Last school year was extremely difficult for me personally. Without publishing a lot of personal details I can really summarize it best by saying misunderstanding, harsh judgement, loss of friendship and a lack of compassion were my world for way too long. I was thinking about what a difference this year has been for myself and my family this past week.
We have been under a Dr. ordered quarantine; a direct result of the H1N1 visit to our house. I woke this morning thinking on difference in our family's school year because this week we have been recipients of an outpouring of compassion from my homeschool support group. A quick email to our Yahoo group of connection from one well meaning friend and before I knew it phone calls were flooding our house, meals distributed and problems solved for our family. At a time when everyone should have been walking away from us to save their own health they were walking toward us; the hands and feet of Christ.
I think as church members we all are very good at this. Walking towards the wounded when they are ill, but are we always as sensitive when the pain is not as obvious? I was challenged by this thought; are we as sensitive when the hurting are suffering from emotional pain? Do we run toward one another when others walk away because the social stigma of sticking close is too much? Is this not the greater challenge?
I realized when thinking on this that this was exactly what had hurt me so deeply last year. At a time when I needed the love of close friendships to walk toward me they walked away. For whatever their reasons they left. Betrayal, loss, loneliness.....it cuts like a knife to the heart especially when it is dished out so easily. Peter learned this lesson the hard way in the garden and all four of his gospel writing buddies thought it important enough to record it so that we might learn from it. When a friend is hurting don't pretend you can't see it, even if the cost is great. Walk toward them, disregard the danger, love them. Don't deny what they mean to you. Don't walk away.
I wondered if I have tragically been guilty of this same crime and mentally noted to learn from it. I believe with every hardship comes a lesson. God doesn't allow us to experience the evil of this world without offering up hope and promise or at least an agreement that evil should not. When I recognize that betrayal is unacceptable in God's eyes I am comforted and warned. I note to tread warily through life in an effort to never hurt anyone as I have been hurt and remember to offer forgiveness to those seeking it when it happens to me.
End of my sermon on this rainy, October day surrounded by viruses and compassion.