wanted to share this bit
"Interruptions are a theme in Scripture. We have a God who is continually interrupting us - interrupting our routines, our patterns of inequity, the status quo. Abraham's life was interrupted. Moses' life was interrupted. John's life and my life were interrupted by the Spirit.
The gospels are stories of interruption after interruption. Jesus was at a wedding in Cana when His mother interrupted Him and said "they have no more wine." He had just stepped ashore in a region called the Gerasenes when He was
interrupted by the cries of a demon-possessed man. He was on His way to visit a sick child when a touch on His sleeve interrupted Him and He felt the power go out from Him. The incredible thing is that Jesus was always available and attentive to the interruptions and surprises, like someone who stops to fix a flat tire for a stranded motorist.
Jesus was never so fixed on His vision for the kingdom that He missed the needs of folks right next to him. Sometimes Jesus even gets yelled at for stoping to hang out with the kids. These days, He'd get in trouble in most churches for wasting time with washing feet and drawing in the dirt; after all, there's so much "meaningful" work to be done... like attending board meetings, raising funds for buildings and sitting in on conference calls (wink). Most days, our life in Philly feels like one interruption after another. It is packed with surprises: a knock at the door, an emergency or a kid who wants to show us the first sunflower bud.
It seems these are the very things so many of us want to try to squeeze out of our lives. We love predictability. We don't want anything to alter our course, even if we know there is something beautiful on the other end of the interruption. We'd rather just keep to the daily grind and the meaningless toil that is familiar and humdrum, rather than have our rhythms broken. Yet we have a God who is all about interrupting us. What if we missed the "interruption"?"
~~~~
and i might add- what if these very interruptions ARE the kingdom of heaven coming - they ARE the work that God is doing, and calling us to do. Jesus wasn't frustrated by them, because they were the very work he was called to do. How can we live more like this?
Today a girl came up to me on crutches in the T station. I have seen her before - and she is always making up stories to get people to give her money - often she is in Copley square telling people in a desperate voice that she needs to get home to her dying mother so needs money for the bus... you get the picture.
So, she walked up to me today in Back Bay station asking for a few dollars for a bagel at DDs, and i told her there were lots of shelters around that were serving meals. She said "I don't go to shelters" and i said "Well, they have food" and she gave me an annoyed look and said "yeah ok" as she hopped away on her crutches. Was that loving of me? maybe she needed a bagel. maybe she needs a friend. what if that was an interruption i should have payed a bit more attention to. How much do i value my time and schedule? how much do i value this girl's life and God's heart for her to find Him? enough to pause and actually ask about it? see where she's living, invite her to bible study on tuesday at starlight? maybe even go buy her a bagel. I get frustrated with all the tall tales told to get money to go buy drugs... but i don't want to
become calloused to the genuine brokenness and need for a friend that is there
beneath it all.
Interruptions - they can be so beautiful.
Last weekend when i was in the Bronx with my cousin we were making our w
ay down from the train platform and as the crowds were pushing here and there i mea
ndered my way down, and turned to see that she wasn't right be hind me... and as I looked back up the stairs there she was, helping an elderly lady with her cart, walking backwards step by step down the flight of stairs. With a wave and a smile she came along to join me.
We are merely servants of the King. It is His kingdom - and we are merely called to follow him: to meet the needs of those He tells us to meet, walk along side others in need and weep with them, sacrifice what we have for some, and allow for others to learn a lesson of the beauty of giving.
oh the backwards crazy adventure of God's revolution!
No comments:
Post a Comment