Because I know them…
Inheritor of Heaven has a blog called “once dead, now alive“. In a recent post called “What Did I See Today At Worship?“, he describes the other followers of Christ that he meets with. He doesn’t using glowing terms to describe the people, because they are real people with real hurts and real needs… just like he is… just like I am… and just like you are. How does he know so much about these people? Well, this is what he says:
How do I know this? Because I know them, I have ongoing relationships with many of them. I have prayed with them and for them and their families. I have eaten with them and celebrated with them. I have fished and hunted with them. I have served alongside them. I have taught them or their children. I have studied with them and worshipped with them. They have prayed with me and with my family. They have brought us food and visited us at the hospital. In many ways they are my family. We are brothers and sisters in Christ.
I love this! He does not know and love these people because they are like him, but because they share a common bond in Christ – they are family. He goes on to explain how knowing these people has changed him. Isn’t it amazing how God can use people who are different from us – who have different opinions from us, who have different concerns from us – to work in our lives and change us and help us mature in Christ. We are a family in Christ so that we can help one another grow towards our Father.
Do you know the people who the Father has placed around you? If not, why not start getting to know them better today? Call them. Write them. Visit them. Invite them to your house. Talk to them. Listen to them. They are our family. Shouldn’t we treat them as family?
Alan,
Thanks for posting this. Being someone’s brother, or sister, takes time to get to know them and love them.
I’ll be sure to follow the link you posted to read more.
I desire to know and love the members of my fellowship more and more. Oh that I would!
Thanks,
Wes
There is a tangible demonstration of God’s faithfulness when we as Christ’s body hang in with each other through our widely divergent preferences, backgrounds, ages and theological understandings. If you change churches every year and a half because you’re not being “fed,” or because you suddenly discovered that your pastor doesn’t quite follow the party line of your favorite radio preacher and is therefore apostate, you don’t “get” God’s faithfulness.
When, over the course of years, you learn to pray with and for the people that are different from yourself, when you learn to be happy to see them as you gather, when you learn to forgive as you’ve been forgiven and love as you’re loved, you “get” God’s faithfulness.
Wes,
It is interesting… I know people more now than I ever have in my life. But, I also recognize more than ever in my life how little I truly know people. The same is true of God. We should always attempt to know God and others more.
David,
Brother, we are definitely on the same page here! Thank you for that comment. I don’t think we can understand love, patience, forgiveness, etc. unless we continue to walk with others who disagree with us. I hope everyone considers your comment very carefully.
-Alan
Thanks for the link. I will be reading here regularly I think.