Something Coracle seems to specialize in is being able to walk with those whose lives are on the front lines of seeing some of the worst that a broken world can throw, whether poverty, injustice, violence, and all sorts of disillusionment. Last week, I was grateful to be with the Executive Leadership Team of World Relief for a couple of days, leading the first of a series of retreats on spiritual formation. This coming week, I’m grateful to be in Chiang Mai with the field directors and regional directors of International Justice Mission, leading a six day retreat on “Being Who We Are”…which is another way of talking about being the Body of Christ, and, also, who we are!

A theme that runs through it all is this:  Jesus came into the world intentionally to confront the effects of the fall, to take on the suffering of the world upon himself, and by the power of God redeem it by his body being a conduit of God’s grace and the revelation of his glory. And that’s what we are to do. As followers of Jesus and his very body on earth, we are to intentionally confront the effects of the fall, take on the suffering of the world upon ourselves, and by the power of God redeem it, with our very bodies being a conduit of God’s grace and the revelation of his glory.  If you’ve been around me at all in the last 15 years, those words are probably pretty familiar….and I still believe it. It’s why I keep getting on planes.