But To As Many of These...

As I sit and write today, morning has yet to wake up and the fog once again relentlessly blankets any efforts the sun might make to come along and brighten the day.  But don’t worry this is not going to be a gloomy post.  It may however be a challenging one.  At least I know it is for me…deeply challenging.  I’ve been reading the passage of scripture found in Matthew 25 where Jesus talks about the sheep and the goats.  Here is an excerpt, but the whole of it is very important.

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you have me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited me in, I needed clothes, and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me'"  (Matt 25:34-36)

In a recent Bible study I learned of a survey taken by people of 'comfortable means' It included those who are on government assistance programs, the typical middle class family, and those who live in fairly posh environments.  Needless to say, the demographics were broad.   The purpose of the study was to gain insight on how people interact and care for each other within a society.  One of the things they discovered was that most are more likely to love people as a whole, but LESS likely to love the individual.  The statement piqued my interest.   In other words, they (we) like the idea of love but not its reality.  Instead we tend to hold people at arms-length.  The survey results so intrigued me that I made detailed notes and thought of ways I could frame a talk around it.  After all, this was good information and people needed to know about it!  And being the joyful enthusiast that I am, I was ready to take out my mega phone and tell it from the roof tops!  That is until this happened....

  

Less than ten minutes after I heard this profound piece of prophetic outcry (hear my sarcasm), our Bible study transitioned into small group discussions, at which point my friend shared her recent story of recovery.  I listened as she told us how she spent the holiday season sick, dealing with an injury that will probably change the way she lives, how most of her recovery was spent at home, by herself, with just her husband caring for her and very few other friends.  She daily asked God for a visitor.  Plenty of people saw her at church here and there, and gave her the platitude of prayer.  I was one of them.  After all, that’s what we do when we see someone in need, we “pray”.  Rarely do we visit.  Now mind you, this woman is remarkably enjoyable. A visit would have been delightful, I'm sure.  But there we sat...we saw that she was sick and nobody looked after her.  Nobody showed up.

If this was an isolated incident I would treat it as such and move forward.  But I can’t.  I can’t because it’s for too prevalent in our western culture to ignore.  It’s far too prevalent in me.  We read scripture and know that the marker for being God's child - His disciple - is the manner in which we love others. To which we give a hearty, “Amen!”  Sadly, I am afraid we may like the idea of loving more than its reality.  I know I do. And ye...

I would be remiss in ignoring those who are wonderfully compassionate in our midst... who model well how to love our neighbor in need.  You are the champions of this cause, and we would all do better to take notice of your life.  You would be wonderful mentors for those of us who are often inept at knowing how to stop and be attentive.  Don't hesitate to alert us.  Be patient as we learn to open our eyes and act accordingly.  Many of us are beginners, in need of a gracious tutorial  

Loving others is hard work.  It disrupts our busy lives, takes us out of our comfort zones, and often requires us to set aside the things we consider important.  It's easy to get distracted, forgetting about the need next door.  We get lost in the bright shiny objects of virtual internet worlds and real-life demands.  The sad truth is, I stink at loving others when they are in need.  I just do.... But it’s a pretty big deal to Jesus.  

The forgotten and marginalized are not only those we encounter at a soup kitchen - where we can keep a tidy distance; nor are they merely the ones waiting for a well to be dug somewhere in South Africa.  Those are legitimate needs that must be addressed, but often the forgotten are the people sitting just three seats down from us in the pew on Sunday morning.  They are the ones to whom we wave goodbye while we are on our way to Sunday brunch.  Their stories are shared on the prayer chain, and sometimes over coffee, Tuesday mornings. 

I was stopped short when I listened to my friend.  I see her every Thursday morning, most Wednesday nights, and twice a month on Mondays.  Ironically the Monday night gathering is intended for those who want to be intentional about learning to love like Christ...clearly we have room to grow.  At least I do! 

I guess the first few steps are defining reality, owning it, and coming before God to be changed. I don't know about you, but I want to love better.  I want to be different than I am now, and I am grateful for my friend's honesty because she brought to light what is most real.  Am I willing to be inconvenienced by love?  Am I willing to let my life pause long enough to enter someone else's?  Do I really want God's life of love?  

  

Who is nearby in your life?  Who is it that God is inviting you love, really LOVE? 

More on this next time…

            Receiving our inheritance 

            How do we break out of our pace and learn how to love.