appearance

We live in a culture where appearance is everything. I just came from a place where appearance means almost nothing. After spending a week in New Orleans I’ve come to appreciate people much more than I ever have, regardless of their appearance. For most of the people I encountered, there is no way to fabricate any type of façade that will hide what’s really happening in their lives. The only facades that have been created are those of the media and the government, primarily local, that would give people who don’t know any better the impression that things are OK. The reality can be found in the faces and attitudes of the people our group encountered during the week. They’re desperate, they’re longing, they’re hopeful, they’re compassionate, and they are acknowledging of the reality that they all share. In St. Bernards Parish we we’re privileged to encounter a place called “The Made With Love Café”. The hand painted sign at the entrance communicated boldly what you would encounter once inside. It read, “All Are Welcome”. All truly were welcomed, from the residents who are trying to salvage bits of their lives from the muck and two by fours that once were their homes, to those who have come to volunteer some assistance. The group who ran this café were a truly eclectic group who have come from all over the country simply to serve those who need it most. They give sacrificially from sun up to sun down. They are the heroes. They supply hope along with every meal they serve. Their assembly, their sacrifice, their appearance and their sign still are burned into my brain. All are welcome. What a concept. This was the most magnetic part of the ministry of Jesus and also the most controversial. All are welcome. What would happen to us in the church if we looked like this outpost of a café? I’ve encountered many people in the last few years that live more like this than I have or for that matter those who I hang out with. It was interesting being their in the midst of the café. I felt more at home there than many church gatherings that I’ve been a part of. We say that everyone is welcome . We say that Christ came for all. But when they come around we see them more as a side show attraction. We stare, we gawk, we wonder what planet they just beamed down from. They are just people though. They are just people. And I bet that a whole lot less thought and planning went into their travels to serve than went into mine. For many if not most, all they needed to know was that people were in need and they could serve. For me it was more of a travel package deal with airlines, rental cars, work schedule arrangements, wanting to know where I’d eat, where I’d sleep. Don’t get me wrong…the group that I traveled with gave of themselves, their time, their money, their lives, more than most ever will. But for all of us, it was work and thought and schedule to work through. The point is this…the people that we tend to look sideways at are sometimes more easily, fluidly, and willingly serving in ways that should just be natural for the church to be part of. Maybe we’re just to safe behind the walls and too caught up in appearances.

moments

I think that I’ve come up with something. You might think it’s quite foolish. How would I know that since you’re most likely not going to respond to this. Maybe you should. It would take a minute or so….but here’s the point. It goes with my discovery.
I think that I’m realizing that life is an accumulation of moments. Did you get that? Not so earth shattering is it. In fact I’ve known this for quite some time. Here’s the thing though. I’ve know it in my head and never done anything about it in my heart. I’ve realized this well known concept but it’s remained a concept and not an acted upon truth.
My guess is that the overwhelming majority of those who are reading this right now, if you’re honest, if you reflect, maybe even if you respond, will come to the realization in your own life that you’ve never acted on that knowledge. As I’ve been writing this (at Starbucks of all places) I’m listening to a song called “the way I was made”. It’s a song lifted up to God pledging to change from a generic vanilla life to living the distinctively individual life that God designed each of us for. Don’t get any ideas…I didn’t get my inspiration for this revelation from the song although it’s not a bad source. I was already into this thought process before I put the CD in and the song came on. Personally I think that it was an affirmation that I’m onto something. God is trying to keep my attention with anything at his disposal. It must be like trying to keep a toddlers attention I guess. Anyway, back to my thought….I have had an understanding of this concept of accumulated moments, and then gone and wasted most of mine. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve lived a good life. I’ve taken advantage of most opportunities and been more adventurous than most, but my goodness the time I’ve wasted. Let’s take a moment to keep score. You go ahead and keep score on your own personal card with me. How many moments have I wasted worrying about what someone might think of me? How many moments have I wasted worrying about how I was going to afford something I didn’t need anyway? How many moments have I remained silent about the liberating message of God’s grace for me? How many more moments have I worried about someone whom I’ve never met getting the axe on “The Apprentice” than on how to comfort someone I see everyday who is struggling? How many more moments of church business have I been involved in than dedicated prayer? How many moments have I spent complaining about something I can’t change anyway? How many fewer have I spent asking God for wisdom? Tired yet? Depressed? You don’t have to be if, like me, you’ve made a conscious decision to start a new clock. Lift it up to God as just another example of how we can’t do it alone even though we insist on trying. Give up and start again. Live above the plane. Make a difference. You were created for it. One life at a time you can make a difference. Invest your moments in things that will last forever. What moment are you in right now that you could invest. I’ve just finished mine.

compass

I’m not really sure of my place at the moment. Have you ever felt like that? Most people do at any given time in their lives. For some, the revelation that follows can lead to drastic changes, for others maybe just a brief nod of acknowledgement and then life trudges on. When I get like this, I usually try to get my bearings by finding the familiar. In my younger days growing up in the East I would wander the woods quite often…often enough that I didn’t need a compass. I was blessed with an inner sense of direction and combined with a familiarity of my surroundings, even deep in the woods, I was very comfortable. I did always carry a compass though. Arrogance could have caused me to leave that crutch behind, but there was something comforting about knowing that it was with me. My method was always the same, take a reading before heading into the woods and then securing it in my pocket. I never used it on the journey, but I always knew that I could. I relied mostly on the familiar. It’s a different story when the familiar is not anywhere to be seen. I get this way mostly when my wife is not around. She’s gone for two weeks and so a big piece of the familiar is gone, and with it goes security. When we are separated I have too much time on my hands. Sometimes I fill it by working too much. Work is familiar, so I try to use it to lead me through. I find that this is a poor substitute for a relationship. Relationships bring comfort, they bring direction, and sometimes purpose. The reality is, though, that I’ve found many relationships to be simply another compass in my pocket…something to be referred to now and then, but mostly just forgotten in my pocket. They may bring a sense of security with the knowledge that they’re there. That’s alright for me, but I wonder about the compass. Is it alright for the compass, or was the compass made for more? I see too many people in my life’s vocation with too many compasses in their pockets. What they need is relationship. The church was meant to be a place of relationship, but we spend so much time doing church instead of being church that relationships are at best, compasses in pockets. At worst, there are no compasses and no pockets to put them in. With my wife gone, I sense that I’m getting a glimpse of many of the lives that pass through our doors. They may be hollow, they may lack guidance, they’re certainly searching. I know that authentic relationships would help lead them through. In the end, I realize, the real relationship that is needed is the one we can have with Jesus. But for most of us, we find our way there with the guidance of someone here. We just need to clean out our pockets.