Ready-go Isn’t Really a Thing

Right now I drive a school bus for work, and my route goes through the country. Many rural families live on farmland where their property entrance is a good distance from their actual dwelling. So even if the bus stops at their address, a student might have to cover 50 yards at full sprint—backpack and jacket in tow—to get to the bus.

The other day I thought a student wasn’t at her stop, until suddenly there she was, arms akimbo, bent at the waist, breathing hard. She had to kick it into high gear, but she made it. It’s not easy to go from eating breakfast to launching into a full sprint at the sight of the bus. After doing that every day, the body generates a readiness response, perhaps by boosting adrenaline for a sudden burst.

That’s what happens at track meets. When the official hollers, “Ready!” the racer is in place. At “Set!” they enter a heightened state of readiness. Muscles tense and focus narrows, ready to explode into action. Without that moment to get set, racers couldn’t perform at their best.

That “set” moment is a level of readiness we can’t hold indefinitely. If it happens too soon or too late, it won’t work right. Try to go from “ready” to “go” without getting “set,” and you’re liable to trip and fall. This is one reason many evangelical churches and leaders fail to meet the big moments when they occur. If we are supposed to be the body of Christ, this body has some issues.

A lot has been said about problems with racism and Christian nationalism in the church, and even more about the impact of the pandemic on churches. So many Christians have refused basic health and safety practices like getting vaccinated and wearing masks.

It’s not just that some Christian leaders have abdicated their responsibility or jettisoned the directives of the faith that don’t conform to their politics. Many of us believe that racial injustice and public health misinformation are critical problems that require a response. But as a body, we can’t seem to put it all together. We lack the proper coordination to collectively set ourselves in place to address the moment, and then once the moment comes, we lack the conditioning required to sustain the effort to make a difference. So when it’s go time, instead of running boldly, we’re falling on our faces.

If we are supposed to be the body of Christ, this body has got some issues.

In the parable of the wedding party in Matthew 25, two sets of habits converged in the people waiting for the bridegroom. One was a general sense of readiness, of knowing where the lamps are, where the oil is stored, and practicing pouring it (maybe even while getting dressed?). Another was a habit of moving with alacrity when there’s an urgent need. These young women could get things done in a crisis, the ones who knew how to give or receive orders when every second counts. They knew how to get ready, and also to get set.

What will it take for the church to maintain readiness and generate sufficient set-ness?

Few of us could have predicted a worldwide pandemic. But we can do better at anticipating moments of greater public need. No one predicted how George Floyd or Breonna Taylor’s deaths would unfold, but we’ve known about police brutality for a while.

I’m all for civility, but I don’t think that word fully captures the need here. It’s not just about playing nice—it’s about recognizing the urgency and mobilizing to combat the danger. In the parable of the shrewd businessperson in Luke 16, Jesus praises the fictional manager for some pretty shady behavior because he recognized a need and acted decisively. Sure, there are tensions to be balanced and sacrifices to be made. Our churches cannot and should not be places where every possible political issue is engaged. Like students getting ready for school, some necessary routines need to remain in place for the sake of our health and sanity.

But in certain kairos moments—at the conclusion of a highly publicized trial or in the fallout of a public, racialized tragedy—we must learn to set ourselves against the prevailing winds of apathy, indifference, or political nastiness. We can’t be caught flat-footed, hoping some new headline will lower the heat. Like those kids looking for the bus, we must keep looking for signs and get in gear when they come.

Because as everyone knows, it’s “ready, set, go.”

“Ready, go” just isn’t a thing.