Family

Before I get into it, this is the first post of February. It's been over a month since I started It Springs Up... and I have to say, I'm really enjoying it. It Springs Up was created for me to keep track of my growth- to hold myself to it- and to share my growth with others so they could, hopefully, grow as well. In January, that clearly happened. So, it might be cliche, but I want to thank you for being part of my adventure this past month. The feedback I get from you guys has been really encouraging, so please keep reading and keep commenting... and let's see how much we've grown in another month!

Oh, and sorry it's been so long. But I'm back :)

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I've always been an advocate of community in Christianity. I mean, we're called to love people... and love just happens to create natural community. Well, real biblical love does. As I look through the New Testament, especially in the book of Acts, I see so much love from one believer to the other. [As a side note, my hope is that as I mention these occurrences in the bible, you'll be led to go dig deeper and see what I'm talking about.] And how could the early church NOT love each other? Jesus flat-out told them it was required of them! Check it out:

"Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

John 13:35 (NIV)

So here are the apostles, hanging out with Jesus, sharing in the last supper, and he tells them that he's about to leave. He tells them that they're gonna look for him, but that where he's going they cannot come. And the next thing he says is to "love one another."

This was the man who had totally changed their lives, done miracles, and he's about to leave... and what he cares about is that they love each other when he's gone! Then, as they leave the upper room on their way to the garden, he reminds them:

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

John 15:12 (NIV)

And, knowing their forgetfulness, he reminds them again just a few verses later:

^"This is my command: Love each other."

John 15:17

Imagine... these are Jesus's last few teachings. He goes on to teach about the Holy Spirit, and prayer, but even those things he doesn't repeat three times! How important it must be to Jesus that we "love each other".

But maybe you noticed something else. He didn't stop at love each other. He said "love each other as I have loved you." Well, so we have to love like Jesus. And not in a cliche kinda sense. None of this "well I have to love them because Jesus loves them."

Think about the love Jesus has for you- and I HOPE you've experienced this love, because it's the only thing in this life worth all the pain and hardship we go through. Jesus' sort of love is top-notch, perfect love. It's "agape": unconditional, self-sacrificing love. This love, this agape, is what led Jesus to take betrayal, physical and emotional pain, spit, whips, spears, nails, and burdens for us. Jesus sacrificed himself for us... because of his deep love for us. He sacrificed his life for us.

But just before he does so- just before he takes up the cross meant for us- he says "love each other like I love you." Basically, love each other sacrificially. Love each other by giving to each other. Love each other by doing things that are really inconvenient for people who won't be able to pay you back. Love each other, sometimes even to the point of having to suffer for each other a bit.

The early church understood this much more than we do. They understood what it meant to be brothers and sisters in the family of God. Don't get me wrong- they certainly loved non-believers as well, as we should. There was, however, something special about now, being God's children, spending time with their new-found siblings.

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.

Acts 2:42-45

Here's the sacrificially-loving family of God. When one believer was short on money, his brother would sell whatever he had to make sure the other had enough. It's incredible... there was no one in the church who was needy.

There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales, and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Acts 4:34-35

Now in most churches, there's some sort of benevolence offering. And once in a while, when one of us has a little bit of extra cash, we go ahead and make an offering. But, let's be honest... there's not much sacrifice in it. We get $5 coffee at Starbucks four times a week, but can't give $10 to our struggling brothers. That's the reality of a great portion of the church.

You see, we don't consider each other family. I can guarantee you most members of my church would take in their blood brother or blood sister if they were in need, and not ask for anything back. But would they look at me, or another church member, the same way?

When we're born of the same parents, we feel responsible for each other- for taking care of each other. For some reason, this sense of responsibility does not carry over into the lives of our brothers and sisters in the church- nevermind the fact that we're born of the same heavenly father now.

Lately, I've been experiencing a taste of biblical family with some friends here at school. I first noticed it last week, when we all went out to eat. As we held hands around the table to say a prayer, I thought to myself "Wow. This feels like family."

I notice it more and more as we spend time together. On Wednesday, we got the day off from school, so we stayed in the basement of one of the dorms all day, watching movies together. And as we spent time together, ate meals together, and just fellowshipped, I heard "thank you" more times than I ever had in my life. There was simple acts of service going on left and right! The whole day, people would be doing each other little favors. Little things, like if someone noticed that someone else was uncomfortable in their chair, they'd offer the couch instantly. It seems silly, but that's the beginning of sacrificial love. This week I had people offer to pay for me whenever we went out to do ANYTHING- not because I didn't have the money, but just because they wanted to.

At one point, I came in from the snow and took off my shoes. One friend noticed that I had gotten my socks wet and, even though I didn't mind the wet socks, insisted on getting me a dry pair from their room. They sincerely cared that I was comfortable. You know, it might not seem like much, but this gives me hope. There's hope that God's children are realizing we need to concern ourselves with serving and loving each other. We need to take up the responsibility we have for each other as brothers and sisters. And we need to start loving each other as Jesus loved us.

With love, His love,

Art