, “My Jesus, My Savior,” to “My Shepherd, My Savior.”

What is interesting to me about the song selection isn’t that they changed the first line, though I am sure there will be many Christian groups up in arms about that and claiming that the church is now under persecution because a TV show decided not to use the word Jesus. [I'm being a bit sarcastic by the way] What is interesting to me is that someone made the connection between the work of raising money for the “least, the last and the lost” all over the world and this song. Someone, and since it made into the final slot of the show, we might say a whole lot of someone’s, decided that these two pieces somehow fit together.

If you’re a follower of Jesus seeking to live out that calling in your life, I think that should intrigue you. If you, like me, believe we are living in a world that is increasingly dissatisfied with where the church is today and perhaps looking other places for answers, I think that should intrigue you… That even in a world that some are describing as “post-Christian” there is a widely held belief that God cares about the suffering in our world and God somehow values the experience of helping and supporting those who are hurting in our world.

What am I getting at? Last night, hundreds of millions of dollars were raised, an audience of who knows how many million were watching, a connection was made between the act of giving and God, who we believe is the great Giver, and no one thought that was strange. Why? Because there is still a small light of truth that says to a great many people that in giving away your life, you find yours… that in laying down your life…

That light might seem dim, and the understanding of that truth may be minimal, but it’s a place to begin… And it’s a place where I must say as a person of faith, “I see God here.”

For I believe, and I hope you join with me in this idea, that everyone person who watched, every person who gave, and every person who experienced last night’s show… God is working in their life. God’s grace is actively pursuing their hearts… And the work of my life, the work of the church is to bring revelation to that small light of faith, hope and love that is already burning in their life.

UPDATE: Idol Gives Back has raised approximately 60 million dollars.