The Unlikely Vessel

At 20Something last night we talked about the ways in which we can better relate to others. Jesus was the master. He seemed to have instant understanding when he came across a person in need of forgiveness, healing, or generosity, and this allowed him to see through to a person's heart and know exactly where that person was coming from. His ability was most certainly a gift from God. He had no fear of rejection or inadequacy, or anything else that regularly causes us to retreat back into our comfort zone rather than reach out to another person.

Maybe fear stops us from reaching out. Maybe we fear rejection, or we maybe we begin to doubt our own abilities and that stops us from cultivating relationships with others. I often feel completely inadequate and incapable of being the least bit helpful, but as I forge ahead despite this fear, I discover a strength and ability that resonates and can actually make a difference in someone's life. That's God, not me. So perhaps ultimately, we fear God's power, and any evidence of that power that serves as an inkling that God might unleash something mighty in our lives, is enough to cause us to retreat back to the safety of our elementary emotional shells. Busting out of that shell takes patience and resilience.

Jesus was patient beyond words. Take Matthew 9:20-22 for example. In that passage Jesus came across a woman in need of healing, and she said, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned to her and said, "Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.

I don't know how patient I would have been in a similar situation. Not that anyone would ever come up and try to grab my clothes in search of healing. But we are supposed to learn from Jesus' interactions with people and there is definitely something to be learned from this. It makes me think, how many times in the last week have I passed up the opportunity to really get to know someone or help someone out of a jam because I've been too busy or too focused on my own life? I'm pretty disciplined and I like to stick to my work-write-treadmill routine so I can feel like a had a productive day once things finally wind down, and I'm not always excited about something unexpected popping up and preventing me from staying on time. Isn't that crazy? (Even as I'm writing this blog I'm carrying on an instant message conversation that just popped up. I'm certain I'll be late getting to the treadmill, but this is a great IM conversation. See, I'm learning.) Jesus lived his entire life for others, and always made time for the people who needed him. He had no routine and he was always patient. Not that any of our earthly tasks could ever compare to the work that Jesus did. But again, there is much to be learned from his example.

I think it's especially important to be conscious of this as gay Christians. Because we're gay, the world expects certain things of us, none of which involve making an effort to live like Jesus. If anything, they think we're of the devil. But we can make the choice to live our lives differently and prove them wrong. We can allow God to work through us no matter how large or small the task, and as we connect with others God can become increasingly visible and powerful. That's the way to squash homophobia and discrimination and all of those other evils in the world. Allow something that the world considers weak and abnormal, to become one of the ways in which God delivers love, healing, and peace. It's not up to us whether or not the world accepts or denies this gift. But it is our responsibility to become the vessel that delivers it.