It was tense to be sure. We sat in a semi-circle. The chairs were comfortable, the atmosphere was not. I had apparently offended my friends and
this was the opportunity to get it straightened out. We talked and fidgeted and listened and apologized. There may or may not have been a few
tears shed. Gradually the tension
faded, like an air conditioner cooling down a heated room, and the conflict was
resolved, the friendship restored.
It would have been easy to leave that meeting wounded or
bitter. No one wants their intent
to be misunderstood, to be questioned or to be falsely accused. But as I sat in that meeting, wrestling
with all these emotions, it dawned on me.
These friends were investing in me. Though a misunderstanding, we could easily have walked away
from one another. But they didn’t. Instead we faced the uncomfortable to
reclaim the valuable.
Relationships are so worth it.
It seems friendships have little value these days. Like five-year old computers and
second-hand furniture, we live in a disposable society. Unfortunately this includes
relationships. Why spend time,
effort or emotion on something that can easily be discarded in favor of the
new?
I’m reminded of a geranium that’s sitting on our bedroom window
sill. Last year I bought the plant
for D., along with several others.
We left on an extended trip and upon our return home, we noticed that
all the plants had died. All of them
except one little geranium, which was barely clinging to life. Actually it was more dead than alive
but D. didn’t toss it. Instead she
watered it and cared for it and eventually it recovered. We were recently rewarded with a lovely
flower for her efforts. I love that!
Jesus is into reclamation too.
Want a good example?
How about the woman caught in adultery.
You know the story from
John
8.
Some
religious men, dragged a women caught in adultery to the temple and
pulled her right in front of the crowd.
Imagine the embarrassment and shame she felt?
Imagine the fear coursing through her veins.
Surely she was aware of the impending
punishment for adultery.
But the
Messiah didn’t stamp his approval on her stoning.
Rather He made a simple statement yet profound
statement.
“He who
is without sin among you, let him be the
first to throw a stone at her.” You can nearly hear the stones hit the ground
as her accusers dropped their ammunition and retreated like cockroaches scurrying into
the darkness. Jesus didn’t judge
her. Rather He released her from
her yoke with these words, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin
no more.” What a Savior!
How easy is it to write someone off! They mess up and BOOM! we judge them
and convict them all the while assuming a role we were never intended to fill. Haven't we been forgiven? Arent we called to forgive? The world is in desperate need of
someone to model reclamation, recycling and restoration of relationships. Shouldn’t it be us?
