HOW ARE YOU SHARING GOD’S LOVE DISPLAYED THROUGH THE BIRTH OF JESUS?
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HOW ARE YOU SHARING GOD’S LOVE DISPLAYED THROUGH THE BIRTH OF JESUS?
My friend Victoria went on vacation with her sons for the Christmas holidays. Her mom necessarily stayed at home due to age and health. Her mom has short-term memory problems. While Victoria has someone else checking on her mom daily, Victoria asked me to take her mom a food that she especially likes– Crab Rangoon, a delicious Chinese dish. So, a few days ago, I stopped by a Chinese restaurant, bought the dish, and visited with her mom. Her mom only speaks Russian. I don’t. And still I went to her home, sat at her table, ate her choice of food, and enjoyed her company and she mine. She shared her cookies with me. They were really good. We smiled together. I think we experienced the joy of Christmas.
It’s a joy to share God’s love.
This time of year, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, there is a question that emerges in our hearts. The birth of our Savior compels us to ask:
1. HOW AM I SHARING GOD’S RADIANT LOVE IN COMING TO US IN JESUS TO PEOPLE AROUND ME ?
The birth of Jesus shows us who God is and what God is willing to do to be in relationship with us. God takes the initiative. God comes to us on earth. God becomes one of us. God comes “while we are still sinners.” God suffers our rejection. God suffers with us. God does not wait for us to show interest in God. God does not make us come to him. God does not make us change first. God does not wait for us to do better or become better. God does not lead with immediate condemnation or judgment. “The word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
This coming to us in radiant love is the approach that BridgesUS champions for the sake of people outside of existing churches. We do not expect people to come to us, to a church campus, or to our event. We go to them in their group, at their event, in their home. We learn their language and their ways. We create space and time for them to experience the love of God right where they are.
This is one of the reasons I was thankful when Victoria asked me to visit her mom and take her some Crab Rangoon. What a great opportunity to share God’s radical love.
SO WHAT OPPORTUNITIES HAVE YOU HAD TO SHARE GOD’S RADIANT LOVE WITH PEOPLE AROUND YOU?
Let me clarify this question and the type of answers that fit the question. It’s not about sending or delivering. It’s about showing up in their world. The question anticipates an answer in which have an ongoing relationship. The question anticipates an answer related to our relationship with the people that we encounter naturally in our life path every month, every week, or every day. It’s not about sending or delivering. It’s about showing up in their world.
The Bridging path is 12 steps that help us share God’s radiant love with people right where they are, as they are, just as God came to us in the birth of Jesus, right where we are, as we are.
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This discussion was modified 1 week, 3 days ago by
James Milley, Chief Catalyst.
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This discussion was modified 1 week, 3 days ago by
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2 Replies
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Reverend Jim, you have asked one of the most important questions of our age: how do we “show up” in someone else’s world? Your visit to Victoria’s mom, and the joy it brought to you both, is a reminder of the outpouring of happiness when vaccinations and other preventative measures during the great wave of Covid-19 finally allowed us to be with each other. We pretend that social media and Zoom calls are an adequate substitute for actually being *with* someone. The goodness, the Godliness, within us is infinite when we share it — live, in person — with others. Thanks, Jim, for your timely reminder.
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I invited my non believing mother in law to church on Christmas Eve, she said no.
I didn’t get resentful or spiteful. I could have easily fell into feelings of disappointment and frustration, but I did not- because it is not about me.
Before church she asked me and her son (my husband) if we could go on a hike with her. Hiking on Christmas is not my first choice but I decided to enter her world. 🌎
We went on a long hike and I chose to enjoy myself. She still did not go to the church service with me but I showed up for her. So even as I went to the service, she knew we made her Christmas Day special.
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