Matthew 5: 14 – “You are the light of the world. A city
built on a hill cannot be hid”
In 1946 Frank Capra’s classic Christmas story “It’s A
Wonderful Life” opened in theaters. It has
had such an impact on American culture that it has been copied and paid homage
to many times over in the 67 years
since its release. It is required
viewing for many people at Christmas time, and can generally be caught on
television on an almost uninterrupted loop during the weeks between
Thanksgiving and Christmas. And why
not? It is a delightful tale, superbly brought
to life by Jimmy Stewart at his “Jimmy Stewart-est” and Donna Reed who always
lit up any screen her image was on. This
tale about how our lives are interwoven, and have impact on numerous people
that we may not even be aware of, is a pointed encouragement to keep realizing
that each life has purpose and value.
And who doesn’t need to be reminded that we have the power to make a difference
in the lives of others and that we are valuable to someone?
With that in mind, I had a random thought today about Zuzu’s
rose petals. Zuzu Bailey, the youngest daughter was upset when the
flower she brought home from school had lost a few petals. George (Jimmy) pretended to reattach them
while slipping them into his pocket.
This seemingly small action becomes a hinge that is crucial to the story
as George knew something was amiss when he couldn’t find Zuzu’s petals
in his pocket… and then he knew they were right again when he later found them,
right where they were supposed to be. The
question that I was led to in that musing was this:
“Are
our churches like Zuzu’s petals?”
If our churches were suddenly absent from our communities,
would anyone miss them? If they were
somehow moved out of the buildings they were in and dropped somewhere else,
would people feel the same sense of dismay that George felt when he couldn’t
feel the velvety, soft texture and reassuring presence of the petals? Or would life largely continue as if nothing
had changed? Are we a city on a hill, or
are we hidden in our isolation from “outsiders”?
If there wouldn’t be a sense of loss by anyone outside of
the congregation, we may need to examine the ways in which we are living within
the community. The body of Christ is
intended to be a comforting, supportive, encouraging, and heartening presence
wherever it is found. It is meant to be
engaged in relationship no matter where it is located. Even if it is placed in somebody’s “pocket”
(set aside and forgotten about for a while), it should be there when they seek
it out to remind them that God’s love is setting things right again. For George, Zuzu’s petals were proof of God’s
forgiveness and abundant gifts. For the
world, the church should be the same thing.
Maybe this Christmas the church can begin to be like Zuzu’s petals. And when we can do that, maybe we’ll hear
someone say (in my best Jimmy Stewart voice), “There they are! Well what do you know about that?! Merry Christmas!”
Your servant in Christ,
Chris
