Strangers and Neighbors

We’ve experienced the best and the worst of humanity over the last few weeks. There’s a lot I can say here. There’s a lot I want to say. But I’ve been trying (not always successfully) to reflect on the world as I see it, not the way I think it should be. We can expose both the breathtaking and the grotesque by simply seeing the world for what it really is.  After 39 years, I’m still working on developing a clear picture of that.

“What’s yours will always find you.” I posted this picture a few weeks ago on Facebook. Just some crepe paper on a metal fence; but the words sparked about half a dozen thoughts that I wanted to share. So the theme of this post began to take shape weeks ago. But, just as a wildfire can change a landscape, life events charged in and reshaped this message.

It’s been more than four weeks since I laid eyes on that scene. I miss seeing it. It was near my work building. On Monday March 9th, my department issued a mandatory work-from-home order. This was in response to the threat of Covid-19 and was to begin the very next day.  At the end of the work day I began to pack up all the things I would need to facilitate a home office. It was a hazy and heavy few minutes. I disconnected and wrapped up half a dozen wires and slowly wound a thick black cord around the docking port. I was careful to avoid getting knots in the wires, meanwhile I felt the knots in my stomach growing ever tighter.

I looked around the nearly empty office. A few hours earlier it was bustling and full of bright chatter. Now it was starkly quiet; a maze of blank screens and abandoned desk calendars. The emptiness of the empty chairs brought a fleeting, but sharp feeling of despair. It was a bleak hint of the worst case scenario. I wondered how bad this thing was going to get.

Fast forward to today. It got bad.

We can blame the media for sensationalism, but the truth is that thousands of people have died and hospital employees are experiencing almost incomprehensible trauma. That’s plenty bad. There just seems to be so much disagreement about the seriousness of the situation. There seems to be disagreement about a lot of things; how to respond to the virus, how to avoid it, how to handle your home-schooled kids, what kind of mask to wear. Everything has become a point of argument. The world seems full of judgment and criticism at a time when we most need unity and compassion. It’s exasperating.

I blame myself for spending too much time on social media. I get it, people are bored and can’t help give their input while they’re scrolling. But it’s amazing how quickly one or two comments back and forth can escalate to a brutal war of words. Next thing you know, you’re insulting a complete stranger. I’m not saying we shouldn’t have disagreements over some things. I mean, there are certain materials that make for a safer mask. But using a better material does not make you a better person!

 Sometimes it’s just so difficult to fight human nature; especially under great stress. This is forgivable. We are all inherently sinful. Self-promotion and self preservation come too easily sometimes. But I also believe we all possess a desire to leave a positive impact on others. We are called to a mission that is higher than our individual agendas. The only thing that differs is the extent to which we recognize that and let it guide our lives.

The key is to consider ourselves as a part of the whole. We’re meant for relationship. The very nature of our triune God alludes to that. “Let Us make Man in Our image…” Genesis 1:26. We were created in love to love one another. Our unique gifts are meant to be shared with others for the betterment of the community.

The parable of the good Samaritan is probably one of the most well known stories from the Bible. Jesus used it to illustrate the nobility of extending mercy to our fellow man. He made the point that everyone is our neighbor, regardless of nationality, race, or social status. We get it, but often we forget it. And we tend to overlook the fact that Jesus is our Samaritan. In many ways we are all that beaten man from Jerusalem.

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live.”   Luke 10:27-28

For many of us, social distancing has put a spotlight on the importance of community and relationships. We’ve seen this sentiment represented in the most beautiful ways. Neighborhoods banding together to provide food and supplies to their vulnerable residents, celebrities teaming up with non-profits to provide care for children, and professional athletes contributing millions of dollars to help those who’ve been laid off. Generosity and compassion that warms the heart. This is what life is about.

This brings me back to that chain fence message. Those words were a reminder for us to be patient. They’re a call to recognize our unique gifts and contributions. They’re also a message of hope in the midst of disappointment. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t needed this type of encouragement at one time or another. I imagine that was the point of sharing it. Someone felt like sharing positive words in the hope that they’d reach the very hearts that needed them. So that is the main theme here. We are different but we are tied together by common needs and a common purpose. Our differences can be celebrated and our similarities embraced.

I thought about other times I’d been encouraged by strangers. There was a time almost 6 years ago when I was broken-hearted over the end of a relationship. One day I was sitting on a park bench doing my best to wipe the cascade of tears from my cheeks. A kind woman walking past, stopped to place a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “It’s going to be alright, honey.”  I didn’t know her. I didn’t even get the chance to thank her. I knew deep down it was going to be okay, but that hope was buried under the weight of grief. It was like the faintest ember under an enormous, soggy wood pile. Her words stoked the ember just enough and the sadness eventually burned away. A little later, when I realized that what I’d lost wasn’t meant for me- it wasn’t mine– I knew I was far better off. The grief didn’t stay with me, but her words did.

A contained fire brings light and warmth. We can look at the courage, stewardship, and generosity of others and see the fire of hope being stoked. But even more wonderful is the fact that we have the power to stoke that fire too! The more unified we are in this situation, the better off we’ll be. That’s why we’re here after all; for the sheer blessing of building one another up.

Jesus was the ”rich man made poor for us.” He lived a meager life. He ate at a borrowed table, rode on a borrowed donkey, died a horrific death, and was buried in a borrowed tomb so that we could live forever in paradise. There is no way we can repay that act of love; we’re not expected to. We’re only asked to show love in return and, of course, pay it forward.  When we truly grasp the magnitude of this, then we can’t help but joyfully and generously give and serve.

This is a message to keep at Easter and always. It’s a message that we especially need now.  So I am leaving you with some of the uplifting images that we’ve seen over the last few weeks. Happy Resurrection Day!