Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. - Philippians 4:5
What do people know about you? Or better yet, what are you known for? I love reading or hearing stories of a time before isolationism, and pandemics, when people actually communicated with their neighbors and spent time, together, in community. In those days, people in a community where known for something; whether it was for their apple pie, or homemade molasses; could have been for their hospitality, or openness to strangers wondering through town. However, some people where known as curmudgeons or recluses (what feels more the norm now because of isolationism). Despite our often lack of community, in today’s society, the people whom are around you still “know” you for being something. The question is what is it?
Paul, as he is closing out his letter to the church at Philippi, writes about letting our graciousness be known to everyone. It’s one of those statements that you might gloss over a hundred times and never really think about it, but let’s stop for a minute, and really try to understand the concept of making graciousness known. Realistically this is done every moment of every day, whether we realize it or not. How we respond to the people around them shows our graciousness or lack thereof. How have you treated those whom you came in contact today? Did you greet them with a smile, loving kindness, generosity, joy? Or did you greet them with isolation, hesitations, hurriedness, and a lack of caring? Either way to those people you have made your graciousness known. Our call as the Christian community is to be inviting to everyone whom we may come in contact, for our Lord is with us, His very presence lives in us as the Holy Spirit. So what we making known as our Lord is near? If our God is gracious to all who come to Him, then we as His children should reflect the same grace as we try to break free from isolation into true community. Lift your eyes, put a smile on your face (even behind a mask), and reflect the gracious love of our LORD, for He is near and desires to see His children in community with one another.
Grace & Peace,
Sam