Learning About Faith Through Stories

Dan is a man of many stories. Part of my intrigue with him from the beginning has been the many stories he has told me about his life experiences and what he has learned from them. He not only tells me the stories but as I stated in our wedding vows, "I have seen him relentlessly recruit (through stories) for The Kingdom-- anyone who will listen and sometimes people who aren't listening with the hope and a prayer that someday they will listen."

A couple of weeks ago as we were talking, I asked him why he was willing to be so transparent about his life. The private and guarded me saw this as a point of vulnerability for people to take his openness and do harm to him/us.

His answer was quick and simple. It is the core of his faith and the essence of his people focused ministry. As I thought more about this, I realized something about Dan that connected his transparency with this deep love for Jesus. Just like Jesus, the wisdom of what he has learned from life is best shared in prayer and community to benefit other believers. I now have a new perspective on the importance of sharing stories and being transparent. For those who believe, transparency is a gift to community and relationships we hold dear.

Would You Know Jesus If He Walked Up to You?

How many of us would know Jesus if He walked up to us? Would He look the way we would expect Him to look or would we glance away based upon our own narrow expectations? Would we expect a being of stature or would we ignore Him because of his diversity from us? Would we have the time or would we be much to busy with ourselves and our own needs?

I think if most of us answered these questions honestly, we are all guilty of walking away from Jesus often. He takes many faces in our lives. He is the elderly woman at the grocery store that can't lift her bag into the car. He is the sick neighbor who needs medicine. He is the broken hearted young woman who has failed in a relationship. He is a young boy who is looking for love in the midst of divorce or a broken family. He is a coworker that is struggling to provide value. He is a family member who is struggling for belonging.

Mark 6 3-6 NIV "Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him.

Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor. ...And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

As we look through the scriptures, Jesus experienced all types of rejection because He stood for something different than the social norm. We know how the story unfolded. Our faith provides us with daily opportunity to see Jesus in each other and act upon being with Him. Do we take the time or do we have more important tasks to tend to? Do we hold ourselves accountable as believers in community or do we hold ourselves to different standards? Are we willing to pay the price as Christians to see Him in each other or do we rely on our own judgement and timing? So... Would you know Jesus if He Walked Up to You tomorrow?