Volume 28, No. 28
August 3, 2003                       

The Dead Zone  

    Silent and insidious, an invisible killer has reappeared in  the Gulf of Mexico.  It conquers by suffocation, sparing nothing in its path.  Already huge, it’s getting bigger all the time and researchers are still trying to figure out how to stop it.

   It’s a huge pocket of water in which nothing can live. Scientists at the U.S. National Ocean Service call it the Dead Zone.  Each summer, nitrogen and phosphorous from fertilizers, pesticides and other farm chemicals flow down the Mississippi River into the Gulf, causing algae to grow.  That algae steals the oxygen that plants, fish and other creatures need to survive.  Anything that can swim or crawl away, flees.  All others die.  

   “It’s like a cancer,” says oysterman Bobby Theriot.  “It keeps getting bigger.”  Starting near shore and stretching 50 miles out, the wall of stagnant water rises five storeys from the bottom.  It’s now the size of Connecticut with a never-ending appetite.  There are 40 other dead zones in saltwater bays around the world.

   With a new sense of urgency, scientists are looking for potential solutions, beginning with encouraging farmers to cut back on fertilizers, which account for more than half the problem.  Another plan is to build more wetlands and belts of vegetation along key areas of the Mississippi because they act as natural filters to “clean” runoff water before it flows into the Gulf.

   Interestingly, the Dead Zone was a much smaller problem before flood controls were built on the Mississippi.  That’s because, when the river could overflow its banks, the nutrients were spread over awider area, then the floodwaters drained through natural vegetation and went back into the river much cleaner.  These days, the mighty Mississippi behaves much better, but that control comes at a big cost.

   Ironically, the church has a Dead Zone of its own.  It’s a savage, soul-suffocating environment that chases away those who know their need for the Breath of life, and slowly chokes those who can’t escape the growing threat.  It’s a pocket of complacency and stagnation that often defies detection until there’s death and defection.

   That spiritual Dead Zone is caused by human self-sufficiency and an over-reliance on people, plans and programs that all promise to speed the growth of the church.  While God always expects us to use the talent and intellect He provides, those resources should never become a substitute for the life-supporting leadership of the Spirit who draws believers to himself.  

   Sadly, more and more of us now set the agenda and timetable when it comes to church work then prayerfully expect God to bless the mess, even though He was largely left out of the process.  Methods overshadow the Message, fads masquerade as faith and programs replace prayer.  No wonder so much of what we do is destined for disappointment.  Even when we see quick results, they seldom last and the long-term consequences come back to haunt us.

  Instead of arrogantly telling God what we’ll do for him, we must learn to discern where He’s already pointing us.  We need to filter our human perspective through his natural process of spiritual purification;  a process reserved for those who have eyes that see beyond the superficial, ears that hear his clear, unmistakable voice and hearts intent on following.

   Once our Father has revealed his will for us — through prayer and the principles of his Word, circumstances and signals from the Holy Spirit — it’s appropriate, even necessary, to plan and implement.  But patiently giving priority to revelation over self-reliance can be scary.  That’s why church leaders often impose controls that prevent our spiritual lives from spilling over predetermined boundaries.  That doesn’t let us release and cleanse the toxic buildup in our lives.

   A personal, passionate relationship with the Spirit of God is the key to personal and congregational growth. Anything else is just fertilizer.

By Rick Gamble, published in Cross Current, the weekly newsletter of the Followers of Christ congregation in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.  Reprint at will in not-for-profit publications.  To subscribe, contact sgamble@bfree.on.ca