Tenth Avenue North – “Just Getting By” (Devotional)
Luke 14:12-14
Maybe this is melodramatic, but I firmly believe if we want deep friendships it will cost us more than a quick glance at our phone. Yes of course, the internet and online friendship have their place and can be used in incredible ways, but at some point, to love like Jesus, we will have to embrace the ministry being interrupted. We will need to let ourselves be intruded upon. We will be asked to waste time with people who don’t boost our public profile. It will cost more than a text, and more than an email. It will require our entire life.
Resolved to live with all my might while I do live.
Jonathan Edwards
But who wants that? Who wants to “bear with one another’s faults?” Who wants to weep with the weeping? (especially when we feel like rejoicing?) Who wants to rejoice with the rejoicing? (especially when we feel like weeping?) Who wants to throw a party and invite the weak, sick, and awkward? (Jesus said to invite the people who can’t pay you back) Friendship’s not really worth all that effort Is it? After all, online friendships are easier to manage. We can come and go as we please. We can give and take as we see fit. People can be blocked, followed, or disregarded with the stroke of a key, and best of all, no one can infringe upon our sacred independence.
The exclusion of the weak and insignificant, the seemingly useless people, from a Christian community may actually mean the exclusion of Christ; in the poor brother Christ is knocking at the door.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Here’s the rub my friends. Jesus partied with the prominent and spent time with the outsiders. No one was too high, no one was too low.
He invited us to life when we had nothing to offer in return. So, if we’re going to learn to love like He does, we will have to open ourselves up to more than a tweet. We will be asked to hang with people who might actually bring us down the social ladder a couple rungs. But hey, “When I become the servant of all, there’s no further place to fall.” -Me without you