Matt. 9:35 - 10:23 "Don't begin by going to some far-off place to convert unbelievers...Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood...When you knock on a door be courteous... gentle... If they don't welcome you, quietly withdraw...and be on your way." (v. 5,6,12-14; MSG).
Now, what exactly is your or my platform? Not sure about you, but my existence feels pretty simple; it might even qualify as insignificant. I am attending an appropriate 'socially distant' gathering today, but 'relationally distant' will by no means be an intention of the group; in fact the opposite! There's a part of me that is very comfortable behind a mask. If it propels me toward greater relational vulnerability, in both the sharing and empathy-listening domains, my covering may have done a good thing. I found myself unabashedly singing & whistling a hymn in Market Basket in late March and enjoying it, knowing no one could see more than my eyes, mask, cap and latex gloves. I'm also reminded of AA times, where revealing all was very easy, due to a new and anonymous group or setting; after all nobody knew me there.
Wherein lies my 'sphere of influence'? With whom do I have the intestinal fortitude to apportion my reason for hope (other than spouse, BFF, small group or significant other)? The Matthew text encourages: to become what I believe, that the right words will be there, to live generously and not be attached to any others' rejection. I believe that any potential rejection, is one of those times when the feeling doesn't match the reality, i.e., the risk is worth it and the neighborhood implicitly needs your/my infusion [of hope]. Personally, I know that my life returned from the shadows awhile back and that my strength and hope are not from the mountains, but from God who made heaven, earth and those mountains. Hopefully I enter today's encounters with that at the front of my mind and the tip of my tongue.
His Peace that passes your & my understanding, your Deacons