May I be returning home with more than a half-empty suitcase

Pero Jesús no se lo permitió, sino que le dijo: Vete a tu casa, a los tuyos, y cuéntales cuán grandes cosas el Señor ha hecho por ti, y cómo tuvo misericordia de ti. Marcos 5,19

And  Jesus did not permit him (to travel on with Him) but said, “Go home to your friends and family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.” Mark 5:19

And this is where the rubber meets the road.

And as I made my way, slowly, very slowly, with three and three and six-hour flight delays, back to my loved ones, I could feel the cultural trappings start to settle in around me, like a well-worn and comfortable sweatshirt.

But since I actually did not have a sweatshirt, I was very grateful to face all of that air conditioning with the black sweater that Nicole had nabbed from Marco's Vintage Shop, which provides rent and food payments for those who need help, as well as stacks of free clothes from the donations that are not vintage, but merely "old."

And not withstanding my St Francis resolves, my listening shifted slowly into chatting, and my eye contact glanced away more frequently, and my vocabulary became less precise. And I checked my email a lot more frequently.

And I imagine on lots of levels it would be easier for the demonic who lived in the caves to move on and not return to the same commitments and relationships and challenges, but Jesus sent him back. And the challenge is to faithfully and humbly proclaim His great works and his great mercy.

For instance, this morning I woke up thinking, or was it dreaming, about my homeroom class at Desert, and how I am to change the systems and routines to disciple these students into being more like Jesus. Because I have been told to make disciples, and now I have a deeper understanding of that commandment and more urgency in my heart. May I not be complacent with the peace that the world gives, but may I be about His business, both to restoration and to honor and glorify His name.

And last night, I was flipping through the photos with Jenny and Tim, a very gracious audience by the way, just before they served me homemade lamb gyros, and suddenly I remembered the guy with the tuxedo and the guy with the red shirt and the guy starting a restaurant on our last walk through Istanbul. And suddenly I remembered the palpable presence of God, yearning to tell each of these men that He so loved them. And I have also been commanded to heal the sick and bind up the broken-hearted and loose the captives, whatever that looks like, it is my business, or rather His business to find out.

And there is sure a lot that I don't know or understand. For instance, the demon-possessed man saw Jesus from afar and ran and worshipped Him. And Jesus at once had mercy on Legion, and did not torment him, and did not cast him out of the country.

But it is not my job to know or understand, but simply to obey that soft, yet steady voice that I am learning to recognize.

I reread the Christianity Today article about how to be a peaceful leader, and was struck again by this quote: Peaceful leaders offer a fresh view of Jesus because he is embedded in their character.

May they say, "She has been with Jesus."

And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

For he had been with Jesus.

The highways and byways

Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. Matthew 22:9-10

Yet again. Facebook is a lot like the work of God: pretty much always undignified and messy and loud sometimes. This morning I saw a cold, blustered Frederic standing on a bridge with 84 likes, and Luci Shaw the poet’s new tattoo.  A once little girl from the Dominican Republic posted a quote by Corrie ten Boom about worry emptying today of its strength and her sister posted The American Vision: a biblical world view ministry about how 500,000,000 charismatics are not only going to hell, they are destined for especially hot blazes. Folks cheering sundry soccer teams and the St. Louis Cardinals and a photo of Heidi Baker cuddling a once-blind-now-I-see baby in a remote African bush town. A young man in Stockholm needs someone to cut his hair and a girl is Phoenix is looking for a roommate. An Amazing Gift received by a previous student, and yet another asking for someone to Skype or facetime because Friday nights can be long and lonely.

And not a drop of indignation.

Because this Scripture reminds me of two tasks that I have been given that can more than fill my heart and mind.

One, as his servant, I am to go out and call those invited to the great wedding feast of the Son of the King. And when they are too busy and distracted with what is not essential I am to go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame. And since there is still yet room, I am to also go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that the house may be filled.

Two, and perhaps even more importantly, I want to be ready, paying attention. I do not want to be making excuses, lest I be found unworthy: The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’

And I think that the next little story is related, that of paying taxes to Cesar. So very much of this stuff, the money stuff, the doctrine stuff, the political stuff, the stuff stuff, is about this world. Let me release all that, let go, and render to God what is His: me.

And let me be about my Father’s business.

No excuses.