I
landed in Tokyo the other day. I've been there a LOT. Enough to draw some
conclusions about their highways, their farms and the general infrastructure
of their communities. I could tell you about their customs, their customer
service and the efficiency of their society.
There’s only one problem, I've never left the airport.
As I've flown in and out of Asia over the past eight years, Tokyo’s Narita Airport has been a stopover for me. It’s always been on the way to somewhere, but has never been my final destination. I've looked down on their farms and power lines, interacted with the ticket agents and food service providers and looked at the setting of a cloud-defused sun over and over. But I've never stayed.
I wonder how many relationships in our lives are “stopovers." A friend we don’t really invest in, we’re just there to have lunch, spill our guts and bail. Coworkers at a job where we just mark time, never fully engaging because we’re looking for the next thing to come along. Neighbors who we wave at while we work in the yard but have no real connection to. We think we know them, but we never really do.
Church was like that for me. I could tell you the order of service, when we’d have communion, teaching style of the pastor, what time things started. I had a bunch of the facts, but I had never really “stayed” there.
Church was just a place I stopped over each Sunday then got on with my week.
I get it, there are too many countries in the world to truly know them all. There are too many people to have true relationship with. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't have any. Countries should be explored and people should be known. You can't truly learn anything on a stopover.
There’s only one problem, I've never left the airport.
As I've flown in and out of Asia over the past eight years, Tokyo’s Narita Airport has been a stopover for me. It’s always been on the way to somewhere, but has never been my final destination. I've looked down on their farms and power lines, interacted with the ticket agents and food service providers and looked at the setting of a cloud-defused sun over and over. But I've never stayed.
I wonder how many relationships in our lives are “stopovers." A friend we don’t really invest in, we’re just there to have lunch, spill our guts and bail. Coworkers at a job where we just mark time, never fully engaging because we’re looking for the next thing to come along. Neighbors who we wave at while we work in the yard but have no real connection to. We think we know them, but we never really do.
Church was like that for me. I could tell you the order of service, when we’d have communion, teaching style of the pastor, what time things started. I had a bunch of the facts, but I had never really “stayed” there.
Church was just a place I stopped over each Sunday then got on with my week.
I get it, there are too many countries in the world to truly know them all. There are too many people to have true relationship with. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't have any. Countries should be explored and people should be known. You can't truly learn anything on a stopover.
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