Disciples and Labels

One of my favorite things to study is the relationships that Jesus had in the bible. In particular I enjoy reading about the first 12 disciples. After Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil he departed to Galilee and began his ministry of preaching to others. This is where he met the disciples and asked them to follow him.

The first disciples Jesus choose are important because none of them were perfect. Consistently throughout the Gospels we read how Jesus taught the disciples who God really was and what His word really means. Jesus choose a group of men with rough edges at best, sketchy backgrounds if we are talking truthfully, and at the worst would abandon Jesus in his greatest hour of need.

There was Matthew the greedy and corrupt tax collector and Thomas the doubter who didn't believe that Jesus was risen. There was Judas who betrayed Jesus and plotted to turn Jesus over to the officials. There was also Peter who denied Jesus in the hours leading up to his death and all throughout the Gospel had a rocky faith. He was either all in or all out. The rest of the disciples were not any more qualified. Jesus chose Simon who was a rebel fighting against corrupt government. He also chose Bartholomew who questioned whether Jesus was the real deal because he came from Nazareth, and what good would come from a poor town like that. The rest we know very little about, only that some were a tough group of fishermen.

So what do a bunch of fishermen, a rebel, tax collector, a doubter, a betrayer, and a denier and a brown-noser have in common?

They were not perfect and they all needed Jesus. These men all had labels. Some of them had very imperfect backgrounds that were questionable at best. But Jesus saw in them something good. He saw in them value. They were the diamonds in the rough (literally) that would become the rock of the early church. It is through Jesus' relationships with the disciples and early followers that we understand what Jesus was really teaching. Jesus was teaching us the power of love.

If Jesus saw value in a group of men as imperfect at the disciples, you can bet he sees good in us too. Jesus was preaching that through Him, we are made whole.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16 

God loved us so much that he sent his son into this world to save us. This is about God's love for us. God loves us more than enough.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

All of our brokenness, all of our labels, all of the sins of the past (and our future)are all wiped clean with God. Sometimes society sticks us with a label or tells us we need to be something else. Sometimes we do it to ourselves. We tell ourselves that we will never be good enough, strong enough, believe enough, etc. But it doesn't matter what your weakness is or how many flaws you have. God loves you no matter what. Labels don't stick with Jesus. Jesus loved the disciples and he loves us too.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2: 8-9

What a gift grace is! Unconditional love leads to grace. No hoops to jump through, no strings attached, never ending and infinite love. Nothing you can do can make God love you any more, and nothing you can do will make God love you any less. We don't need to be perfect because His love is always enough.

We all carry a label with us. We all think something makes us not good enough. But we are good enough and we are deserving of God's love. We are imperfectly perfect to God. God brought Jesus into this world so that we might know love and love each other. Real love. So that we might be brought out of the darkness too light and that we could become a light to each other.

We don't have to do anything but such a gift like that? It inspires us to love each other. It is so powerful that how can you NOT share it. When something is so good, every part of you wants to share that with others.

This pictures in this post are from our youth group last night. I had the kids look up scriptures about Matthew, Thomas, Peter, and Judas. I had them decide what label each of these disciples had. Before they did this I gave them 60 seconds to write down as many labels as they could think of that defined themselves. While they were working I wrote all of these down. We only had 8 teens and they came up with nearly 50 labels. That is a LOT of labels for any group of young adults to have.

My point was to show them that Jesus doesn't care about these labels. God's love is greater than any label they have. We all need to ditch our labels!

We are the next generation of disciples. I think we really need to lean on the stories of the early disciples and look at their relationships with Jesus. These disciples were not perfect, they got things wrong. But these mistakes and errors did not define their journey. The journey was learning to love God, love ourselves and love others.

It is also okay for us to get things wrong too. It is going to happen. We are no more perfect than the disciples in the early church. We are still writing our own stories and walking our own journeys with Christ. We all will betray or deny Christ at some point in our lives. The important thing is that we focus on love. God teaches us that love wipes out labels. Love should be the center of our relationships. Love is the solid foundation that we need.

When Generational Gaps Become the Difference

Last Saturday I attended a local show choir competition. A few of our youth group kids were performing and since this would be their final local performance I thought it would be fun to go just to cheer them on.

As I sat and watched several groups perform I noticed what our society doesn't always see. I saw teens that had to of put in hours and hours of hard work and dedication to put on a show. I saw teens that were passionate and excited about life, fully using their talents and gifts. I saw teens working together as a team.

