Taproot Church

Knowing Each Other

Shallow. I think that sums up relationships for the most part in American culture. In a world where we are infatuated with meaningless tweets and obscure Facebook updates some folks fall prey to the notion that they actually have deep friendships with those they watch, follow, and update via social media. Don’t get me wrong, I’m continually letting the world know my daily goings on and random points of profundity via these sites but there has to be more. The hard part of the “more” that we all long for and need is this. To gain it one must be intentional, sacrificial, and patient. None of these characteristics are required for tweeting or facebook updating but are inextricably bound to the knowledge we need of each other.

Intentional

To gain deep knowledge and understanding one must intentionally pursue these points with another person. On the agenda of time spent together there must be a purposeful path that takes us from discussions on the rain and Sunday’s game into the depths of who we are as individuals. The intentionality part is crucial because without it we continue on in a random series of tweet like updates with the person sitting across from us but never cross the ropes out of the shallow end of the pool. Deep water is scary. Deep water is dangerous. Deep water is intense. Deep water is larger. A willingness to get there with another individual begins the swim lessons and slowly but surely our tweets and status updates become strokes that take us into each other more fully.

Sacrificial

I sacrifice all of 3 seconds to sit down and give to the world some absolutely pointless thought that bears no meaning whatsoever on reality or relationship via facebook. It’s easy, it costs me nothing, it costs my reader nothing, and all seems well that ends well. Is this “well” though? I think not. To know another and to be known requires the sacrifice of time, comfort, pride, fear, security and a host of other ideals that we keep shrouded in our online discussions. Without the motif of sacrifice driving our relationships they actually become nothing more then a revolving door of two people trying to gain something out of the other that will not be given. Shallow.

Patient

It took my daughter 2 years of swim lessons, thousands of times of coaxing, and the example of her little friend who went before her to finally get her head underwater. It took time for her to go deeper. Knowing each other and being known takes much time. One must be intentional and sacrificial in giving the time needed. Like the farmer though who waits patiently when fruit begins to bud there is great joy!

The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In His greatest prayer Jesus would say “this is eternal life to know the one true God and the one He has sent.” God understands knowing someone and wanting to be known. The gospel is the lived out testimony of our missionary God intentionally coming, spending time, asking questions, planting thoughts, revealing Himself. The gospel is the story of God sacrificially making himself known that we might know Him. The patience of the gospel is enjoyed everyday as God continues to plead with humanity “know me” and does not rightfully abandon us in our rebellion.
May we as a church know Him and know each other all the more until that perfect day comes to pass where in we will be known even as He is.

1 John 2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him…
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