Dear Friends,
Have you ever noticed the rules of
the elevator? There is the “face the
front” rule and the “fold your hands in front” rule but the one that intrigues
me the most is the “don’t talk to anyone about anything” rule. That
one is unbreakable! What is going on
there? Are we afraid of the repercussions? People were created for community yet we hide
from each other! In elevators,
neighborhoods and even in our homes.
There still remains a longing in
our heart to live as we were created.
Starbucks sees it. Have you ever noticed
that Starbucks doesn’t advertise their coffee as much as they sell the
“Starbucks Experience”? Starbucks knows
that people are longing for community and their coffee (good as it is) is really
just a part of that community building process.
In Genesis we see that it is not
good for man to be alone. Now surely God
is talking about primarily about man and his relationship with a woman but the principle
is still there! It is not good for man to
be alone and God created people to be with each other. God sees it.
Starbucks sees it. Why do we keep
fighting it? Why do we fight living in
community with each other? The reason is
that we are broken people. Because of
Adam and Eve’s little fruit incident, we don’t live as God intended us to live
but rather live “broken”. We hide because we fear betrayal from those we might
dare to trust or love… and pretend that living in such fear is somehow safer
than living in a community of grace. We hide because we are not nearly as self-righteous
as the façade we erect around weary souls.
Through
Jesus Christ, what is broken will be restored. As people restored by the Grace of God
through Jesus Christ, we can live in freedom and joy without having to hide in
broken bushes. Next time you are in the
elevator, exercise your freedom, build a community of grace, say “hello”.
On second thought, don’t wait for
the elevator, quit hiding in your house and build an authentic Christian
Community of Hope right where you live. Tear down walls and build bridges of hope.
Enjoy it! Its how God made you to really
live.
Living in Grace,
Harrison Spitler, Pastor
