Life, Christian life, church life, holds many ups and downs, challenges and joys, speed-bumps and triumphs. There are many achievements we can celebrate, philosophies we can debate, goals we can work towards, and even visions we can support. But in the end, when the dust settles and we reflect on all these things, our relationship with Jesus and the connections we make with people we love are the enduring treasures that form the foundation for our journey.
Since the age of twelve Jesus has been my Lord, my Saviour, my companion, my inspiration, my King and my God. In every season of life and every experience I have walked through, he has always been there. There are times when I feel I have brought him joy, and others when I know I have brought him sorrow. Times when I know he would approve, and others when I have turned away in shame. There are times when I have been inconsistent and faithless, and he has always been consistent and faithful. In the darkest times my one source of hope is that 'I know whom I have believed....'
I love Jesus. There are lots of things about the Christian faith and the practice of my Christian walk that I don't understand. I get what Paul meant when he said that right now we 'see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.' (1 Cor. 13:12) I don't know everything, accept I never will, and understand as a grow older how much I really don't know. What I do know is Jesus. Not in a weird, spooky, insubstantial way, but as the incarnated Son of God, fully God and fully man who entered into history, died and rose again to redeem God's good creation and welcome me into his Kingdom. I know a Christ who has been and still is a part of my reality as he makes himself known to me through his Word, his Spirit, his people and his world. I meet him in the words of the Bible, in the quiet times of reflection, and in the activities of my life. Jesus the Messiah is the ground and centre of my reality.
People are important. We celebrated a friend's 50th birthday this week. We have been friends for thirty-seven years, have grown up together, been separated on different continents and shared houses and churches. And we are friends. We have enjoyed seeing children born and grow, parents die, the many joys and disappointments, laughs and tears that life brings. And we are friends. They say - whoever 'they' are - that a burden shared is a burden halved, and a joy shared is joy multiplied. I believe this. My greatest treasures aren't gold or silver or dollars or property or any other form of riches. My greatest prosperity is found in the friends I have.
Please understand that I'm not talking about facebook friends. Some play the game that 'he who dies with the most friends wins.' I don't think we can have more than, I don't know, I dozen to twenty real friends. Maybe more, maybe less. Friends are important, but so are people. One conversation I had today was about some disappointing and discouraging things in life, but the person noted that thinking about a lady in our church reminded them how so much is just 'stuff' compared to loving Jesus and doing life together. It's true. However close the connections we have with people may be, those connections matter. I am convinced that when we consider our lives, and God requires an account, he will be most interested in how we have treated other people.
If you are like me, and if you are honest, there are some things you're not proud of, some things you regret, some things you wish you'd done differently. Thankfully, although we can't do much about our past, we can be intentional in how we engage with the future. Scot McKnight suggests there is value in repeating the Jesus Creed as often as we think of it during the day. I think he's right. I need to be reminded of the important things, the things that matter, the things that last.
So, to those people I spoke to today, 'Thank you.' You reminded me of the absolute wonder, privilege and joy of having Jesus in my life and my reality everyday. You reminded of the treasure of having friends in my life - and you are among them.
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