A couple of things I believe: That Jesus intended to change the world (using us to do it). And, that young people sense that. They sense that they were made for more than they've experienced in church. Inside, they are dying for someone to show them how to find it.

And that's what the World Race is about - we want to show a generation that when Jesus asked us to pray "thy kingdom come," he wasn't just speaking poetically. When young people really grab hold of the possibilities for their lives in God, they can do anything. 

It starts at training camp. One of my favorite things to do is to read the blogs of racers after training camp (some of them here). Going there, they know that their minds are going to be blown. They've read the blogs of racers before them. They've talked to people and heard their stories. It's not like they can be surprised. And despite the advance notice, God ambushes them anyway.

Leah Malone's post-training camp post is typical:

Training Camp takes place

in the woods of middle-of-nowhere Georgia

where you're kindly fed fish head soup, ugali,

and a grilled tomato banana and cheese sandwich.

Where you sleep in tents,

then on a school bus,

then under a tarp.

And you go to bed after midnight

 only to wake up a few hours later,

before even a hint of the sun rise,

to freeze your buns off at morning exercise

running up and down the hills of Georgia.

Yep, these people are crazy.

 

Some of these people are alumni.

People who flew, drove, and hitchhiked

to spend the week with us, sleep deprived,

at training camp. 

They served us by scrubbing toilets,

 waking up at 4am to cook our food for the day,

and praying life/truth into us

over and over and over again.

Their clothes never match

I'm pretty sure they've forgotten how.

They saw greatness in me and pushed me towards it.

They're ALWAYS either-

a. dancing

 b. laughing or

c. praying.

These people are crazy!

 

Speaking of prayer-

Its like the real deal for these people.

Rarely never... did I hear prayer start with

"Dear Heavenly Father"

Usually it started more like

"Hey Daddy"

"Its me again Papa" or,

"Abba we love you" or simply,

"Hi!"

"It's almost like they KNOW this guy?!

These people are crazy.

 

During worship there are people 

laughing,

dancing,

praying,

sitting,

and standing.

Some people have their hands in the air,

and others have their faces on the ground.

Yikes. These people are crazy.

 

These people dream about

shutting down every brothel,

ending the AIDS epidemic in Swaziland,

getting clean water for African villages,

seeing Haiti restored,

and finding a loving home for every orphan.

They dream about these things

because they're actually living to make them happen.

I'm telling you-

these people are crazy.

 

Everyday normal conversation

consists of things like-

fire tunnels,

feedback,

declarations,

poop problems,

and ridiculously awesome

workings of the Holy Spirit.

These people are crazy.

 

And apparently,

after traveling the world for 11+ months

it becomes difficult, if not impossible,

to speak in full sentences.

Because of this,

everything is shortened by an acronym.

ATL,

OES,

TIA

I guess I should start practicing!

These people are crazy.

 

These people actually believe

every word of the Bible to be true.

They believe healings are possible. Now. Today. 

They believe that God breathes and life happens.

They believe we are no longer slaves to sin.

They believe that the power of Christ is IN us.

They believed in the potential for the quiet girl sitting in the back

with the walls around her heart to experience freedom and love.

They believe and pray the same prayer Jesus did-

on earth as it is in Heaven

 

And you know what?

I've started praying that too.

Because I actually really, really like that idea.

On earth as it is in Heaven?

Absolutely. Bring it on.

 

There's no doubt in my mind

that those strange Kingdom minded people

who I met this week in the woods of Georgia

are absolutely CRAZY.

 

But what I decided this week is,

I'm ready to be crazy too!

The Kingdom of God is worth my abandonment.

(photo by Reagan Taylor)