Over the past couple years, I've formed an addiction. An addiction to community. This doesn't sound like a bad thing, but sometimes it can be pretty detrimental. There are points at which I can't even do my homework for fear that all those I love are out experiencing life together without me. So maybe it's not an addiction to community, but a fear of being left alone. I'm desperate for interaction.
I read Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer today. And he addressed this in (guess what) the very first chapter. He dedicates several pages to this idea of a human craving for interaction. And, as I had just been struggling with whether or not to get my reading done or go interact with people, my ears perked up. I'm pretty sure God was saying, "Deb, you really need to listen up." So I buckled my spiritual seatbelt and knew I was in for another lesson.
Reality check #1 - "Within the spiritual community there is never, nor in any way, any 'immediate' relationship of one to another, whereas human community expresses a profound, elemental, human desire for community, for immediate contact with other human souls..."
As much as I crave interaction, simply human contact will never fulfill my desire for relationships. Over and above everything, my relationship with the Godhead is the only way I can connect with other people.
Reality check #2 - Human love vs. spiritual love: "Human love has little regard for truth. It makes the truth relative, since nothing, not even the truth, must come between it and the beloved person. Human love desires the other person, his company, his answering love, but it does not serve him. On the contrary, it continues to desire even when it seems to be serving." This made me stop and think. Over and over again I have loved only with a human love. And I delude myself into thinking I am serving and truly loving, but I realize now that my actions were only coming from a desire to be desired. True love doesn't work this way.
Reality check #3 - "Thus this spiritual love will speak to Christ about a brother more than to a brother about Christ. It knows that the most direct way to others is always through prayer to Christ and that love of others is wholly dependent upon the truth in Christ." More and more I have begun to realize that God allowed certain things to happen to me lately to make me forsake human love for the deeper, godlier spiritual love. He is forcing me to forsake human love, with all of its false promises in order that I may truly and humbly cultivate a spiritual love for my brothers and sisters. And through this I am learning to desire human interaction, but only through Christ our mediator.
To live in community is to relate with others through Christ.
May He be our constant guide and intercessor.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Follow the Rabbi
I went to Israel for two weeks this past January through school. It was an absolutely amazing experience - hiking all over the Negev, Jerusalem and Galilee.
I was reflecting on this experience this past Sunday during church. I thought about how on all of our hikes, our tour guide Rami was such a wealth of information. There would be times when we would be hiking, and he would just spout off information about the land, about Jesus, about the people, about all of the above. And sometimes only those who were really close behind him could hear the comments he made. I always made it a point to be near the front on the hikes so I didn't miss any of the information he would give. I noticed that there were a lot of things that got missed by those who tended to stay near the back. At one point, Rami turned to me and said that he enjoyed seeing me so close to the front all the time - he could tell that I was very interested in learning as much as I could. And it was true; I didn't care who was behind me or what was around if Rami was saying something.
And as I thought about this I realized something: how many things has Jesus said that I've missed because I've gotten distracted or tired and lagged behind? What would it look like to follow Him that closely? I think about who is walking beside me and what is around me more than I am truly intent upon following the Rabbi.
And what would happen to me and those around me if I were to live life like that? How can I be so interested in what Rami said and be so blase when God speaks? These should be life-changing, earth-shattering lessons, and instead I gloss over them in a harried or haggard state?
What we've missed before we cannot afford to miss anymore. We need to walk close behind Jesus and listen for what He is telling us.
Don't look back. Don't lag behind.
Follow the Rabbi.
I was reflecting on this experience this past Sunday during church. I thought about how on all of our hikes, our tour guide Rami was such a wealth of information. There would be times when we would be hiking, and he would just spout off information about the land, about Jesus, about the people, about all of the above. And sometimes only those who were really close behind him could hear the comments he made. I always made it a point to be near the front on the hikes so I didn't miss any of the information he would give. I noticed that there were a lot of things that got missed by those who tended to stay near the back. At one point, Rami turned to me and said that he enjoyed seeing me so close to the front all the time - he could tell that I was very interested in learning as much as I could. And it was true; I didn't care who was behind me or what was around if Rami was saying something.
And as I thought about this I realized something: how many things has Jesus said that I've missed because I've gotten distracted or tired and lagged behind? What would it look like to follow Him that closely? I think about who is walking beside me and what is around me more than I am truly intent upon following the Rabbi.
And what would happen to me and those around me if I were to live life like that? How can I be so interested in what Rami said and be so blase when God speaks? These should be life-changing, earth-shattering lessons, and instead I gloss over them in a harried or haggard state?
What we've missed before we cannot afford to miss anymore. We need to walk close behind Jesus and listen for what He is telling us.
Don't look back. Don't lag behind.
Follow the Rabbi.
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