“Mosaic: Relationships”

   There is a myth in our culture that if relationships are met to be, then they should be easy. But if we look to scripture, we see that the deep relationships that Jesus had with his disciples were not always easy - sometimes they were down right disappointing. But Jesus didn't look at them and say "you disappointed me" or "you missed the point again" or "this thing - you being my disciple, its no longer worth it or too much work". No, Jesus leaned even farther into relationship with them, even in the midst of the brokenness.
    Now sometimes, the church takes this teaching too far - dictating that people should stay in abusive or harmful relationships, which is not true. Sometimes relationship do harm us in a way that needs to be walked away from for the sake of our very soul. But other times, we do give up too easily - the wisdom comes from discerning what we should do in each relationship individually.
    As humans we are made for relationships with God and with other people. Yet, we live in a day and time where relationships are lacking. Where people are lonely. Where we have substituted being friendly for being friends. As the church, let us be a place of deep relationships that show the world how we are meant to live. Let us be a place where relationships are modeled and redeemed and cultivated in the name of Jesus Christ.