I'm not much for meeting perfect strangers. There are days that I feel I could mostly go my whole life and never interfere with someone who really has no desire to involve themselves with me. My son, Jack, ruins that whole plan. I've come to recognize that it's God ordained. Let's just say Jack stretches me, as he did this week while we were camping. The couple camping behind us never knew what hit them. One minute, they are alone. The next minute, a five year old is breathing down their necks trying to catch a glimpse of the fishing rod that the older gentleman was putting together for a fishing trip to the nearest lake. When I say he was in their personal space, I mean he was within inches of the poor fella doing the work and almost had pole in hand. My first reaction, Wow! How does he move that fast? My second reaction, Great. Here we go, again. I'm going to have to explain to these people why my son feels that everybody is his friend and hope they are not completely annoyed. Like I said, Jack stretches me. Moms of social butterflies are smiling. You, too, have been in my shoes.
Turns out, they weren't annoyed at all. Not that that's not the typical reaction. It's rare that I run across a person who doesn't like kids and all you can do is apologize profusely and move on, quickly. They asked about Jack. I told them about his adoption and about the other couples in our church who were or had adopted. They told me about their children. I told them about mine. I knew I was on thin ice. That little voice inside of my head was saying, You are getting yourself into something you are going to have to explain. Then, it happened, the next question. I knew it was coming. These days, I can almost predict exactly where in in the conversation it will fall. It's the next logical question. Everybody asks it. Didn't you say you had two other children? How old are they? I hesitated for a moment and said the only thing I knew to say, the truth. "My daughter Hannah is fifteen. My son Miles would have been seventeen this year. He passed away a few years ago." I was choking back tears. Sometimes, that happens. Sometimes, it doesn't. Problem is, I can never predict which way my emotions will go. This day, they didn't go the direction I was hoping for.
To say that was a turning point in the conversation would be an understatement. I got a quick, "I'm sorry." There was silence, some polite goodbyes, and I got myself out of there as quickly as I had gotten myself into this very uncomfortable situation. It made me rethink this idea of transparency. Is it worth it? How does it effect the people that we come into contact with? I'm not taking tact off the table. We should have it. I probably should have had a little more. With that in place, should we be willing to allow believers and non-believers to see our most hidden parts, the parts that hurt the most, the parts we can't always control, the parts that we wished we didn't have to look at everyday? It is a risk. It's not always received. So, is it worth it?
So...what burden's did the church of Galatia have to bear? The Christians of Galatia faced persecution from the Jewish community. The Galatians, who were Gentiles, had begun to take on Jewish customs to help aviod persecution. They had become what we would call today fence straddlers, believing in Christ but taking on the Mosaic Law. The letter to Galatia was Paul's way of admonishing the new believers into holding firm to Christ. The Galatians were well aware of what happened to those who truly rocked the boat for Christ. The Apostles, including Paul, were flogged, stoned, imprisoned, and all but one Apostle died a martyr's death.
Justin Martyr wrote this about Christian persecution some time around 100 years after the book of Galatians was written: Though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown to wild beasts, and chains, and fire, and all other kinds of torture, we do no give up our confession; but, the more such things happen, the more do others in large numbers become faithful. Obviously, the killing of Christians was not having the desired affect that the Roman government had desired. Just the opposite, the Christian faith was growing!
Sharing our hurts, the wounds we've sustained from living in a fallen world and struggling with the sin nature we all possess, has an affect on the glorification of Christ. If we don't share with other believers, they never know to walk over and pick up that burden. We are robbing them of the opportunity to reflect Christ in their own lives. When we love each other in a supernatural way, sometimes helping to carry a burden for years, going the distance when others would have given up, we prove that there's something to Christ. He causes miracles to happen.
One of the things I love most about my life with Christ is that He never works in the way that I expect Him to work. At the end of the day, sometimes, all I can say is, "Oh." and smile. God's economy works completely opposite of our own. As is the case when we share our journey, sometimes a difficult one, with those who don't believe. I would expect them to run for the hills, but as we see in the early church, when we share God's faithfulness to us which in turn creates a faith within ourselves, it draws others to the cross. The cross, also a place of great persecution.... Once again, Christ is glorified.
My conclusion, to share my wounds with others is an act of worship. It shows the adoration that I have for the most faithful of Ones, my Jesus. It yells to a lost world, He is my Sustainer! It says to other believers, " I believe that my Heavenly Father will be faithful through you. I believe that you will reflect Christ to me and to all the world." In all things, Christ is glorified. After all, it is He, not I who is to be lifted up. It is and will always be about Him.
The next time I am tempted to hide the battle wounds of my journey, to believe that they don't matter, I'm going to say, "Can you see that? " No!... Even so much better, I think I'm just going to say, "Can you see Him?"
Justin Martyr
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