Repair Our Broken Land

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8 CSB

We often wonder what our purpose is in today’s world—and why Jesus doesn’t just return now to make all things new.

Luke, who authored both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, originally wrote them as one continuous narrative. In Acts, we don’t simply see Jesus as resurrected and ascended—we see Him as having left instructions for His followers as they wait for His return. His resurrection wasn’t the conclusion of the story but the beginning—the launching point of the apostles' mission, and the beginning of our mission as well.

Kristi  McLelland, in her Bible study Luke in the Land, introduced the Jewish phrase tikkun olam, which means repair or fix the world. For the Jewish people, this represents an invitation to engage with and help restore the brokenness around them.

That’s exactly what Jesus calls us to do. This is our assignment as His followers: to join Him in bringing healing and restoration to a world fractured by sin. When sin entered the garden, our perfect relationship with God was broken. But God sent Jesus to repair that relationship, and now we are called to reflect His image, to share the story of salvation, and to bring hope to the lost and hurting.

We do this, not with our own strength, but through supernatural power. Luke reminds us in Acts 1:8 of that power. It is not human power, but God’s power through His Holy Spirit.

So if you’re wondering about your purpose today, remember this: you were created to reflect Christ and participate in tikkun olam—to engage the world with His love, His truth, and His healing, until He comes again.

How will you engage our broken world today?

Lord, give me courage and wisdom to show You to our broken world.

Chris Adams

*First published on www.chrisadams.blog