After a 3 a.m. wake up, a long
drive across the state, and a four hour sunrise surf session, I find myself
with my feet propped up on the dash of my Kia. Taking a much needed hydration
break, chugging down on my “Fierce Strawberry” Gatorade, a blond-haired,
barefooted, surfer-chick of a woman approaches my car. Enlightening me with the
tales of her four hour adventure from Miami to here, she asks where the best
place to step into liquid might be. “Here”, I respond to the hardcore surfer
gal, explaining my adventures from Venice to Cocoa Beach all the way to the
south end of Satellite Beach and back. We laugh at our ridiculous journeys to get
to these chest-high, close-out waves, share stories of perfect swells, wipe outs,
and times where we thought the ocean would call us home.
With a gentle handshake, she
introduces herself, “Jessie”. Moments later, with our feet burning and wax
melting, we grab our boards and begin our battle into the breakers as we head
east to the horizon.
This was the beginning of what
turned out to be a beautiful day. My new friend Jessie and I traveled from spot
to spot as the tides turned; “walking on water” until after the burning sun had
set beyond the ends of this earth. As we both knew our day was coming to an
end, I asked her if she wanted to grab a burger and a beer to end such a
perfect day before we both would drive 4 hours back to our homes on opposite
sides of the state.
As we were lost in conversation,
sharing a bit about our professional lives, her a teacher and I, a youth
minister, like many, she began asking questions about my “weird” choice in
careers…
She asks, “I grew
up Catholic, consider myself a Christian, but don’t really go to church. Do I
have to go to church to be a Christian?”
Not knowing what my mouth was going
to say (A typical me move) as she asked that question in the darkness of my
car, I began to speak…
“Jessie,
truth is… No. No you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian. If you break
down the Bible, you will find one of the most epic love stories ever told. In
the beginning God created man and woman for relationships. Not just with each
other, but with Him. We were born to love God and love others. In fact that is
our job. Man turned away from God and throughout the entire Bible, God is
chasing men and women trying to get them to just love Him back. Even to the
point where He sent Jesus to perform the ultimate act of love in dying on that
cross. All you have to do to be a Christian is do what you were made to do, LOVE.
Now, you don’t have to go to the YMCA to work out, but you do because it is set
up to bring you success in working out. In the same way, so is church. It is
set up for your success to step into that relationship with God and with
others. It is a good thing to go, but you don’t absolutely have too…”
The conversation went on, but my
heart was touched that night.
Luke
18:10-14: “Two men went up to the temple to pray one a Pharisee and the other a
tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank
you that I am not like other men – Robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even
like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven,
but beat his breast and said ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
Jesus said, “I tell you that
this man (The tax collector), rather than the other, went home justified before
God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself
will be exalted.”
Forget religion or
law. Forget doing every act of what is “right”. Forget going to church because
you “have” too. It should never be about anything but love. Go to church
because you love being with others who love your God who loves you back. You
were made to love, to be in that one on one relationship with the God that
created you, loves you and is chasing, passionately pursuing you. Just open
your heart to Him, and know that “You are loved!” Everything else, well…
As
you paddle into the breaking waves, you will figure the rest out…
