Risk In Love
Pat recently wrote about setting boundaries in pastoral work. Specifically, taking risks to show compassion on others. Things like, bringing someone into your home. He writes:
It’s tempting to use [our daughter] Kaileigh as an excuse - we can’t allow that anything in our home that puts Kaileigh at risk. This is a seriously large portion of the decision process, of course, but at what point is it simply a convenient excuse for us to not pursue compassion and mercy?
Man, this is so hard. When I finally had my own place, I envisioned myself opening my home to people in need. No opportunity presented itself, which just means I wasn’t in the world enough.
But now that I’m married (with a little one on the way) I have to think of my family’s well-being. I just don’t see bringing a stranger into my home with my wife there. But as Pat also wrote, we can’t simply say ‘no’ and leave it at that. I have a desire to be put myself out there a little more, to be a relatively radical follower of Christ. I say relatively because generally when one suggests picking up a hitchhiker or giving money to a homeless person, we’re hit with cautionary tales and reasons to avoid showing compassion. Why isn’t the first thing out of our mouths encouragement and praise to God that someone is shining kindness on someone in need? Why is following Jesus’ example in tangible ways that affect other people seen as radical?