Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Matthew 22:38

As many of you know, GLCC has connected with and been praying for Pastor Tim Kuhn and Faith at Newtown, a small evangelical church serving the community of Newtown, CT.  Here is a portion of his most recent prayer letter. 

Dear Friends, Since my last update, just a month ago, life has changed here in CT in unmistakable ways.  People still cannot wrap their mind around the horrific tragedy in Sandy Hook.  Our church is less than one mile from the school.  People continue to grieve, fear, and weep.  The outpouring of love, support, gifts, and prayers for this community is breathtaking.  I don’t believe Newtown will ever be the same, but everyone longs for a return to the days before December 14… 

…You and I can [only] touch the lives of those we have built relationships with.  I feel helpless at times because I have no avenue of relationship with the victimized families.  Police, security, and an honorable awareness of privacy hinder us.  My ministry is to those in this community that I have previously built bridges of friendship. … Every person in your town needs to know the love of Jesus through you!  If you do not build that bridge of friendship now, you may not have the opportunity later to share His love. …Today, I wish I had crossed the path of twenty-six families beyond the ones I have befriended.  Live to fulfill the mission! (Matthew 28:19-20) 

Pastor Tim discovered a fundamental truth.  Sharing the LIFE of Jesus with others in your neighborhood is contingent upon relationship.  Without relationship there is little room for authentic ministry.  Pam and I had a similar “Newtown Moment” last week.   

Six houses down on our street, a 52 year-old man passed away in his home of an apparent heart attack.  He had stayed home from work with flu-like symptoms and was discovered by his teenage son when he returned home from school that afternoon.  An ambulance, two police cars and several fire trucks arrived, but there was nothing to be done.  His wife had passed away several years earlier of cancer and now, his two children, Tyler and Hope, who attend the same schools as my children, are parentless.  The neighborhood quickly rallied and meals were organized.  At the viewing, co-workers, neighbors, friends, teachers and fellow students came to support the family.  Pam and I were part of the throng.  We attended the viewing, paid our respects to the extended family, spoke a few words of comfort to the children and made a meal for them the following week.  Pam and I felt powerless to minister deeper.  We ministered from the perimeter; we simply did not know the family. 

Fortunately, God was not caught by surprise.  Their next-door neighbors, the Stricklands, are believers and know the family well.  They are smothering the kids with love and will be a steady presence in their lives through this uncertain time.    

Even so, Pam and I are asking ourselves some hard questions.  We’ve lived in this neighborhood for 12 years.  How many families have we developed significant relationships with?   How “present” are we to others on our block?  Are we by-standers or participants in God’s work in our neighborhood?  Has our religious activity (church) kept us from being the presence of Jesus on our own street? Jesus’ commandment to love your neighbor was not given to GLCC.  It was given to you.  It was given to me. 

Let’s build a bridge of friendship in our neighborhood this week!