The Intimacy of Strangers

I've been fortunate enough to have spent a great deal of time in my life traveling the world. I have been places that most people have only ever seen pictures of. I have played golf at the North Pole. Swam on the equator in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Purchased goods at the market place in Dubai. Joined fellow believers in worship on the street corner in Bergen, Norway. All in all, I have been blessed.
One of the greatest blessings I have received throughout my travels is getting to experience the culture and diversity that peoples of other lands have to offer. There are so many customs and traditions that people in other countries have that simply blow me away. One that intrigues me the most however is the closeness that is found in relationships. It is not uncommon for men to walk hand in hand down a crowded street. Or for strangers to kiss one another on the cheek and sometimes on the lips as well. When people in foreign lands talk with each other, there doesn't exist the "comfort zone" known by Americans. They stand so close that you can smell what they had for breakast that morning. It truely is a beautiful thing to watch and even experience. Albeit, uncomfortable sometimes.
This is my question though...How close are we willing to get to people? I don't mean in a literal proximity to their physical location but rather on a personal, intimate, soul-searching level. So often, we (myself included) want to develop relationships with people yet we still maintain a distance. We keep people at arms length and prevent them from getting too close.
In our relational dealings with others we scratch the surface of our feelings and emotions. We come to the waters of intimacy but never drink. When we feel as if we are drawing to near to those quiet places in our lives we immediately through up guards and barriers to keep people out. Why is that? What is it we are afraid of?
Do we as Christians, see a crowd of people and only see their need for the basic essentials of life? Or can we look deeper into that crowd and become moved with compassion as Jesus did? Do we encounter the woman at the well and only go so far as to meet her need for water or do we push further and draw out her need to satisfy a spiritual thirst as well?
I believe it is this intimacy with others that Jesus calls us to. I believe He calls us to look beyond a physical need for food, shelter and clothing and deeper into the soul.
How do we do this though?

1. We must move past our own hesitations and fears and engage others where they are. It's uncomfortable, I know. There are simply people out there, that at first glance I would prefer to cross the street and walk the other way from. I don't like to be uncomfortable. I live in a city with homeless people that I see everyday. My first thought is that they are drunkards and drug addicts and that they deserve to be homeless. Wow, thats really Christ-like thinking!! It never ceases to amaze me though, when I step out of my comfort zone and let my guard down a little bit, the things that Christ teaches me in those quiet moments of life. The Lord has a funny way of humbling me in those times. I can't help but remember the lyrics to the song "People need the Lord." It's so true. One thing to remember is that their need for Christ in their lives, far outweighs your fear.

2. We must see people the way that Christ sees them. Plain and simple, we are all naked, poor, wretched sinners that are in desperate need for a Savior. Thats you, thats me, thats everyone. No matter where you are in life. No matter what your social or financial standing is, you are a sinner in need of a Savior. And even when you have found Him as your Savior, your still a wretched sinner. But heres the difference...Christ sees the multitude, and is moved with compassion on them. How many times in our own lives can we say that about ourselves? How many times have I been moved with compassion for people, especially ones that I don't know. Somehow, we must learn to look at people through a God-shaped lens. How...i'm not sure. I think it's different for everyone. Set aside the selfish, foolish pride for a time and see others the way that Christ looks at them.

3.We must understand that we are no better. Thats a tough pill to swollow. Surely I must be better than a filthy drunk? I must be better off than a drug addict? You can't possibly compare me to a prostitute?
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
We are all sinners. Thats the problem the Pharasiees had in Jesus day. They couldn't possibly understand how the wretches of society could be the ones to inheirit the kingdom of God. And yet here we are, 2,000 years removed from that, with all our advances in science, technology and social reform and we still see ourselves as better than the rest. And i'm not talking about the secular world, i'm speaking of the evangelical, Christian world."And the last shall be first, and the first shall be last."

4. Intimacy is key. We need to move into more intimate relationships with people. Dig deep into their souls to see that there exists within people a God-shaped void that only He can fill. And when we approach someone with the gospel message and they choose to reject it, that doesn't mean we chalk it up as a loss and move on. We continue. We persist. We invest in their lives and build into them a desire for wanting to know more about this Jesus. The saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. I disagree. I can make him drink if I give him something to be thirsty about. The only way we can generate a thirst in the lives of others is to invest in their lives and become intimately aware of who they are.

I close with what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31:(my paraphrase) Remember who you were when the Lord called you into fellowship with him. You were weak and lowly and despised and yet Christ still chose you. He could have chose the creme de la creme, but he chose you instead. So don't boast about how great you are now. Don't boast about how amazing you are now. Its only because of God that you are that way. So boast in He who saved you and nothing else.

So how close are you willing to get to people today? What is keeping you from developing that much needed intimacy with others? Remember, at one time you were that way also and Christ still chose you.

What's So Good About "Good Friday?"