Our society doesn't always see in young people what I saw that afternoon. In fact, adults don't always see young people at all. They build up walls so they don't have to see. They make excuses for why they don't need to be near teens and younger adults. Sometimes adults even build walls so high they become stereotypes and prejudices in our minds. So teens today either feel ignored or misunderstood. This creates divisiveness and furthers generational gaps. This can have very long-lasting and negative consequences.

Youth today receive many negative messages because of these walls. Sometimes they are told they are materialistic if they spend money on clothing or fun. If they use smart phones, social media, and computers they are told they should be less reliant on technology. When they participate in sports or non-school related activities they are often told they are selfish because generations past worked labor heavy jobs or fought wars.

You hear it often, an adult blaming a younger generation or pointing out negative things about young people these days. Not all adults do this. But enough of society does that it becomes the message teens today hear. This is not the message our future leaders need.

I think younger generations need encouragement and support. Generations are supposed to be different. Our generational differences mean we are human. We are evolving and redefining what life is constantly through relationships. I like to think that there is much to be learned for BOTH adults and youth from each other.

We can only learn from each other when we make an effort to build up relationships instead if walls.

Building a relationship starts with seeing. It starts by making observations with an open mind. It starts with presence.  Only when we make ourselves fully present do we become able too see a person. This true in all relationships.

That is where we really understand each other. Understanding our own shared humanity makes differences insignificant. The world is not black and white but all the colors of the rainbow inbetween that fill our lives with vibrant colors and real diversity.

Youth today are amazing. They bring so many positive things to this world.  Just like the show choir groups I saw, youth today are passionate about living and willing to work hard to follow their dreams. This is something to be celebrated and supported.

Future generations need praise and they need the presence of older generations in their lives. It is relationships between generations that will cultivate understanding and respect. When we promote this all generations become beneficiaries of a better world. It is respecting each other that makes all the difference.

Brave

The youth group served a meal tonight for families at the Willis Dady Emergency Shelter here in Cedar Rapids. We prepared a spaghetti dinner together at church before departing for the shelter. I had not been to this shelter before. I have served meals to homeless or needy families in the past but never here in Cedar Rapids.

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this visit. I knew we would eat a family style dinner with the people living there but I wasn't sure who I would meet and what I would face when I walked through those doors. I was somewhat anxious. Not because I was afraid. I was anxious because I wasn't sure who I would be called to serve.

The shelter's website has the following quote by one of my favorite authors.

"Sometimes you don't know when you are taking the first step through a door until you are already inside." -- Ann Voskamp

 This is a truth. We did serve many wonderful people tonight when we walked through those doors. Little did I know though that I would meet someone very special. Someone who would change me.

As we welcomed families in to grab a plate of dinner I met a mom and her little boy. The little boy's name was Tim*. He looked like he was about the age of my son Thomas. I asked him how old he was and found out he was 8, almost 9 he proudly told me, in third grade. His family recently moved to Cedar Rapids. We ate our spaghetti dinner and I told him he had to have brownie from the middle because they are the best ones. As we sat there we talked about school and making new friends in new places. He was a bright young boy, really smart and excited to tell me all about himself.

We talked about super heroes. He told me Spider Man is his favorite. Which of course I had to tell him that Captain America and Thor are my boys favorite super heroes. Marvel Comics have the best heroes. He told me he thought Captain America was the best super hero because he believes in doing the right thing and not just fighting bad guys.

I then found out he wants to be in the army when he grows up. Although he admitted last week he wanted to be a bounty hunter and before that he wanted to be a police officer. I asked him if he believed in protecting people and helping people. He agreed it was very important and I told him that I thought he would be good for a big job like that. I told him I know a police officer and a marine and maybe he will grow up to do big things some day just like these men.

We talked about his rainbow loom band bracelets he was wearing. I found out he was given both of them by friends. I couldn't help but think of my own kids and how they like exchanging bracelets with friends too. I swallowed hard. I knew our family was taking these simple joys like loom bracelets for granted. We don't appreciate all the "stuff" we have and I know it.

Before I knew it was time for Tim to leave. His mom thanked me many times and I know she was very appreciative for sitting with them and just talking to her son.

I am really honored to have met Tim today. He taught me that even the smallest person can be brave. He was in a new place and in a new school but he still had a smile on his face. I know he misses his old home and school. I know it had to be hard. I could see it on his face. Yet, he still had hope. For that I think he is the bravest person I have ever met. I was blessed to meet him. I think maybe he served me more than I served him.

I saw into someone else today. I walked through those doors and everything changed. I met someone very small but very important. I met a little boy named Tim. A little boy who just changed my world.

Tim, I see you.



*I have changed the name to protect this child's identity.