I saw God today,
unexpectedly. My friend said he wasn’t sure who would show up. Well, over a dozen
friends did. They are extraordinarily ordinary people who showed up and brought
their spouses, kids and God along with them. We laughed and loaded the moving
truck to the brim with boxes, furniture, toys and odds and ends. Then we shared
pizza, prayers, tears and hugs to carry our beloved family (friends) a little
further up the road.
God appeared again,
unexpectedly. When that same truck pulled up in front of the new house there
was an even larger group of extraordinarily ordinary people waiting. They are
seminary students who showed up and brought their spouses, children and God along
to meet us. Everyone helped in one way or another. The children stood in line
at the back of the truck to carry what they could and the entire job was done
in no time flat. It was joyful and miraculous. It was
“God-all-up-in-there-amongst-us”. One seminarian was heard to say, “It’s just
what we do”.
In a word, “it” is
community. Community is not just a word. It is not just the hottest hipster way
of doing churchy stuff. Community is people showing up and sharing their hearts,
lives and love whenever and wherever. Community happens when
extraordinarily ordinary people “do” community. It crosses every
boundary and breaks down every barrier we create to contain it. It is where God
shows up. It is real. I saw it happen.