Today is the day that we celebrate the death of Christ our Savior. It is, or at least should be, a somber day of remembrance as we think about the ultimate price of sacrifice that Christ paid on our behalf. The pain and suffering He faced was immense. The betrayal by his closest of friends was devastating. And yet despite the ordeal that He went through, knowing full well what He was too face, he still chose to do it.
With that in mind though, I have to wonder why we refer to this day as “Good Friday?” As I read through the New Testament account of what transpired that day, so many years ago, I have to stop and wonder what was so “Good” about it. It is something I have always questioned. It seems that it would be more fitting to call it “Bad Friday,” or “Black Friday (not to be confused with that horrid day after Thanksgiving),” or “The Day of Death.” Something a tad bit more morbid sounds as if it may be a bit more apropos in spite of what we celebrate.
So what is so good about today? What is it about the death of Christ that can be called good? Allow me to offer up a few suggestions as to why we call it “Good Friday.”

1. We call it “good” because we have been reconciled with God. Prior to the cross, it was our sin that created that deep and wide chasm between us and God. That perfect fellowship that was enjoyed in the garden had been severed and we had been cast from the presence of God. Because of the price that Christ paid for us on the cross we now have a restored relationship with God the Father. For the first time since the fall, God was able to look upon His created beings and not see the sin that separated them from Him. The veil was torn in two and our peace can now be found in God the Father once again.

2. We call it “good” because we have been redeemed through His shed blood on the cross. Our sin has made us as worthless as filthy rags that are of no value to anyone. Christ saw our worth. Christ saw beyond the corruption and the filth that sin has brought into our lives and bought us back from the grip of death. He saw past whatever evil things we had done in the past and even those we had yet to do in the future and saw that we were still worth something. How often we wrestle with our own self-worth and value? How often we downgrade ourselves to worthless people that no one could love? And yet, even though we may see ourselves in that light, Christ the Redeemer saw us as something more. Something good, something worth saving.

3. We call it “good” because we didn’t have to go though it ourselves. I know that sounds selfish. Sort of a “better Him than me” mentality but that just what Christ wanted. He willingly offered Himself up on the Cross: “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” –John 15:13. It was the way it was supposed to be from the beginning. Let’s be honest, had we been faced with the same situation, we would have bailed like the disciples did. If we had even an inkling of what was about to transpire, we would have ran like a bat out of hell. But that’s the beauty of it. Christ knew that and he was willing to do it Himself. He was willing to suffer the torment on our behalf so that we didn’t have to go through it. Not only did He do it so that we didn’t have to, but He did it so as to be an example to us when we face trials and suffering. Because He offered up himself in my place, so that I didn’t have to, I can face the trials in my own life.
So is today a “good” day? No, today is a great day. Today is a day that I can rejoice in what Christ did for me, the lowly wretch that I am. I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t earn it. If anything, I have done everything to persuade Him to do otherwise, and yet Christ still went to the cross for me. And even if I had been the only person in the entire universe to sin, He still would have done it…just for me. And even if you were the only person in the entire universe, He would have done it for you as well. That my friends, is why we call today “Good Friday.”

Ignite the city

I’m sitting out on the back porch enjoying the cool, spring night time, alongside a brightly burning fire. All around me, the sounds of the city awaken my senses. My next door neighbor is blaring his Latin music, as is his nightly custom, for the whole block to hear. Some kids are playing with fire crackers down the street, and the sound of their laughter is evident after each explosion. A street-hockey game is in full swing at the court behind my house and the roar of motorcycles down the street remind me that the riding season is finally here(even though I’ve been riding throughout the winter).
As I sit by the fire, I am reminded of the passage in Matthew 5, which reminds believers that we are the “light of the world, a city on a hill cannot be hidden.” It is a timely reminder for me as I am embarking on a new journey in life at the very beginning phases of a new ministry opportunity.
Sometimes, I have a tendency to attempt to hide the light of Christ in my life. Sometimes it isn’t convenient for me to be a Christian, especially, when someone wants to block the alley I park my car in. In those moments, I would rather waste time becoming upset and angered at the ignorance of others rather than allowing myself to become “filled with compassion.” At those times, my light shines dimly. In those moments I hide my Christianity behind a veil of secrecy and allow my emotions to get the best of me.
The unfortunate thing about this is that while I think that I am hiding my Christianity from others so that I can spout off at the mouth about illegal parking in “my” alley, there is no greater time in my life when Christ is more evident.
Perhaps that person may not know it then but eventually, when I try to share my faith with someone or demonstrate “Christ-likeness” towards them, they realize it. “Oh, that was the guy who cussed me out for parking in the alley, and now he wants to talk God with me?”
You can see the contradiction.
Regardless of whether I deliberately try to hide my fire from the city or not, they see it. They see it burning brightly but It’s up to me however to make it a fire that they are either attracted to because of its awe and beauty or turned away from because of its searing heat.
I realize that if I am to make a lasting and profound impact for Christ then I must be keenly aware of my light and the fire that is burning. I have to ask myself whether or not my fire is one that is going to draw others closer to a relationship with Christ or drive them away. Either way, my fire burns. My light shines. Hopefully, it is one that will ignite a city on fire for God.