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"Who is it that is supposed to articulate the longings and aspirations of the people more than the preacher?" King asked. Quoting Philippians, King urged believers to establish a "colony of heaven" here on earth—not to be content as "thermometers that record or register the temperature of majority opinion," but to become "thermostats, that transform and regulate the temperature of society."

A haunting question from King's six-year-old daughter echoes across time for all who try to bring heaven to an imperfect world: "Daddy, why do you have to go to jail so much?" No doubt the Puritans in England heard similar questions from their own children before sailing off to establish a City upon a Hill, a city whose ideals modern preachers are still urging us to attain.

Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today.Click for reprint information.

Previous Yancey columns for Christianity Today include:

The Leprosy Doctor | Paul Brand showed how to serve others sacrificially and emerge with joy. (Oct. 23, 2003)

Going It Alone | We should take heed when much of the world says it distrusts us. (July 2, 2003)

God of the Maggies | In broken sinners, Jesus saw not their past but their future. (April 25, 2003)

Perestroika of the Spirit | In Russia, the vocabulary of faith needs interpreters. (March 5, 2003)

Jesus' Sword | Longing for peace in tumultuous times. (Jan. 7, 2002)

Guilt Good and Bad | The early warning signs. (Nov. 11, 2002)

God's Funeral | What will keep faith from nearly disappearing in America? (Sept. 3, 2002)

Sheepish | Feeling autonomous and proud? Then ponder the lives of sheep. (July 2, 2002)

Servant in Chief | Jimmy Carter's journey from the White House to building houses.(May 28, 2002)

Why Do They Hate Us? | How to turn the Baywatch syndrome into the Jesus syndrome. (March 27, 2002)

Honest Church Marketing | We enhance our 'image' by offering the world a realistic picture of faith. (October 24, 2001)

Compassion Confusion | We should serve the needy even when it has bad political consequences. (August 28, 2001)

Fixing Our Weakest Link | Evangelicals should be more "needful of the minds of others." (July 13, 2001)

Replenishing the Inner Pastor | Churches should take greater interest in their shepherds' spiritual health. (May 14, 2001)

Yancey's Where is God When it Hurts, Special Edition, Soul Survivor: How My Faith Survived the Church, and his latest book, Rumors of Another World, are available on Christianbook.com.

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January 2004, Vol. 48, No. 1