Risk

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?" (John 11:5-8 NIV)

At book club last night our book for discussion was "An Invisible Thread." It's a true story about a woman who met and mentored a boy whom she met as he was panhandling on a New York City street. At first, she walked passed him as most people do with panhandlers. But she stopped in the middle of crossing a busy street, feeling pulled back to the boy by an invisible thread and she takes him to lunch at McDonalds. What follows is the story of their relationship and how both of them were affected.

This whole story was based on that first momentary risk.... and much more risk-taking as the relationship went on. The idea of risk-taking resonated with things we learned at our Wild Women's Weekend. As we studied the story of Lazarus, we find Jesus doing a lot of risk-taking. He is headed back to an area where the religious leaders just might arrest him, or the people of the town might stone him. And Lazarus was already dead. If you or I were called back to a funeral in a town where we might find trouble, we probably would stay away, wouldn't we? But Jesus knew he had God's work to do there. He felt the Holy Spirit drawing him and telling him that this is where he had to be.

One of the teachers at Wild Women told us that faith was about risk and that if we weren't risking... something... we needed to pray, because to be in relationship with God "You gotta be risking."

The woman in our book club book risked her very life by taking on a relationship with a boy who had connections with some very dangerous people. But what she gave and received out of that relationship was more than worth the risk.

We have learned to live our lives fearfully. We have good reason. There is a lot of danger out in the world these days. People are just crazy! And you never know... But is it worth hiding away in our homes, never risking... never doing... never really living? I'm not saying we should drop ourselves into the worst part of Charlotte and find someone and change their lives. That would be foolish. But sometimes the Holy Spirit shows us an opportunity and says, "Risk! Risk! Risk! You will be abundantly blessed if you do!" We need to listen for that, and act courageously.

Usually we are not asked to risk our physical safety, though sometimes we are. But God starts us off with baby steps. He might ask us to risk some money... or risk being wrong... or risk being laughed at. Or maybe he will ask us to risk a little more... like a relationship or our reputation. But we will never know unless we are listening and feeling for that invisible thread that inexplicately draws us to a person we would normallly pass by or a situation we'd normally avoid.

If we are not risking, we need to be praying.

Holy Spirit,
Help us to feel an invisible thread today. Give us the courage we need to let it draw us to that risky situation. Amen.

Joys: Book Club friends; laughter; chats with Richard