Other People...

In a few weeks at Merge we will be diving into a new series entitled "OTHER PEOPLE". It will wrap around some of Jesus' encounters with people the church were either largely ignoring or had condemned in such a way that people were living in a relational prison. While I have a few weeks to continue to fine tune some thoughts on this series I can't help but think of people we come across everyday we the church grossly ignore.

Our thoughts don't have to go far when it comes to thinking of some of these people (like the homeless or for that matter people who don't dress like us, talk like us, or think like us). But what is weighing on my heart lately is the people we are in biblical community with who are ignored. Maybe not on purpose, but they come into a gathering sit down, consume, leave all without getting much more than a smile and a shake.

There are people all around us who are living in a crowded world of isolation. They are longing for someone to notice them, to acknowledge them, to reach out and help them out of the muck they we weighed down in. Other people exist and because of that God has allowed us to be active in helping other people meet Him. This takes much less work than we tend to claim and is much more rewarding than we think.

Our job is to not fight the feelings to engage people whom we can serve with the love of God. We must be willing to embrace discomfort for the sake of The Gospel. I encourage you to go back and read through some of the encounters Jesus had with "Other People" and see if it doesn't motivate you to make a difference in your world.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><