“He was always rough around the edges”.
We all agreed. For about half an hour we summed up the exact reasons why Rik had decided to stop reading the bible, going to church and believing in Jesus. Like farmers tossing the lame sheep to the side for destruction, we set the world to rights.
Looking around the table I saw something that terrified me. I saw that I was sitting with people just like me. Average. Human Christians stumbling through life, yet giving the impression our faiths were complete.
I took an unwanted trip to the men’s room for a change of scenery.
When I returned to the table I confessed I hadn’t text, called or emailed Rik since he stopped coming to church. I then asked the group who was the last person to speak with him, after all, he might have died.
It turned out that none of us had bothered to check in with our friend we used to pray with. But, all of us had the audacity to write him off as a man of little faith.
We decided to get in touch with him a few weeks ago. As it happened, we found out that for various reasons Rik had put his faith in Jesus to one side. Some of the reasons for this were immensely complicated, and some, he admitted, were of his own doing.
Rik started to come to church again not long after our conversations, and is now slowly turning his wayward eyes back to Jesus.
Men, Paul makes it clear in his letter to the Corinthians that “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
Consider this:
Luke 15:3-7 (Jesus to his disciples)
“Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing. When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.”
So, we need to follow that example when it comes to our friends and family who fall away from faith. We need to lead the chase. How easy it is to sit around pub tables surrounded by Christians after the evening service and discuss those who have tossed away the Bible. This Christianity thing is not a a secret society with a code of conduct. Its a body. A big fat body with room enough for us all. And we need all parts for it to move forward. Lets go looking for the amputated bits.
Lets go into the nightclubs, the pubs and cinemas, the fancy restaurants and beyond. To the ends of the earth we need to search for our friends who have become entangled, because Jesus did the same for us. And the beauty of it, the majesty of it, the clarity of it, can come down to one simple action.
“Hey man, where are u? I miss u fella, (not in a weird way). Let’s meet this week sometime for a beer and some food. Text back, Alex.” Text message sent at 0934 hours.
Brilliant! Cheers for your thoughts & encouragement. I really gotta man up a bit more.