Taking a deeper look into the demographics of Peter's readers (1 Peter) we understood that not only Christ followers, but possibly a chunk of the culture were part of this demographic that was viewed as scattered, strangers, and aliens - displaced, lacking resources, marginalized. Lots of scholars agree that many in and outside the church felt a sense of homelessness. Yet Peter challenges this 1st Century church to offer hospitality to one another without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9, NLT, MSG)
CRAZY: imagine living in an uphill battle daily, and then your pastor/leader challenges you to open up your home... like you don't have other things to worry about.
This wasn't new. The new testament informs us that this was the ethos of the early church. Jesus included the marginalized at this table; Luke tells us the 1st Christ followers pursued equality by selling possessions to meet each others needs and often ate in each other's homes; Paul reminds the Roman church to be eager to practice hospitality (Rom 12:13).
Then we have history that tells us the Roman Empire was embarrassed at how the Christians advanced through their loving service to strangers, their assistance with burying the dead, and their feeding of the poor in and outside the church.
The church had a practice of MAKING ROOM FOR ONE MORE.
Has much changed today? People still long to connect and feel they belong somewhere.
- 7/10 people do not know their neighbors
- Harvard Medical Professor (Jacqluine Olds) says we're in a Loneliness Epidemic
- George Gallup believes that Americans are among the loneliest people in the world (sorry for using American research, but I'm sure it applies to us)
Yet... the development of meaningful relationships where every member carries a significant sense of belonging is essential to what it means to be the church (Randy Frazee, quoted here)
God's aim in human history is the creation of an inclusive community of loving persons, with himself included as its primary sustainer (Dallas Willard, quoted here)
And so... The biggest challenge for the church at the opening of the 21st century is to develop a solution to the discontinuity and fragmentation of the modern lifestyle (Lyle Schaller, quoted here)
I can't see a more practical way to live as a missional community - God's living and local presence - then in times when people's disconnect is greater.
BUT: Where do you start? How do you build relationships with people around you? (especially when it doesn't come easy)
BECOME PRESENT by becoming...
1. visible - if people don't see you they will never get to know you
The lost art of the Front Porch needs a come back. A place where you can talk but not feel personal or intimate... a place where you can be introduced without staying long. By creating front porches - space for public and social encounters - in front of your house, condo complex, or apartment block, at the gym, office cafeteria, cafe's or community centers - we create space for people to come closer without feeling awkward. It's a good start.
2. available for people in creative ways
- offer to help out with a home project or a move
- when you have some fresh coffee brewing invite your neighbor to enjoy it with you
3. vulnerable by asking people for help when you're in need (I'll write about his in a later post)
- you'd be surprized at how good this makes people feel and the conversations that can start
4. making room for spontaneous encounters
- when your schedule is too full, you might be missing moments in your environments to include people
FINALLY: make the choice. Making room for one more always involves a choice.
- a Friday evening to invite someone new over for dinner
- a phone call inviting someone out with your exisitng circle of friends
- eating lunch in the lunch room, not your desk
- sitting on your front porch instead of your back porch
- walking across the street while your neighbor's cleaning the yard
- attending the community BBQ in your neighborhood
- taking walks in your community more often
- jumping on opportunities when people start a conversation (this can happen anywhere)
If we're going to become the kind of living and local community that God has designed us to be (see earlier posts), then building relationships are essential. And I believe it can be as simple as... making room for one more.
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