When I was a senior in high school, my parents left me. Now, I do not want you getting the wrong idea here; this is not going to be a story about abandonment where I come out the survivor of cruel parents after living years on the hard paved streets of the city. No, while I was a senior in high school, my Father graduated college and was moving on to go to school at the seminary to become a pastor. I was a senior. I had friends. I had a life. I was not going along with. So, my parents left me behind.
I remember the days right before they left. I wandered around the house filled with a strange sort of pain and fear. I was already missing them terribly, my heart was beating fast and the tears held back just around the corner of my eyes. Plus, I had all sorts of question. They could not go because…I was not quite sure how to pay for gas other than at the pump. What if I could not just slide in my card. Who was I to talk to? What was I to say? Or, what do you do when you run out of checks; how do you get more? How much do you tip a waitress? How do you drive in downtown Omaha? I had all of these questions that I needed answered, but the questions were all basically the same question: How do I possibly live without you? I am going to be so alone.
Philip joins me in these questions as Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to leave. Jesus is going to the cross. Jesus is going to die. Jesus is going away to the Father, and the disciples will again be alone. Who is going to show them the ways of God? Who is going to direct them in what they should do and to whom they should give help and where they are to go? Jesus, you have not finished showing us everything! “Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied.” Show us God before you go. Jesus, do not go; we are going to be so alone!
Like every parent, my parents did not just up and move hundreds of miles away without somehow preparing for all of these unanswered questions. Just outside of my new bedroom, were a new set of parents who had graciously taken me in for the year. I moved in with a wonderful family and from them I learned lots of things such as: how to tie a tie. I learned how to sew a button back on my shirt. I learned that Aussie Shampoo will ruin my hair leaving it dry and like wire for more than a month. I learned all kinds of things from these gracious people. My parents were not stupid. They left me people right next to my bedroom door who would guide me in the same ways that they would.
Disciples of Christ, you too have not been left alone. The Holy Spirit, the paraklete in Greek, the advocate, the one who walks beside us, is right here with us. Jesus has not left us orphaned. Jesus has given us the gift of a next door neighbor! But, this is good next door neighbor. The Holy Spirit will not let its dog leave gifts in your lawn, the Holy Spirit will not cut down your apple tree, nor will the Holy Spirit be the drill sergeant of life next door.
The Holy Spirit is the one who will live beside you, walk beside you, love you, and remind you that you are God’s. The Holy Spirit will remind you of the Father, and of Jesus so that you will not go through life alone.
I am not sure that all Christians realize that they have a next door neighbor. Sure, they have been told that in sermons and such, but who listens to them…nice nap fests that they are. No, many Christians do not realize that they have a heavenly next door neighbor. They have let their property line bushes grow tall and thick and they cannot even see over the property line. The neighbor is still there of course. The overgrown bushes are not the neighbor’s fault. But, the bushes do allow us to feel lonely. We feel as if we have no gifts from God. We feel as if God has no use for us. We simple feel scared to try anything for the sake of the risen one, because we cannot see the encouragement and hear the wisdom from our neighbor.
But, if we allowed the bushes to be trimmed we would see that “the one who believes in [Jesus] will also do the works that [Jesus does] and, in fact, will do greater works than these...” There is no need to live in fear. There is no need to live as a sheltered Christian. The Spirit has taken up residence right next to us and will guide us in the ways and works of God.
Did you not hear Jesus say, “I will do whatever you ask in my name…If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”? This is not a divine promise to grant you all of your wishes. It is much better than that. It is the divine expression of a parent that says, “I would do anything for you. You are not alone. You are not worthless. You are special. You are a gift to the world. You have gifts to share with the world, and I would do anything to make you and your gifts shine.”
The Holy Spirit has taken us residence next to you, and together you and the Holy Spirit will make your street a better place to live.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment