Radical
Salvationism
by Commissioner Wesley
Harris
WORDS may sometimes be manipulated to mean what we want them
to signify rather than what is their essential connotation.
Take the word “radical” for example.
Some may interpret it to indicate a wild eyed extremist
intent on getting rid of anything that has been accepted as
normal. But the Oxford Dictionary –
a “bible” for many users of the English language -
defines the word as “of the root, naturally inherent,
essential, fundamental” and in that case this long time
Salvationist would say, “bring it on”.
What is radical may seem to be different but is essentially in
line with what was original, of the essence of
what was intended, but perhaps lost in time. A stiff
dose of history may be called for and, through the years, that
has been provided through the language of priorities employed
in the “Journal of Aggressive Christianity.”
The Army began as an expression of radical Christianity.
It was about saving and serving the lost.
That was the burning passion of our founders and
literally, God help us, if we have cooled off in our
motivation. We are called to be people people.
Every Corps exists for those who don’t belong to it as
well as those who do. The people in our neighbourhood are not
merely our “clients”; they are the reason for our existence!
Many of our Corps are very busy doing this
and that but sometimes we may need a reality check and should
ask ourselves what we are all about and what are the results.
This kind of check may be disconcerting for us as individuals
and as an Army but it could well bring on growing pains and
growth itself.
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