God's active involvement in creation and vocational relationships

Foundational Christian faith belief God actively involved His creation.

God is actively involved with His creation. Explain how this belief affects the way we interact with people within a chosen vocation

The fact that God is involved in his creation means that we too must be actively involved in his creation as well, as we are children of God. We must seek to serve one another just as Jesus strove to serve humanity. We cannot be passive recipients of God's grace and goodness: we must strive to make the world a better place. "The problem is not finding the needs of people in our lives; the problem is caring enough to act in a manner that is far different than perhaps we have acted previously."[footnoteRef:1] To love one's neighbor as one's self means taking an active interest in his or her welfare. The need for intervention is constant: human beings are social animals and are dependent on one another, sometimes for food and shelter; other times for simple companionship. [1: Ted F. Rivera, The Heart of Love: Obeying God's Two Great Commandments, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013): 64-65]

It is imperative that we answer those needs. Jesus observed that the poor are always with us (Matthew 26: 11; Mark 14:17). The fact that are always with us is not an excuse for doing nothing; rather it is a clarion call that we must make giving part of our lives and there is no finite end for charity. We will never find a single solution with our human intelligence to the challenges of poverty.[footnoteRef:2] This is not only true of the suffering of the financially poor, but also those who are poor in spirit and need others to intervene and make them feel as if they are worthwhile persons. The Christian's duty is to enrich the lives of others by spreading the positive message of his or her faith. [2: Rivera, 62]

Ironically, our collective sense of social responsibility and obligation to others has shrank just as the world has grown easier to travel across. While going to the ends of the earth was once costly and challenging, today it is not. "Going to the 'ends of the earth' seems to be a commandment particularly tailored to our age."[footnoteRef:3] When we have opportunities we must spread the good word to all people, just as the Apostle Paul stated. However, the missionary impulse has receded in many churches, partially because of budgeting, partially because of fears of what the word missionary has come to mean, and also because people are increasingly busy and over-committed. They do not feel that they need more people to care about. Yet Paul and the other Apostles traveled the earth, when travel was not easy, in an effort to spread the word of God. Reaching out to others does not always seem convenient and it is easy to make excuses that we have better things to do. But if we act, the spiritual rewards for ourselves as well as for the lives of the people whom we reach are immeasurable. [3: Rivera, 69]

This is a reconfiguration of the concept of missionary work: rather than stressing the need for conversion, it instead stresses the obligation for charity and giving to others. It is important to remember the idea of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritans were a race of people despised in ancient Israel. Yet simply by showing charity, the Samaritan redeemed himself in the gospel. Similarly, in Galatians, Paul states "there is no Jew or Greek, all are one in Jesus Christ" (Galatians 3:28). National borders and other artificial dividers mean nothing: what is meaningful is our common heritage in Christian values and our sharing of a spiritual bond.

Having a sense of vocation or purpose in one's life is essential as motivation to reach out to others. No matter what one chooses to do in one's life, it should in some way be connected to an altruistic person. A teacher reaches out to children; a doctor can heal the sick; and every time someone interacts with the public there is an opportunity for service. In my own work as a teacher, I strive to make the lives better of every student I interact with, every day, and I hope that as a result of my openness with them, the lives of the people with whom they interact with will be better. A good teacher with a strong sense of vocation will be able to act compassionately towards a child who is struggling and be able to show the connection between what is taught and the larger life lessons the child can learn from the challenge "For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved" (1 Corinthians 10:33).