The Gnat and the Bull

Not bothered.

I picked up a copy of Aesop's Fables at a bookstore recently in an attempt to read some of the classics I may have missed out on along the way. About midway through the book, I came across a delightful little fable called "The Gnat and the Bull". Here's how it goes:

"A gnat landed on one of the horns of a bull, and remained sitting there for a considerable time. When it had rested sufficiently and was about to fly away, it said to the bull, 'Do you mind if I go now?' The bull merely raised his eyes and remarked, without interest, 'It's all one to me. I didn't notice when you came, and I shan't know it when you go away.'"

"We may often be of more consequence in our own eyes than in the eyes of our neighbors."

It may be a bit unsettling for us to hear it, but I wonder how many of our neighbors really know we're there? Our church buildings take up prime real estate in most towns and cities, but I often wonder if we, the Church, are noticeable at all. Does anybody know we exist? Is our presence in this society of any consequence...any positive consequence?

Sure, our voices get heard when we get hot and bothered, but how many of our neighbors hear words of life from our mouths or experience the touch of mercy from our hands or experience blessing from the presence of our lives?

I continue to be overwhelmed and amazed at the needs of the population of students I serve. Their level of poverty, sexual activity, drug and alcohol abuse, and general chaos of life frankly breaks my heart and leaves me feeling a bit helpless in the face of it all. With so much of this around me, how can I justify not engaging the community in which I live and work? The temptation can be there to insulate ourselves from it all, but I hardly see the face of Jesus in that approach.

I don't think we should live with an intollerable indifference in the face of so much. If we follow Christ, then we must accept that our neighbors and communities are a gift to us to love and serve. We cannot withdraw from the people Christ longs to engage. Even if we are overwhelmed at all that is around us, it benefits no one for us to stick our heads in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist. They don't benefit. Neither do we.

Of no consequence.

Sheep and goats.

Our sense of self-importance tends to blind us of what (and who) is really most important. We work hard to align our hymnals in our pews and make our music perfect to the glory of God...and our neighbor doesn't even know we are there. Sure, some in our communities would love to see the church disappear altogether, but I can't help but imagine there are a great many others that would love to see the Church living, active, loving, and serving with positive consequence in our communities.

The love of God changes lives. It changes us.