Romans 12: 10-13
Okay, now my weirdness surfaces again…I have always been a closet Broadway star…my mirror is my stage and my hairbrush my microphone. My neighbors in Atwater, CA, dreaded evenings for as the sun began to set I would (true story) climb the huge tree in my front yard and sing to the top of my lungs, Moon River….I especially loved the “Huckleberry friend” part! I would do this every night! I was very strange! (Some would argue with the “was”) My tendency for singing at inappropriate times did not end in California. While in high school I saw, the movie, Funny Girl for the first time and now, 100+ viewings later, I still want to become Fanny Brice every time I see an old-fashioned light pole. To the embarrassment of my family, often I will hold on and sing, “People, people who need people…are the luckiest people in the world!”
Just this past week that song came to my mind again and since there was no lamp post I merely listened to the words. On the surface it sounds ridiculous…of course, people need people, don’t they? While we seem to be more connected…cell phones, email, Facebook, Twitter… we are lonelier than ever. Many are connected to jobs and when the day is over there is no more connection to anything. Families are in the same house but are often not on the same page. Always doing-- but seldom just being. My favorite time growing up was after dinner sitting on the back porch sipping what was left of our iced tea just talking…or not…sometimes just listening to the evening sounds together.
People today are with people, but not really. Ears are plugged with some noise while sitting with friends, texting someone else. What happened to just talking to each other eye to eye or just being with another human? I believe Jules Styne understood this when he wrote:
People,
People who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world
And yet letting our grown-up pride
Hide all the need inside
Acting more like children than children
Humans have relational needs but often don’t let others know…and by not wanting to admit our need we stay alone and many times lonely. In Romans 12:10-13 Paul felt a need to address this to the church. In order to have people in our lives we must be devoted to people…we must “need” people who also share the love of the Lord. One of God’s extra gifts to Christians is each other…It is said of the first church,”they had all things in common.”
Today how much do we have in common? How often do we practice hospitality as said in verse 13? We need others in our lives for support and encouragement. Christ prayed in John 17 that we all be one in Him just as He is one with the Father. God knows we need each other and provided ways for us to have strong relationships with each other…it is us who have changed but it not too late. Today you can reach out to someone…ask them into your house for cookies! It doesn’t have to be a big ordeal. Turn your phone off and just talk to the person in front of you. I believe you will find:
With one person
One very special person
A feeling deep in your soul
Says you are half now you’re whole
No more hunger and thirst
But first be a person who needs people
People, people who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world
Christ is our common denominator…you can be that one person…that one very special person who can help the loneliness of another go away.
Uh oh, another song is coming to mind and I must sing it!…it’s the 21st century’s version of People….We’re All in this Together! Got to go find a high school gym…later!!
1 comment:
This is my favorite blog so far. Boy, do I know what you mean. I rarely see any of my friends except at church and the rare girls night out we sometimes take (and that is so refreshing) The internet is so wonderful in so many ways, but it and cell phones can keep us from connecting face to face. Gonna work on that. Thanks for sharing.
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