DISPOSABLE PEOPLE?

Genesis 50:1-Exodus 2:10; Matthew 16:13-17:9; Psalm 21:1-13; Proverbs 5:1-6

“Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done.  He said to his people, ‘Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are.  We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.’  So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king….  Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: ‘Throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River.’”

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.’”

We are really “care-less” with each other – and even ourselves - sometimes.  The gift of life, of another human being, is so precious to God.  Yet on a daily basis, I find myself looking past the poor, failing to keep touch with my friends, and even punishing myself for my shortcomings as if I were a machine and not a man.  Our “if it doesn’t work or fit, get rid of it” mentality puts too many souls at risk, and cheats us of a deeper beauty.

This week, I learned a law school friend of mine died at the age of 50 of a massive, unexpected heart attack.  He was a great guy with a very giving nature.  We’d let ourselves grow apart over the years, as distance and busyness took their toll.  Shockingly, he’d died over two years ago, and I did not even know it.  On the other hand, we were with other law school friends we had not seen and fell immediately back into the camaraderie and friendships we’d had those many years ago.  It set up a clear comparison, and one obvious question.  Aren’t friends, aren’t other people, worth the sacrifice it takes to cultivate and nurture them?

There are certainly no worthless relationships in Christ.  He cherishes every life given to Him as the sacred gift it is.  It follows that there are no disposable people.  Each soul has value to the Father, sure, but also to us.  Each person we meet becomes part of the fabric of our being – whether we know it or not – and impacts who we are for better or worse.  We can become more practiced and calloused in ignoring our brothers and sisters, or we can open our hearts to the blessings of community.  As I visited with the friends who remained this week, I gave thanks for each of them, rejoiced in their successes and shared their disappointments.  We were all open to being blessed, and to being a blessing.  Maybe that was part of what Jesus was getting at when He promised we’ll find our lives if we give them (and our calendars?) up for His sake.  But I also found myself knowing how much richer the evening would have been if Greg had been with us, and I wondered how much of life I’d missed by letting go of his friendship.