"We, like the first followers, want Jesus to act like a king. We want choirs of angels to sing preludes and postludes with every appearance...Yet he continues to speak with a still, small voice, when we demand a brass section. His face is not aglow. It is dirty. He dwells with the starving masses and the frightened flocks. Like the shepherd he is, Jesus searches for the lost ones of the flock, he stays on the edge of acceptable society with the marginalized" (122).
Who are the marginalized in my neighborhood? Who are the people that are hard to love?
The other day, I was taking the boys for a stroller ride in our neighborhood. I passed by Kathy's house. It looked abandoned. I hadn't been to visit her in months. I felt guilty. My visits with Kathy were not what I'd call "productive." Kathy is mentally challenged. Our conversations would often center around her paranoid delusions and sometimes it was hard to make sense of what she said.
But despite this, whenever I would come to visit, Kathy was always willing to talk about the Bible and ask for prayer. I invited her to church many times. She came once, but left shortly after arriving. Being around a large group of people was just too overwhelming for her.
Kathy is one of the people that fell through the crack. Since she never came back to church, it was easy to forget to visit her. She is one of the marginalized. Now she is gone. Her home is vacant. The colorful wind chimes that used to hang from her porch are gone. So are the patio chairs with the worn cushions that we would sit on as we chatted. I have no idea where Kathy is now. I may never have another chance to talk with her or pray with her.
After seeing her empty house, I felt convicted. I know that Kathy may never be a leader in one of our church plants, but that doesn't mean that she wasn't worth a little time and investment. Jesus didn't spend most of His time with great, charismatic and influential people. He spent it with prostitutes and beggars, with the lame and blind, with people who smelled bad and were looked down upon. He spent time with the Kathys of the world.
With a baby, toddler and ministry responsibilities, it's easy for me to get so busy I forget why I live in my neighborhood. I live here so I can visit those who are hurting and lost and love them regardless of what they can offer me. I live here so I can be Christ to those who have yet to meet Him.
My prayer is this:
"Keep me ever mindful Lord,
that you hang around with the victims of life.
Give me the courage to take off my blinders
and to hang around the people
you are with." (137).
