Wonderings--January 18

If you have been following along with me since the beginning of this blog you know that I believe in the power and necessity of presence. It is part of how we strive to live faithfully and continually as Christians in a world that rejects us often. I believe strongly that a more effective methodology to engage our community involves leaving behind the transactional mentality of evangelism and instead opting to dwell, to listen, and be present with another person. 

I further believe that this is the way forward for the church as we find our influence and presence in the community diminishing. 

As the church, in a general sense, we are fairly good at showing up when the people of our community are suffering. We know what do to and have been trained well to do it. Recently I received a phone call here in the office that let me know that a member of our larger Christian community has passed away. While death was coming for this family, that knowledge did not help prepare them against the pain. 

Yet without knowing this person, I know that the Church will be present in the life of that family. 

Food will be brought. Prayers offered. Words of condolence and love expressed. Phone calls will become part of the healing balm that God uses to care for His children as they suffer even as covid variants keep us physically separated. 

Then when the time comes for the funeral service I know that members of the Church Universal will gather around that family and offer more than just Christian platitudes; they will offer what they have--the love and presence of Jesus Christ. Freely they will, we will, give what we have away so that the 'other person,' the one who suffers can heal. 

This is what we do and we do it well--for the most part. 

But what about those times in which we are not directly offering care and support during a painful, emotional time? How do we confront them and live faithfully in a world that is so polarizing and so divisive? Again I think the option is right before us if we are willing to seek it and adopt it. Rather than shy away because of what we do not know, or what we cannot fully articulate, can we lean in and communicate the love of God to the other people that we see every day? I wonder what the church might become when we follow this process forward. . . 

Dr. King says it this way: 

"People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other."

We have the presence of Christ. We understand how that presence is manifested in us specifically. I can talk about how Christ is with me to most people because I understand how "Christ being with me" lives in my heart. But that is because I choose to take the time and make the space to listen and be with another person. I wonder today also if God might be asking you to make the same choice? To dwell with another and by dwelling you care for them. . . 

Blessings

Rev. Derek