Relationship

The easy path is the law, the Book of Discipline, or titles. It is standing behind documents or words on a page. It takes courage to own that it is hard to be in relationship.

Think about it for just a minute.

What was the name of the church Jesus Christ pastored?

What agreements, education, or hoops did Peter have to jump through?

Who did Jesus send? Why?

He could have sent doctoral degree folks; there were plenty of those around in the Sanhedrin. He could have sent the guys with the big titles like those of the Pharisees. He could have sent anyone.

So why send fishermen, a tax collector, a physician, a zealot (activist), and others with unknown professions?

Maybe it did not have to do with the profession, but with who they would profess? “Who do you say that I am?” might just have been the linchpin for the whole call. They left everything to go off to seminary, take on debt to serve at the pleasure…Nope, they simply followed Christ.

I know that titles afford people a little bit more grace, while trust is earned. But the title is a position. It takes a relationship to build trust. It does not happen incidentally.

Documents or titles might be the way the law sees interactions, but it has never been the way Jesus saw people. He said, “You have hear it said…” Then there was always something else.

You heard, don’t kill. That was on a scroll somewhere. But I say, Love your enemies. That is in the heart.

If you make the way you relate about what is on the paper, your title, or a book, then you miss the entire reason for Jesus. He came for people and lived for people. He died for people – yes, even me and even you.

I hope to be more vile every day and do what God wants, regardless of what I want. That means the hard part: be in relationship.