Jesus called 12 disciples.
He could have summoned thousands. He could have surrounded himself with huge crowds of adoring followers. He spoke the truth of the universe. He might have opened a university-sized teaching enterprise to spread the message as far as possible.
He didn’t. He wasn’t concerned with bigger and more. He wanted better.
Better relationships. Deeper understanding. Quality interactions. Authentic connection. For Jesus it was never about scale. This man who was God and held the universe in His hands cared deeply about individuals and moments. It was as if He saw the entire expanse of time and truth in each individual face and conversation.
Slowly, but surely, I find myself less concerned about bigger. More riders, bigger tours, record financial donations – those are fine, but they mean less and less to me. While I love having lots of people show up, it’s just not my priority.
I want the folks who join us to have a great experience. I want us to create a community based on deep, lasting relationships.
This Saturday more than 100 cyclists and 40 volunteers will join our one-day Prologue event. Both summer tour teams are the biggest ever. Pretty amazing growth from the 7 riders who took off from Cheyenne on the first FREEDOM TOUR in 2013.
I’m grateful, but as we manage the logistics and details I appreciate something a friend said last weekend. “You guys do a great job of marking moments.”
I hope that’s true. I hope everyone experiences a few of those special moments. I hope there’s connection, and laughter, and awareness of Jesus’ presence.
I’m happy that we’re growing, that our team works hard to expand the circle and bring more folks into this crazy adventure. But I’m writing this to remind myself, and maybe you, that Jesus didn’t focus on bigger.
Beyond “enough,” bigger isn’t the goal. Let’s work together on better.