Two guys, a girl and one missed opportunity

Something has been bothering me for a few days now and I want to share it with all of you and get some feedback. It's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things ("....compared to, like, earthquakes in the far east or testicular cancer..." - sorry, a quote from Notting Hill), but it has irked me ever since.

On Sunday morning at church, I got there a few minutes late and sat near my usual spot and everything was the same as it always is. After the service had been going on for a few minutes, two guys and a girl came in and sat directly across the aisle from me. They were obviously about my age and, though a bit unsure of the songs and the unusual programming, they seemed quite confident this is where they wanted to be on a Sunday morning.

As service ended, I watched them get up, slowly look around, smile at a few people, and then turn around to leave. As they left, I witnessed Michael Harbour reach out and talk to them, Cliff Fridge started a conversation with them, and a few other people said hello. But did I do anything? No.

Now, they know nothing about our group, about what we do or who we are or what we believe. But worst of all, I know nothing about them.

Recently, I have had quite a few conversations with people about summer and how it becomes a weird time for our group. We all have shifting schedules, travel plans, college students come home, people are moving, and on and on and on. In fact, a friend and I were just talking a week or so ago about how summer is a great time just to be lazy and be a slacker.

Well, I have decided to change that attitude for a number of reasons. During the summer, I think we are given a tremendous opportunity to share life with others. There are always so many people visiting; a lot of those who have moved into the area. We have opportunites to talk to kids home from college who might be discouraged, frustrated, or searching for truth in a world that doesn't offer it. In the free time many of us have, we have more opportunities to start and continue meaningful conversations.

As always, I want to bring up the example of Jesus. How did he get to know people? Specifically, people who weren't like him, people who weren't part of his crowd?

In John 4:1-26 we see the story of the Samaritan woman. Jesus knows she is an outsider, someone who doesn't fit in. But he doesn't go into all that right away, his first words aren't condemning her for having all those husbands. All he says is "Hey, can I have a drink of water?"

In Luke 19:1-10 Jesus meets Zacchaeus, a horrible, ruthless guy. Jesus doesn't demand he pay back those he has cheated, or repent for his sins. He asks him, "Why don't we eat together over at your place?"

I guess the point in all of this is not to underestimate the impact of genuine, authentic, meaningful conversations. And don't be afraid of them - or the people with which you might have them.

One thing Bart Roberts wrote recently directed me to a part of the book "A New Kind of Christian" by Brian McLaren. A part of that book talks about the power of having conversations and building relationships with others. Here is a short passage:

"I would say to stop counting conversions, because our whole approach to conversions is so, I don't know, mechanistic and consumeristic and individualistic and controlling. Instead, I'd encourage us to count conversations, because conversation implies a real relationship, and if we make our goal to establish relationships and engage in authentic conversations, I know that conversions will happen."

While we all agree a relationship with Christ is the ultimate goal, relationships with those people are the path to achieving that goal, not the other way around.

So I desperately hope those three come back sometime soon. I want to talk to them, I want to get to know them, I want to be a part of their lives.

Thanks again for reading, and sorry for the long delay this time in writing.

RK