Reaching, Blogging, Loving

How do we reach the lost for Christ? That is the last question I left us with, I believe. I know it has been a while since my last post, but I have been unsure and uninspired. That is I was until recently.

How do we reach the lost for Christ? Relationships. Just relationships. Its that simple. Today I was listening to NPR, and the talk was about Hyper connections. These are things like Myspace, text messages, Facebook, etc. They are electronic, on the Internet (mostly), and impersonal by nature. Now NPR had both praise and condemnation for such technology. Some of the people who praised the technology said it allowed them to go deeper into friends lives and to stay connected to people they were friends with. The critiques said that this allowed you to only focus on your own world view and didn't make you make new friends.

Now we can argue the pros and cons of this technology until we are blue in the face. The truth is that both sides are right and wrong. It simultaneously allows you to connect deeper with people and isolate yourself, at least in my opinion. It can be used to escape and to withdraw, as well as network and explore. This is not what I want to focus on though.

What I want to focus on is why these technologies have taken off, and why there are so many people upset about them. Everyone hates cell phones, but we all use them- Why? Well the reason is relationships.

You use cell phones to connect with your friends, and the people who dislike them usually feel that the cell phone has killed the art of conversation. People don't just talk to each other any more. We can't, we're to busy talking on our cell phone. Or text messaging. Or blogging.

But the relationship is the common bond. People want, need to feel connected. They want relationship. Remember, the first thing that God saw that wasn't good in all of creation is that man was alone. Now man had the garden, the animals. even communion with God, but it was not enough? Why? Because God created us to need relationship with other humans.

So in a world where we are losing our identities, are cu of geographically from family and friends, and work in front of a computer for 80 hours a week, it is no surprise that somehow we would try to make relationships fit in our new technology.

The reason that Myspace and the such have exploded is simply because the church is not doing its job. just like pornography, we are drawn to the easy cheap imitation. We are content for a while looking at pictures of a woman, and we will also be content for a while reading about a persons life. We will tell ourselves that we are in relationship, that we are connected. But it is a poor imitation for the real thing. Can a blog hug you, and email hear the joy in your tone, a text message cry about your pain.

We, as the church need to offer the real thing. We need to embrace people. We need to fill their needs ( and at the same time fill our own). We need to be in relationship with the lost.

It is too hard, you may say. I am not a councilor. I can't relate with their problems. I don't have the time. They don't want any more friends.

Well it is all BS. We are called to be with them, whether we want to or not, if we can solve their problem or not, if we can relate to them or not. Find a way to relate. They don't want more friends, you're right. They want true relationship though. They do want someone in their life who is going to "expect the best of them, and wade through the worst". They DO want fellowship.

SO this is my solution then. Love these people. It is that simple. Relate with these people. Laugh and cry with these people. Meet them where they are, and invite them to where Jesus has brought me.

I will have more to say about this next time, I am going to meet some people.

In Him