*Note: many portions of this column are tongue in cheek. Especially the title. I love teleworking. Mostly because I don’t do any real work but shhh…
I don’t know about you guys, but frankly, I love when the pope visits DC. I got to work from home for three days this week! Thanks to the Holy See! (What the heck is a See anyway. If I were the pope, I’d have people refer to me by a much better nickname like the AllFather or the Super Robe or the White Wizard. I’ve been reading too many comic books.)
The reason I got to work from home was because of the potential traffic gridlock caused by blocked off streets and massive amounts of tourists that was anticipated, so my employer decided to allow employees to telework if they needed to. I heard some people were planning on sleeping at work or going in at noon and staying past midnight just to avoid traffic. Because let’s be honest, driving in traffic in this area makes one really appreciate gun control laws. But ironically, for those that did have to commute, it didn’t really turn out to be that bad.
Maybe it was because of the amount of employers approving telework in anticipation of the traffic or people changing their commuting schedules to avoid any issues. Maybe it was divine providence because the pope really does have a landline upstairs. Whatever the reason, those that did brave the outside during the pope’s visit probably had a much easier commute than expected. For a region that prides itself on having only 1 road between Maryland and Virginia, that’s pretty good! (In other news, seriously, get it together Maryland and Virginia. Build a bridge or something. It’s not that hard.)
Often times, we’re so much more afraid of what the consequences we imagine could be than what reality actually turns out to be. In matters of faith, this is probably a concept many of us church-going Christians are all too familiar with. “But if I commit to an oikos group, my Saturdays will never be free.” “But if I tell people I’m a Christian, they might expect me to be good all the time.” “But if I go to a missions trip, I might have to… do stuff... and not be able to shower.” Yes, these are all very true potential consequences, except the showering part – this is purely optional but highly recommended for the sake of your teammates as well as the gospel.
But, in Christianity, there is no such thing as teleworking. Jesus’ Great Commission is not a message to a select few super Christians. The Bible is not a book to be read only by Christian nerds. Our faith is not meant to be a lamp hidden under a bowl. We are supposed to live what we believe no matter what the consequences.
And the truth is, the consequences are never really as horrible as they seem. On a personal level, some of my greatest experiences of true vulnerability and community have been within an oikos context. Telling people I’m a Christian at work has allowed me to share my faith with those I might never have spoken to about Jesus. And every missions trip I’ve been on, not only have I showered (except that 1 time when I wanted to see how black my scalp could get), but I’ve seen God move incredibly in the lives of others as much as myself. I also know for a fact that many others in our church have had similar if not even greater outcomes.
So, church, let’s step out in faith and say yes to the Lord in things both big and small. No doubt, there is potential for some traffic on the 495 of our souls (my old English professor just threw up). But the truth could be so much sweeter than what we fear.
From Pastor David’s Heart
September 27, 2015