Living in the Neutral Zone

As I started chapter 2 of Chasing Daylight, I was bombarded with some thoughts on living in neutral. I have read several blog posts lately concerning the church and Christians being involved with the issues that the world faces, but it was chapter 2 that brought it all to a head tonight.

I’ve read this section before in Erwin’s “Seizing Your Divine Moment” book before it was republished as “Chasing Daylight.” I never finished reading that book, so I re-read it in this one.

Here is the quote that stood out the most to me, I will post the others at a later time, but for now this one will do…“We have put so much emphasis on avoiding evil that we have become virtually blind to the endless opportunities for doing good.”

So when was the last time you stopped on the side of the road and helped that individual change their tire? Helped the elderly person unload their grocery bags or lift a heavy box into their car? When was the last time you walked all the way back into the retail store to tell the customer service desk that someone left their lights on? Sent a check for $20 to buy mosquito nets? Sponsored a child to make sure they would eat this month and get an education?

Opportunities to do good are all around us, but we have been so seasoned to avoid evil that we have allowed ourselves to live in the neutral zone. In capture the flag, the neutral zone is the inactive place to be in the game, no one could send you to prison, everything comes to a stop.
Life happens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We can idly sit by and do nothing…or as Erwin says in his book, we can do something.

Is it the great sin of the church that we have become so apathetic, so idle? James said, when we know to do good and we don’t do it…it’s sin! So, does that mean that in all of our effort to avoid evil, we position ourselves into a place where we still sin, if we move into the neutral zone? After all, its not evil to not help the elderly person put the box into their car, but if we know that it is an act of goodness and we turn the other way to avoid the situation, do we then in essence sin?

I just wonder how many issues we are turning our heads to? Corporately as the body of Christ and individually? Ghandi said, “I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ!” Christ did not call us to a life in the neutral zone, he called us to a life of sacrifice, a life of adventure, and surrender. Erwin makes this comment in response to those who sit in the neutral zone waiting for “God’s Will” – “If men and women who gave their lives for a purpose counter to the will of God could not stop God’s purpose in history, how could someone who longs to do God’s will and chooses to do something in line with God’s character?“ – Erwin’s point is, we will not accomplish anything if we do nothing and are paralyzed by the thought of screwing up God’s will and purpose. We cannot interfere with God’s sovereignty by simply taking the initiative and doing something! He will not be mad or angry with us by acting in His character.

Are you sitting in the neutral zone waiting on God’s Will? Do you really think He is going to be upset if you just did something when it lines up with his character? I tried to get something started with students and the P.E.A.C.E. Plan, it failed! I tried to get a weekly recovery program called, “Life Hurts, God Heals” going in our area for students, it failed! I quit my full time ministry position as a youth pastor to get a secular job and to plug into a church plant…I feel at times I have failed! But, I’ve done something and I have refused to live in the neutral zone, and hopefully lives have been changed in the process! There are areas where I am in the neutral zone, but I’m getting out quick…have you been living there?