Lord, through all the generations
you have been our home!
Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from beginning to end, you are God.
You turn people back to dust, saying,
“Return to dust, you mortals!”
For you, a thousand years are as a passing day,
as brief as a few night hours.
-Psalm 90:1-4
In Biblical times, stability in the physical world was hard to come by. Plagues, pestilence and the sword were constantly a problem, as too was resource scarcity. Many perished simply from not getting enough to eat. According to statistics from the World Bank, something like 80% of the global population lived in a state of poverty till the 1880’s. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, modern medicine, and other westernizing factors, global poverty fell to 8.6% by 2018. We no longer feel a day-to-day instability from the physical world like our ancestors, but we do when it comes to the social world.
Lately, I’ve been reading through Ivan Turgenev’s Russian novel, Fathers and Sons, and was struck with an obvious peculiarity: people in the 1800’s spent a tremendous amount of time with one another. A typical visit would often last upwards to a month. In one scene, Bazarov (a main character) decides to leave his parents house after only three days. His father is shocked while his mother weeps in grief for two hours. Horses are the main form of transportation, and so it makes sense that people would generally spend much time with one another; whereas, today, three days with house guests can seem like an eternity.
Much of our social instability simply comes from not spending enough time with one another. How can we know someone without being with them? In the past, physical restraints necessitated quantity time. Today, we often settle for quality time. The truth is we need both. At the end of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus commands Christians to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (28:19). To baptize is one thing but to make disciples is harder challenge. It requires dedication from both the sides and means time together on an intentional and regular bases.
Something the people of Biblical times did not have to deal with was the speed of modern living. How, as pastors and leaders, are we to disciples others when much time and energy is required for a plethora of quick-paced daily tasks? One principle I was taught years ago was to include others in the mundane. Need to pick up church supplies? Invite someone to come along with you. The time together will offer plenty of opportunities to further the faith. Or perhaps you’re a morning person. Why not meet for breakfast? Or maybe you’re more of a night owl – there’s always places open late. The point being, use the mundane moments in intentional ways to foster spiritual and relational growth.
Time is ever moving. Be at home with God in the special times this Christmas season and in the mundane moments. Invite others into your life as Christ has invited you into His.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year,
Pastor Aaron
