Incarnation

So I’ve been meaning to blog this for a while but life is always freaking crazy.  I use a lot of italics in here so be careful! Please understand I do not write this saying “Go me!”  You know me.  I’m sharing my heart and my calling.

I had a rough day a few weeks ago.  It was a Thursday.  I was on my way to pick up a buddy who was helping me start Young Life at a new school.  I showed up at the door and he met me in tears.  I was a bit taken back.  He started with this “I cant do it dude.  I’m done.”  I’m used to hearing that.  Rejection and being turned down is a daily part of my job.  I said “Ok lets go talk.”  We walked across the street to Starbucks.  I had it in my mind I was going to fix this situation, no problem.  We’ll talk for a bit then be off to the high school to see some kids.  Alas, I was very wrong.

The toughest part, but at the same time most beautiful part about this calling, this life, this job (if you take it seriously) is meeting people exactly where they are at.  I think we would all agree that ministry at its roots is relational.  I don’t know of any ministry that is not relational.  Now at the same time, not all ministry is Incarnational.  Jesus was God Incarnate.  He came to us in our world, our culture, our circumstances.  He did the work.  He pursued, put forth the effort and never gave up.  One of my favorite passages of scripture is in Matthew 9.  It says Jesus is “reclining at the table with sinners and tax collectors.”  I freaking love that.  That is bad ass.  I see Jesus literally reclining at their table, in their world with his feet up, laughing and talking life with these people…with US!  Some people understand that concept, some dont.  Thats ok I guess, but I’m biased and I whole heartedly believe that all ministry should be incarnational.  We should go to people in their environment, where they are comfortable and earn their trust before we begin anything.  That is genuine and incarnational.  If its not then I think its selfish.  That might offend some people but this is my blog so you can go bitch somewhere else.  We are called to empty ourselves and serve Jesus by serving others.  Its not our job to lead people to Christ.  It is our job to love people….Back to the incarnation.  When you get the experience of meeting someone exactly where they are and its genuine you encounter a whole mess of things.  Some great, some horrible.  We encounter people’s joys and their sins.  We get to bear their burdens with them.  I consider that an honor.  It doesn’t happen very often, its not always fun, in fact its never fun but that is Jesus.  It’s not of Jesus, it IS Jesus.  Jesus is there in that exact moment, in that entire process.  That is The Incarnation.  We are walking with them in their world and we come out of it covered in their shit or sharing in their joy.  We don’t always offer advice or solutions we are just present.  We show up.

I showed up to the shop that day and ended up across the street at Starbucks.  Again, I’m thinking I got this.  Nope.  He proceeded to vomit his life all over the place and it was awesomely bad.  Awesome in the ruthless honesty.  Bad in the hurt, pain and lostness of it all.  I’ve had conversations like this before, but this was different because this was a full grown man and not a high school kid.  It was a life ruined by addiction to alcohol.  After a half-hearted stay in rehab and two more years not much had changed.  Still no control and a feeling of helplessness.  Friendships lost, a marriage totally ruined, a family torn apart, a failing business and some broken ribs.  The shit was all over the fan and the walls.  After a half hour I’m thinking “where are you Jesus?”  He’s sitting with us, not just because scripture says “where two or more are gathered…”  This IS the Incarnation.  He is reclining at the table with us.  No laughing, instead hurting.  We are all broken by this.  All covered in this mess.  All sharing in the pain.  We encountered this man on this day exactly where he was.  It was real.  It was brutal.  It was hard.  It hurt.  It sucked.  It was refreshing.  It was energizing.  It was draining.  I was exhausted.  I was sad.  I was…thankful?  Hell yes.  It was an honor to be there.  It was an honor to share in that.  I didn’t do anything but simply listen and ask some questions.  When we are faithful in being incarnational, Jesus pulls back the curtain a little bit.  Obviously its not always pretty.

Incarnational ministry allows us to walk through life alongside people.  Like I said something like that doesn’t happen very often.  That day it did.  My heart still hurts for him.  The reality of it is it wasn’t a happy ending.  There’s no end in sight.  Jesus never said there would be.  He just said show up and start walking.  Where will you show up? (Hint: It’s not rhetorical)