They didn't have to do this for us. We aren't members of their community, their church, and his job description at church is to solely connect the church to non-Christians and non-Christian organizations that are doing good work in Los Angeles. Another relationship that in many ways 'doesn't make sense.'
But still, he shows up, takes time out of his day to bring two people he is mentoring to spend time with people he doesn't know (well, he knows me and I consider him a dear brother, but still...)-they come. They take time out of their day to train, to prime us for our time in Los Angeles. His name is Adrian, and I think he is one of the most amazing persons I know. Besides serving as the "Serve LA" pastor (unpaid staff) he is also a full time EMT and a husband...a busy guy. Still, he takes time and spends an hour and a half with this group from Texas-and he brings David and Britney, two young 20 something's along for the conversation.
This time is important for us. Adrian has a heart for the city. He loves Los Angeles and believes God indeed has a plan for this city. He invests himself in others, and in this city, to develop relationships for the King and His Kingdom-LA is his mission field, as well as the place he calls home. And this guy from the Midwest, a transplant, truly loves the city, the people, and sees harvest where most might see nothing but emptiness and futility. The ministry team he leads is always out among the lost, the least of these, the broken, those searching for meaning in a city where people are as disposable as yesterdays trash.
He talks to us about missiological principles, though he doesn't use that term, and he talks to us about core values, and the one that stands out to me is "Love is the context for all mission." This stands out because all too often people are seen as projects, missions as something we do for God-and if we are honest, sometimes missions is what we do "to" people as opposed to "with" and "for" people-mission work that isn't fueled by a love response to God and a love for people is simply work and people are merely projects. As Paul said, "if I don't have love, I am nothing..."
The thing that sticks out to me about him is that he's not giving us a religious pep talk. He is speaking from an authentic core, he believes this and lives this and wants us to grasp this. He calls us to love Los Angeles and the people we are serving. He challenges us to not simply go about doing work-but to serve in His Name and in love.
Why is this so important? It is important because in our propensity for religiosity, we can do many 'good' things for God without actually serving Him out of a love response, and we can do things for people without actually loving them-and this is not the way of Christ.
This training time took place at the end of our day, and frankly we were all exhausted. No sleep getting to LA, and by this time, we are fading-but his passion for Christ and for this city is contagious and God uses him to speak into our lives. What lies ahead, the week ahead, is not a series of projects, but rather multiple opportunities to flesh out the Gospel, to share the Truth, to share His love with countless people. We need to remember that in the midst of our busyness. He challenges us to walk with our eyes wide open, looking for places where God is at work, to join Him in that work. He calls us to walk in the Spirit and by faith and to trust that God can and will use us.
He encourages us. Challenges us. He takes time for us. He invests in us.
The two proteges (David and Britney) invest as well. They share their stories, their love for Los Angeles and the lost people and places God has called them to invest in. We are blessed to hear their stories and their authenticity.
For me, I am blessed by the gift of their time. Doing what they did for us is not a part of any of their job descriptions-in fact, we are the only Christian group they invest in. They don't do this for anyone else. Their connections are with the church and Los Angeles. Yet, they choose to invest in this group from San Antonio.
What is the point of it all? Well, I pray this challenges us all to think about the supremacy of love in all we do in His Name.
But I am also thankful. Thankful for a brother who continues to invest in me and in those I serve. And I am thankful for the gift of time. I have people in my life who are much closer geographically but when it comes to the gift of time...well, perhaps we are all that way-time misers.
Those who take time to invest in others (not just preach at them or tell them what to do), but truly invest time and energy and love-are few and far between, and this is why my friend, Adrian, and my new friends, David and Britney, are special. I thought you should know about them. They didn't view us as a nuisance, nor did they view us as projects, but rather as brothers and sisters in Christ and they chose to love us and invest in us.
Sometimes we tend to take such people for granted. We shouldn't. They are few and far between. People who come alongside you and say, "let me walk with you...if even for this moment in time..." This is the community of faith at her finest.
I pray their tribe increases. I pray that we all remember the supremacy of love in all we do. I pray we don't take for granted those special moments with those who choose to invest in us. I pray we remember that those outside of Christ will never know about Him unless they hear, and they will never hear unless we go to where they are and share, and do so in love, with all gentleness and respect.
It's easy to stay sequestered in our safe havens, in our four walls of the church-to look at the outside world and look at the messiness and choose to stay safe in our fortress, or to shake our heads at how 'messed up' ..."those people" are...it's easy to write a check for someone to do missions, easy to pray for 'all those lost people out there...' so easy to outsource and so easy to forget that we are on mission every day. It's personal. No follower of Christ is exempt-we all have this privilege, this responsibility as salt and light, as ambassadors, as witnesses, as representatives of the King and His Kingdom.
But we can't do that. His love compels us...and if it does not, then perhaps our hearts are not aligned with His-perhaps we're missing something when love for the outsider isn't there.
Thank you Adrian, David and Britney for reminding us, for investing in us, for taking time. Your efforts were not wasted.
This is the end of Day One. Tomorrow-A "Spiritual Tour" of the spiritual influences that shape Los Angeles-and the beginning of our ability to learn to love some very different people....
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