At Bible Study today, we read and discussed Luke 10: 1 - 20, the Gospel lesson for July 4. Our discussion was wide ranging, but always having a thread of attachment to the core of the lesson: How do we go out? What do we show others when we go out? What are we encumbered by? How are we received?
How do we receive others? How do we treat those who are different? Are we afraid of strangers? How do we treat those people who show up at our door to preach to us? How do we know when we are in a situation where we can interact and help strangers and when should we be rightly afraid? When do we need to set boundaries? How do we show hospitality?
When we love others as ourselves, we need to make sure we are loving ourselves.
We discussed many instances where we or others we knew had to go into situations that were new or challenging. We discussed helping people who might be "strangers" or outsiders. We discussed changes in society and how these affect our willingness to help others or to minister to others.
Our pastor posed an interesting question: Which is more challenging or difficult for each of us: Showing hospitality to a stranger or going out into a new place, needing to rely on others?
Interesting question but easy for me. Needing to rely on strangers is very hard. I'm not sure why. :)
ReplyDelete