Corporate change takes time. Whether we’re thinking of the serious challenges facing our whole constituency or the more localised struggles of the church of which we are part, we all have to wrestle with the fact that community progress towards Christlikeness comes in the form of gradually growing fruit.
If we’re honest, many of us don’t like that fact. Often, we’d quite like it if God could just change things now. We may never say it, but we can act as if progressive sanctification isn’t one of God’s better ideas.
Hard time
Frequently, there are good reasons for wanting some pace. Every moment abuse persists, more people get hurt. Every month where sin remains unconfessed, the legacy of the Fall retains a grip on people’s hearts. And, of course, at times it is right to act quickly and decisively – to report, protect, and bring darkness into the light. But after an initial swift step, there is still a long journey ahead. The Christian life is always a marathon, not a sprint.
