By Pastor RAUL GRANILLO

As I sat down to write this, my house shook from the shockwave of a nearby explosion. Thursdays are when the National Lab performs explosive test here in Los Alamos; or so I have been told. (I don’t have clearance, so have to take everyone at their word.) Thursdays are often a surreal reminder of our distrust for others and the extremes that we will go to in order to protect our way of life. As a husband and a father, it scares the hell out me.

According their website, in 2015 there were 10,827 people employed working at Los Alamos National Labs. The vast majority of those work for the sake of national defense. They are some of the brightest minds in the world. Having lived among them for the last four years, let me say that they are typically very passionate about what they do. They are mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters, and they are finding new ways to protect us and provide better lives for us. Some of those ways, maybe too many, involve destructive weapons. Perhaps, there is something the rest of us can do to help.

Isaiah prophesies about Jesus’ coming into the world. He prophesied about this Messiah during a time of unrest in Israel and Judah. In his prophecy, Isaiah writes:

“Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:5-9 NIV)

This is an image of what it will be like after Jesus returns. This is a picture of what we call “heaven.” It is a difficult one to imagine, but the point is clear: Those things that are naturally enemies will live in harmony. It is the image of a peace and trust that too often eludes us.

According to a Gallup Poll, there were some 240 million Christians in America in 2015. Imagine what would happen if those 240 million Christians in America were as dedicated to reaching out to their enemies, as the employees of the Lab are at protecting us. Imagine if the 240 million Christians in America became passionate about creating an environment where the most lost and miserable people of the world felt safe. Imagine if the 240 million Christians in America lived Christ-like lives for the sake of reaching others.

Imagine 240 million Christians determined to unite the 7.4 billion people on this planet by exposing them to the passionate love of Jesus Christ. I know, with all that I am, that this is the only hope we have for lasting peace and security in our own nation and in our own backyards. This, however, requires that Christians actually engage in their faith, not just check off Christianity in the census box or on their Facebook profile.

I get that there is a legitimate fear of the enemy. After all the enemy is real. Earlier this week, an 11-year-old girl was kidnapped, raped, and murdered in San Juan County, NM. As a father, this too scares the hell out of me. In the middle of writing this sentence, by phone buzzed with another Amber Alert, and I wonder if the biggest bombs we can create can really provide any lasting peace or protection in this world.

Here is the reality. If you really want to contribute to protecting people and providing peace, then there is only one way. It is by living in a sanctified relationship with God so that others can experience His love and forgiveness through you. Only when we submit to the Holy Spirit, and allow God to pour out His love upon us, will we have the love and compassion to spend ourselves for the sake of others. Whether it be as a scientist, a security officer, or a stay at home parent, we can each live out our lives so that Jesus is seen by others.

To find out more about La Vista Church, or to hear this and other messages, visit our website at www.lavistanaz.org or email me at raul@lavistanaz.org. Follow Pastor Raul on Twitter @RaulGranillo007.

Please come join us as we fix our eyes on Jesus. We meet Sundays at 9 a.m. for Sunday school and 10 a.m. for worship. Everyone is welcome!