I’m wary of absolutes.
Bonhoeffer’s quote, “Your YES to God requires your NO to all injustice” sounds great. Except for the “all” part.
I’m okay as long it applies to someone else – missionaries, activists, people with training, people who know how to be courageous. But I have a feeling Jesus wants me to apply that statement to myself.
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.
Those statements sound great when he was talking to the disciples. They get a little uncomfortable when he’s talking to me.
I list my excuses. I’m old and bald (obviously disqualifying). I’m retired. I’ve spent nearly 4 decades in a wheelchair.
I have that conversation with Jesus. He smiles kindly and says, “Yeah, so?”
He’s not being mean. He just knows I know better. He knows there are too many times when I choose comfort over following. He knows too frequently I serve when it’s convenient rather than when it’s needed.
That’s kinda the opposite of placing myself last.
I’m grateful for grace, for his kind guidance as we journey together, and he gently nudges me a bit more toward his path rather than mine.
Someone said recently, “It’s too bad you can’t go and meet the kids you serve.”
I thought a lot about that, and decided an expensive trip halfway around the world isn’t necessary. I can love and serve our kids without meeting them face-to-face. And it doesn’t matter if they know anything about an old, bald guy in a wheelchair.
What matters is they know they’re loved by a crazy group of people who like to walk and ride bikes.
And that they know Jesus loves them.