By now the girl probably thinks I am the creepiest human being that has ever walked into her local Starbucks. First, I do not look I am a permanent resident of Louisiana like she is. Second, I continue to notice the intensity at which she has tuned out the world around her. She has so masterfully done this due to the fact that she is wearing earplugs. Not headphones, but full on earplugs. Now that is taking studious computer work to a whole new level. But I cannot help but wonder why she is here. If she wanted peace and quiet, she would have stayed at home to study biology and pine away on Facebook. If she wanted her daily dose of caffeine, she would go through the handy drive through.
She wants to be in the presence of people but does not want to really listen to them. Or, maybe she doesn't want to hear them. The thing is, we are here for a reason. Often we do not want to hear people's chatter, people's sob story, or people's viewpoints that differentiate from ours. Maybe, we are these "people" to someone else. Maybe, Ani (she looks like an Ani to me), was dreading my approach from the second I got out of my car.
Let us Position Ourselves at the Crossroads
As Christians we must always position ourselves at the crossroads. We must position ourselves on the road frequently traveled. Sometimes the road most frequently traveled is not the right one. And that is exactly why we must be roadblocks and speed bumps on that road. We must be the direction givers when one becomes lost.
Israel is miraculously positioned on the crossroads. The central location between three of the world's most influential religions was not by accident. God desired for Israel to be as much a destination religious mecca as it is a pitstop of learning within the journey. The crossroads is where we learn more than the destination anyway, isn't it?
Christian brothers and sisters, we cannot wear ear plugs at the crossroads. We need to hear the dirt of the world to be able to empathize with the broken. We cannot "tune out". We cannot flock to one singular school to escape the reality of the world. We cannot plant our home in the middle of the countryside to escape "sinful city life". We must bring the gospel on the subways. We must bring the gospel to the homeless. We must bring the gospel to the gated neighborhoods within our region.
I am not worried about our technological generation from the sense of losing communication skills. I am worried that we might miss something. That we might miss an opportunity to meet people at the crossroads of their spiritual journey.
Earth is the Crossroad
Yesterday I received a message that changed everything for me and prompted me to write this blog. A dear friend of mine was diagnosed with Lymphoma. This disease has halted her life. She is scared and she is looking for answers. In our lives, we will frequently face the brokenness of earth. The brokenness of earth only becomes clearer when contrasted with the perfect nature of God. As people at the crossroads we are not expected to answer the question of "why" circumstances arise in people's lives. But, we are called to declare the truth that this world is not forever. This world is not a death sentence. This world is the crossroad between a life of existing and living. It is under our free will to accept the road Christ made for us, or choose to live of and for the world.
Cross-Road
The roads we travel must be OF the cross. The roads we travel and situate ourselves on must bleed the blood of Christ. Isolating ourselves from the "noise" would have never allowed us to see Jesus carrying the cross for us. Jesus drew a crowd. Let us draw a crowd. Let us stand at the Crossroads, waiting for the lost, confused and hurt to walk down the road and into our lives. They will come..they are already searching.
We must remove earplugs and truly listen to the hurts of our community, and become mission minded individuals willing to aid the pain of this world. Earth is a short, yet crucial crossroad. There is something better awaiting us. Now, let us commit to being the best givers of directions. We cannot sacrifice clarity for temporal comfort. We cannot "tune out" the lost. We must direct them past their crossroads to roads of the cross.
"I will seek the lost and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak..."
Ezekiel 34:16
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