This Christmas break I decided to stay in Prague to rest and
prepare for the coming months of teaching. International travel is generally
stressful, and rest sounded sweet to me. However, through a series of surprising events
I found myself with plans to sit alone in a quiet house for 2 weeks of break. This
idea did not sound at all pleasant to me, as I generally like to be around
people.
Several families saw my plight and immediately asked me to
come into their homes. In 2 weeks of break I’ve been invited to live with three
different families. In each of their homes comfortable bedrooms were cleaned
& prepared for me—one bed was complete
with an electric bed warmer! Delicious meals were offered to me, movie
collections were shared with me, & bookshelves were opened to me. I was asked to make myself “at home” in
another’s house. These friends were models of hospitality.
This afternoon I came across John 14:1-3 which reads,
“My
Father’s house has many rooms;
if
that were not so, would I have told you that
I am going there to prepare a place for you?
And if I go to prepare
a place for you,
I will come back and
take you to be with me
that you may be where I am.”
I’ve tasted of Christian hospitality over these past two
weeks—and it’s been sweet. Yet, I am confident that the place that Christ
himself has gone to prepare for me will be so much better than any hospitality than I will ever
experience on this earth! (In fact, it will even be better than the amazing bed
warmer that I grew so fond of.)
More than clean, comfortable bedrooms and delicious meals,
the thing I’ve most appreciated about staying in other’s homes this holiday has
been the fellowship with friends. I’ve enjoyed the noises of people living
together each day. And I trust that Christ
himself will one day take me to be with him where he is. He knows that “it is
not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). There will be no silent house that I sit
inside in solitude: I will finally be able to fellowship with the essence of
all truth (John 14:6)-the embodiment of love.
___________________________________________________
I know that there is a reason that the Bible speaks so much
about community. We all know, deep in our being, that “it is not good for man
to be alone.” I’ve always prided myself
in my love of community—my work in camp ministry, residence life, and education
have been rich growth opportunities.
Yet, it wasn't until I recently experienced a dysfunctional
Christian community that I realized how much I still have to learn about living
as a member of the body of Christ. I have not learned what it means to “love my
neighbor as myself” (Mark 12:31).
He’s not finished with
me yet.
I’ve been reading two wonderful books that I highly recommend to
anyone interested in loving others better with “the love that Christ first
showed to us” (1 John 4:19).
·
A Long
Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson
·
Life
Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Many rooms"
"Many rooms"
