Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Sarah Thebarge

Home
Progressive Christian
rise up: taking a crippled world to its feet

rise up: taking a crippled world to its feet

Last updated on: February 9, 2018 at 4:46 pm by Sarah Thebarge

rise up: taking a crippled world to its feet 2018-02-09T16:46:34+00:00 Sarah Thebarge

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

When I’m really, really, really tired, sometimes upbeat music wakes me up more than caffeine. So yesterday in my hotel room, when I had to wake up early to run all the errands I needed to before traveling on to South Sudan, I cranked my favorite music and danced in my hotel room as I prepared for a long day.

One of the songs on my playlist is Rise Up, by Andra Day.

One of the lines caught my ear:

We’ll take it to its feet…and rise up.

Usually when I hear about people talking about bringing a crowd of people to its feet, it means people are so excited or enamored by a performer, they give the artist or musician or politician or athlete or celebrity a standing ovation.

That’s one goal, right? Bring the world to its feet in a deafening applause for you.

But yesterday, as I was preparing to run errands to get all the medicine I need to take to kids who are dying in the developing world, the line took on a whole new meaning.

Take the world to its feet…and rise up.

…the way that Jesus extended his hand to the man born blind who was begging at the side of the road…

…the way that Jesus healed the crippled man lowered through the roof by his friends, to whom Jesus said, “Get up!”

…the way Jesus said to Lazarus, “Come forth!” And brought a dead man to his feet. Back to health, back to life.

Rise up, I’ve brought you to your feet! Jesus said to hurting people, over and over and over again.

It’s possible to live our lives consumed by seeking fame, large audiences, popularity, clicks, likes, shares, sales, assets and standing ovations that bring stadiums and concert halls to their feet.

And while obtaining those things isn’t intrinsically bad, we fall short if we make them the endgame.

Because our ultimate purpose on this earth is to bring a crippled, dying, aching, suffering world to its feet, one person at a time — whether those people are next door, across state lines, over the border or across the world.

So let’s leverage all we are and have so our beautiful but desperately broken world can rise up.

That’s what resurrection means, after all.

To “surrect” means “to rise.”

To “resurrect”, which was what Jesus was all about, means “to rise again.”

So let’s practice resurrection.

Again.

And again.

Over and over, refusing to stop until a crippled world is brought to its healed, solid, dancing feet.

Uncategorized

andra day

bring the world to its feet

international medicine

Previous Post

December 4, 2017

am I brave? nope. not even a little.

Next Post

December 6, 2017 where i'm going

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month February 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 August 2017 July 2017 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Christian group is known for its rejection of military service and political involvement?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Methodist Amish Baptist Assemblies of God

Books by This Author Books by Sarah Thebarge

See All Titles »